The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-10-19

| PARIS, Oct. 18.-For the first
time the story, in all its dramatic
details. Of the lynching of Father
Gapon, once leader of Russia &
downtrodden people. early in
1906, has been told. M. Martin
Ruthenberg, at that time a spy
for the Russian nihilists, in a re-
markable newspaper narrative
here tells how Gapon was trapped
as a traitor and later strung ur
by the Infatuated men whom he
had sold out to the police.
Once, a year before his end
Gapon had been a power. Rising
from a swineherd, he became mas
ter of a great peoples movement
Eloquent and fearless. he held the
first open-air meetings in Russia,
A score of laborers acted as his
bodyguard at all times.
He wore the garb of bible
time Syrian and dressed his hair
and beard so that his face resem-
bled that on the holy ikons that
the people worsh1ped.
Then came the great Putiloft
strike. st. Petersburg was seeth-
ing. The workingmen drew up q
petition to the car, and, with Fa-
Their Gapon at their head, began q
march to the palace on that "black
Sunday" in 1905. Soldiers moved
them down in platoons, and the
massacre of that day will live in
history. Gapon escaped, but from
that day he was hailed as leader
of the masses-maybe a savior OF
the people.
Ruthenberg opens his story a
year later, when he determined to
spy on Gapon and prove him a
traitor. He suspected that Gapon
had sold out to the project, and
later found his suspicious true.
He visited Gapon and told him
he wanted to interview Project
Ratchkowsky for the purpose of
gaining the big sum that such an
interview, under the guise of dis
closing secrets to the police,
would bring. He began by say
ing that all that could be done
would be to extort money from
the police chief.
That is true" replied Gapon.
adding, with an odd smile, a lit
tie time ago he receiving $1,000
rOubles from the cZar.
Ruthenberg: How much will
he give if ! come and dine with
him? Five hundred roubles?
Gapon: He will perhaps give
10000. This is what should
advise you to do. Simply go to
Cubat's restaurant on Sunday, and
1 shall tell Ratchkowsky.
Ruthenberg: He won't receive
me; he no longer trusts you.
Gapon: Yes, he does.
Ruthenberg: He is not afraid
of me?
Gapon: No, as he trusts me;
and how about the money?
Ruthenberg: Twenty-Five thou
sand l must have, and cash down.
And it is only to come and dine
with him to ascertain what he
wants.
Gapon: Very good. 1t is neces-
sary that everything should be
known beforehand.
Ruthenberg: One more condi-
ton. l must not have spies at my
heels.
Gapon: OF course. You say that
YOU want twenty-five thousand F.;
but II you chose to tell him about
the affair which you have in hand
you might have fifty thousand.
Ruthenberg: Twenty-Five thou.
sand for only dining with him?
shall know what he wants. shall
tell him nothing the first time.
should have to consider the mat
ter.
I Gapon: That is true. Twenty
! five thousand is too little.
Ruthenberg: And what will
YOU get for having made me
come
| Gapon: / don't know yet.
,shall talk about this tomorrow.
| Continuing, NJ. Ruthenberg tell,
Ihow the project of police had re
FUSED to see him. Gapon's treach
ery was already proved. So 4
Twas decided by the workmen t.
Kill him in st. Petersburg.
| As house was taken near tn,
capital and Ruthenberg induced
Gapon to go there with the fdet
of fixing a meeting with NJ. Ratch
4 kowsky. On the fatal afternoon
Gapon and Ruthenberg arrived a
TIE house and went together to ;
room adjoining, which, with only
thin partition between them
were workmen members of tn,
Tribunal" met to overhear tn,
Conversation.
| Ruthenberg presently asked
,l"What If l betrayed you anC
lopened peoples eyes by denounc
ing your intercourse with Ratch
kowsky?"
What nonsense!" Gapon ex
claimed. who would believe
lEou? Where are the witnesses
Then ] could always announce II
the newspapers that you were
mad. Now, let us go to business
Presently Ruthenberg wa,
lsgain heard to object.
Our comrades would be hang