The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-01-20

usual intelligence. The other female
was her servant. One of the men was
rather aristocratic in appearance. He
said he occupied minor ministerial
office and color was given to his state
ment by the portfolio which he had
in his hand. The other man, named
Lubkin, was consumptive, about %
years of age.
where is your printing press?" de-
manded the officer
Madame shrugged her delicate
shoulders and outstretched her hands
in manner which said plainly enough
that the police were welcome to any
printing presses they might find in
that place.
A printing press is bulky thing.
1t should not be hard to find. But the
officers searched the house from cellar
to garnet without result. All the while
the quartet sat in the large dining
room, prisoners. On the return of the
police, the two men and the two
women were put through the Sweat
ing" process, but they revealed moth
| luS. uC yOuuS
man laid his portfolio aside for mo-
ment. One of the policemen picked it
up and opened it. Astonshment made
him speeches.. He silently handed the
portfolio to his chief. It was filled with
manuscripts and proofs of a pro-
hibited nihilist paper called Land and
Liberty" The aristocratic-looking per-
son with the portfolio merely smiled
at the CONSERVATION Of the officials.
He realized the gravity of his offense.
He knew the penalty. But he never
quailed for an instant.
Come" shouted the chief, you're
convicted already. You might as well
confess. Where is the press?"
The quartet remained silent. They
were not offensive. 1t was the silence
of submission-but not of fear. Sud
denly the chief gave a shout of sur
prise and pointed to the cupboard. The
other policemen followed the course in
Dictated by his accusing finger They
saw nothing and their blank coun-
tenances said as much.
Don't you see?' almost shrieked
the official.
NO." replied his chief lieutenant.
"What is it,"
"a daub of ink on the door of that
closet"
"a daub of ink?" repeated the other,
parrot-like and with no indica-
ton of intelligence
Eyes! Yes." he retorted, "a daub of
printers ink"
Slowly a consciousness of the mean
ing of his words penetrated their dull
heads. At the same moment they
made a simultaneous dash for the
cupboard. To their amazement they
met with resistance. Nine. Kriloff, her
servant, the aristocratic man of the
portfolio, and the consumptive COM
positor were lined up in front of the
cupboard. All were armed and Nine
Kriloff, pointing her pistol at the head
of the chief officer, said with great de-
liberation:
advance a single step and I'll blow
out your brains. We're desperate
Life means little to us now. Save
yours"
Here was a dilemma. The chief
knew if he made move to reach fol-
his pistol this frenzied woman would
carry out her threat. Only two other
policemen were in the room with him
and they were covered by the aristo
crat and the consumptive cOmpositor
The remainder of his men were in 9th
er parts Of the house. He backed ou
by degrees. 1t was humiliating, but he
felt that it was polite. He must have
time to think and plan. His two com
panions retreated with him. AS the.
reached the outer sill of the floor thu
consumptive compositor slammed thu
door violently and one of his asso
ciates bolted it. The racket brough
the other policemen to the aid of thei
chief. There on the landing they helt
a council of war. The besieged nihil
+ lists, on their part, were sparring TO
time-they had something to concea
or destroy.
f The house was already strongl,
p guarded on the outside and the sieg
J. held out for less than a minute. TIL
q door was broken in and after a tierc
r resistance the four nihilists SUI
|. rendered. The aristocrat fought like
demon and at the last asked quartz
n only for the women. While the polio
a were completing their work the cor
1 sumptive compositor had violen
n paroxysm of coughing and asked pei
n mission to lie on a cot in an adjoir
e ing room.
/. The cupboard proved to be YER
g table magic closet. 1t contained CON
a plete printing outfit. Needless to sa
, the paraphernalia was extraordinary
e simple and adapted peculiarly to tn
! purposes Of the conspirators. Their
a was a large cylinder covered wit
cloth which answered the require
n ments of a press; roller of sol
|. of gummy substance; several fonts G
e type, display and otherwise; fe,
iarc Of nrinfinp ink hanzina hrucho q,