The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-10-25
CHAPTER Y
THE COAIAIITTEE OF TEN.


TT has been said before that Trux-
ton King was the unsuspecting
object of interest TO two sets
Of watchers The fact that he
was under the surveillance OF the
government police is not surprising
when We consider the evident Jhor-
OughneSS OF that department. DuL mat
he should be continually watched by
persons Of a more sinister cast suggests
Z mystery which can be cleared up by
visiting a certain underground room,
scarce two blocks from the tower OF
GraustaTk- 1t goes without saying that
cOTPOreal Ambulance, TO this room was
not 10 be obtained easily In fact one
must belong 10 certain band Of Indi-
VidualS, and in order TO belong 10 that
band one musuehaVe taken very sol
, eTnn pledge Of eternal secrecy and a
primal oath 10 devote MS lie 10 Ger tam
purposes good OF evil, according TO ms
conscience BY means OF the friendly
sesame that has opened the way 1OF as
10 the genuer secrets We are permitted
to enter this forbidden apartment and
listen in safety 10 the ugly business of
the committee of ten.
There were two ways of reaching this
WindOWiess room, with its low ceilings
and dank airs. If one had the secret in
his possession he could go down through
the mysterious trap door IN the work
shop OF William SpanJZ, aTmOrer 10 Lle
crown, or he might come up through a
hidden aperture in the walls of the great
government sewer which ran directly
Of The quaint old building. One could
take his choice OF direction In approach
ing this hole in the huge sewer; he could
come up from tie river half a mile
hills above If he had the courage 10
drop through one Of the intakes.
II Is OF special significance that the
trap door IN CpduCL.s workshop was
reserved for use by the arm0rer and
his more fastidiOus Comrades-Of whom
three were women and one an estab-
hold One should not expect ladies TO
traverse "a sewer If other ways are Omen
10 them. The manner Of reaching the
workshop was not so simple however,
as you might suppose. The street door
was out OF che question. with DaUEIDsS
Oh the watch, day and night. As much
can be said for The rear door. IL was
necessary, therefore, that the favored
few should approach the shop by ex-
traCTdinary paths For instance. two OF
the women came through friendly but
unknown doors iu the Easements Of adj
joining houses feacf Ing the workshop
by the narrow stairs leading up from q
CObWeby wine cellar next door STautz
ana olga PlagaHoVd, or course, were al
To- prove that while ten persons com
IrlSed the committee al least as many
more OF The sHopkeepers 10 that par
rcular neiEI5OThOod were ia sympathy
with their secret operations.
So eleverly We're ali these means of
approach concealed and so ELealIIE the
movements OH ttfF ffIIIalrIHHtf tfldt hl.t
existence OF Ii-s lnueTgrauud room, tar
below the street level was as yet uu-
suspected bE the police More than that
Ihe existence OF tIe committee of ten
IS aH organization was unknown go the
department. landing the iact
shat it had been working quietly. SER
fAusiy for more than year.
The Commute or ten representa-
the braius and the activity of n rabbi
coterle iu EdelWeisS. among thenselFes
Ftsled the party or equals. I'm plain
language, they were Reds Less thaI
1IftA persons in trfHStaIiE We're ainllat
cd with This particular community oil
anarchists I'0r more than year tha}
had been preparing themselves aE3fus
the aii-ImporfauI heir for public oeclaTa.
tior. Their ranks had peeu auemcnteC
By occasional recruits from other lands
their literature was circulated stealth
iiy. their opera lions were as secret as
the grave. SO far as the outside W0rlt
was concerned. AUH so TIC pci=Oi
Fpraug up and thriEed unhindered il
1hc room below the street growing iI
Z-iruience and power under the Nerl
1loses OF the vaunfed police of EdelWci-s
rslOwiV developing into power tha
v ould some day assert itself with ola
Dolical fury
There were men and women from
Axphain and Dawsbcrseu ln this sect
circle that made EdeiWelss its spread
ing ground. They were Reds Of tho mos
dangerous fypr-silcut. Folceless. craft
men and women who built well Withou
noise, and who gave out nothing 10 IN
ORD from which they expected 10 taxi
20 much.
The nominal leader was William
Spantz, hc WhO had a son In the prince
household Julius Spantz. the master
of-arms. Far of iu the hills above On
Danube there lived the real leader o
this deadly group, the iron Count Mar
hated and execrated ~ every loya