The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-07-25
A7EFF IN EMPLOY.
OF THIRD SECTION
rAMo,Is POLICE SPY NOT SOUGHT
FOR VERY HARD BY RUSSIAN
POLICE.
General Harting, Former Chief OF Rus
sian Political Police Abroad Tells
Story.

ST PETERSBURG, July 24.-Gener-
al Harting. former chief of the Russian
political police abroad, who recently
was denounced by M. Rourtzeff as be-
ing implicated in the plot to assassi-
nate Emperor Alexander III, has been
in ST. Petersburg for the last TWO
weeks arranging his affairs. He mas
been retired from the police service
at his own request on an annual pen
sion of $500.
In an Interview today, General Hart
Ing, known also as Michael tandem,
made the important announcement
that Azeff, a leader of the lighting
revolutionists and a noted police spy
whom the Russian police profess to
be seeking throughout the world, Is
now in Russia occupying an important
post in the so-called Third Section,
or political police.
General Harting is residing in one
of the apartments maintained by the
police where they can meet the reVo-
lutionary agents. He consented to.
talk when convinced that he was rec
ogniZed. He readily admitted his idenS
tity with the Terrorist tandem, say
ing that in early youth ne sincerely
believed in the principles OF terrorism.
and participated under the name OF
tandem in planning with others the
assassination Of Alexander Ill in 1871
He denied, however, that he had be-
traved his comrades to the French
DOlice as NJ Bourtzeff has charged.
His ideas changed after he secured
employment as a clerk in the embassy
at Paris Later he was transferred t"
the police service, but never was all
agent provocateur or traitor, citing as
proof of this his continued friendly
relations with his old revolutionary
acquaintance. He served the Russian
government. he said, honorably and
faithfully and his services were recog-
nized by commentator from hlgn
quarters on his retirement.
General Harting was very bitter
against Bourtzeff. who, but for General
Harting, according to the latter's as
sertion would long have persisted in a
French or Russian prison
The French government repeatedly
has proposed to arrest or eXpel Bourtz-
off. On such occasions General Hart
ing had interposed and now France Is
in possession of evidence that Bourtz-
eff was hand in glove with the active
terrorists and had decided to expel
him.
General Harting talked about the
famous government agent Azeff WIN
from an inside position in the coun-
ellis of the revolutionists for years had
kept the government informed on ter
rorist plots against the emperor ana
high officials General Harting, who
had longer and more intimate relations
with Azeff than anyone else, declared
that Azeff had never played double
game with the government nor sacrl-
feed the life of a single official to
further his own ends. He asserted that
Pourtzeff's charge that Azeff had par
ticipated in the assassination of Won
Plehve was absurd. Azeff owed ev-
erything to Won Plehve and sincerely
loved him. Continuing, Harting de-
clared that AZeff was clever, nard-
working and honest and had repeatedly
risked mis- life to serve the government
and that he was still highly apprecia-
eed at ST. Petersburg and was now rem
dering valuable services, though in
what capacity he had no right TO state