The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21


menace it If we were not warned? And
you may suppose that 1t is not the pro-
moters of disorder who come to acquaint
US with their designs. We must obtain
intelligence of what is passing in GER
tain quarters. Besides, all governments.
whatever they may be, or may have
been, have their secret agents.
And it is you who are entrusted with
this service?"
yes, 1t is who am in communication
with them, and who hold all these
strings. This is my province, and there
1t is. What more would you have me to
tell your"
What you please; as much as you like.
For instance, you have some In every
class. These visitors must sometimes be
very interesting"
The official was not edited by this.
He exclaimed Indignantly that he could
not go into details and reveal their means
of defense, and when he was urged to say
a little he cut the interview short by re-
marking that he really could not betray
professional secrecy.
Recourse was then had to NJ Jaime.
late chief inspector of the criminal de-
tective department who, as soon as the
subject was preached, cried:
1.-THE secret police has always existed,
and always will exist. The authorities
have always had to surround themselves
with agents Of all sorts, who daily inform
them of everything that may be plotted
against the government. And this will
go on until the end of the world. Tndig-
nant speeches may proclaim to the cham
Der the abolition of the secret police, but
1t will continue to exist. There are so
many ways of recruiting secret agents.
It'll t. Il
have lost caste. or are starving, and the
foreign Adventures constitute the best
of the elements at the disposal of the
prefecture, because there are so many
indirect agents who have not to be
sought out and voluntarily come for
ward to sell for a trifling sum, even
sometimes for dejeuner, all the infor-
nation that they have about an affair
which interests the criminal detective
department.
Then, again. 1t Is SO easy to come
across unconscious helpers. Friends and
acquaintances whom one often meets
are only too glad to come out with their
tips Most Of these agents are unknown
to the prefecture. They give their in
formation to go betweens, and so they
escape suspicion. This Is why I do not
imagine that people should think serious
y of conspiring against the republic. If
I were to get up a plot with 200 persons,
should be only too much afraid that
1899 of my accomplices might belong to
the police
The paper relates an anecdote which
may, or may not, have any foundation,
but which. at any rate, throws an inter
esting side light this subject. The
story is that one day a grand seigneur,
devoid of republican proclivities. was
giving a fete. when the project of police
of that time asked for several cards
of invitation for his agents, alleging
political necessity as the reason for this
application.
The gentleman was very indignant so,
by the way of compromise. the project,
who had called in person. asked II he
might be allowed to see the list of guests.
The lists were shown to him. He looked
It over, and returned 1t to the host, say
ing with a gracious smile: well, let me
suppose that I never applied for any
thing It is all for the best" The OBJ
vious inference is that the project found
in the list the names of a good many
people who were sure to give him on the
following day full account of every
thing that had been said and done at
that particular fete.
A curious case has just been tried in
Paris assize court of negro pugulist
accused of manslaughter. The negro was
acquitted and the jury quite properly as
sumed that he could not be guilty. The
charge was that the man had been
stabbed with a knife In the course of a
quarrel and subsequently died Now 1t
was argued that 1t was not natural
for a pugilist to resort to knife in self
defense. He would make use of his
fists, and because the man was not killed
by blow from the fist of the negro he
could not be guilty. The incident oc-
Cured one night in the streets of Mont
marte. The negro. who was well known
as a boxer, was seen In bar-room by
some apaches. The latter began to twitt
him. and asked him to show what he
could do with his bare fists and without
any gloves
/ The negro took all this as a good
natured joke. and paid no attention. After
leaving the bar the young fellows follow
ed, where they continued to challenge
him. Conscious of his strength, the negro
merely shrugged his shoulders. Finally,
one of the tantalsers made a direct at
tack on him, which gave the negro an
opportunity of landing few good blows.
His assailant, exasperated at the result
drew knife. The negro dealt a few
more blows, and his antagonist fell on
the pavement with deep wound in
the thigh which had cut vein and
caused him to bleed to death. The negro
was accused of having used a knife,
though 1t was in self-defense. When
the case was tried the accused man de-
MED It, He stated to the jury that he
carried no knife, that he never used a
knife, though 1t were self-defense such
a thing would not occur to him. He al
ways felt that he was strong enough
for any two men with his fists alone
In the case in question 1t was his assail-
ant who had drawn the knife. and was
wounded by his own weapon though a
blow which he had received. The
negro's explanation was admitted by the
jury to be true, and he was in conse-
quence acquitted
To be an up-to-date aviator now one
must know Esperanto. At Mourmelon lie
Grand, the classic aviation ground, moth
ing but Esperanto is spoken by the in
itiated among themselves. M. Henri Far
man Is the best universal linguist in the
flying community. M. Effimoff M. Van
den Born and Madame Franck, are all
proficient scholars. and speak Zahmen-
hoff's tongue as freely as they fly.
The language seems to be productive
of excellent companionship. M. Farman
has hoisted the Esperanto flag over his
shed, and in the evening, after dinner,