Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-12-12
My Passport
By PETER RUDINE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation 1911.

there some years ago to be wei
known man among my own country
men. ! had represented my country
at several foreign courts, and any
member OF any American embassy
abroad would know me at the men
ton Of my name.
After an interview with the Ameri
can minister concerning certain mat
ters Of diplomacy with which | had
been charged from Washington l went
to my hotel, intending to leave the
next day for Berlin, thence on to Par
is, London and New York. / had left
my passport to be vised. and it was
to be sent me the next morning. II
was brought me by a clerk in the
| American embassy, young Russian
who had lived in the United States
and spoke and wrote English. When
he handed it to me | noticed that be
seemed to be studying my personal
appearance. | glanced at the pass
looking up at the young man, saw
that he was still studying me.
Il seem to interest you" said tart
~.
Il beg your pardon. sir. When we
deliver a passport we are responsible
for its getting into the right hands"
With this he bowed and withdrew.
The next day ] boarded a train at
the station. AS soon as ! appeared a
man in the uniform of a railroad Off
cial took me to a carriage and put me
into a compartment. There were six
seats in the compartment. one of them
occupied by a gentleman and four by
some friends who had evidently come
to the train to see him off | took the
sixth seat A moment before the train
started the official who had put me
into the carriage came to the door to
shut it. Before he did so the friends
got out. leaving the traveller alone
with me in the compartment. AS soon
as we left the station and rolled into
the light | noticed that my fellow pas
senger was the exact counterpart of
myself. He was about my height,
though a trihe shorter. In every 9TH
er respect he might have been taken
for me-
My looking at him so scrutinizingly
appeared to irritate him. so l stopped
it. We rode on together all the after
noon. and as we were approaching the
border separating Russia from Germa-
ny the man pulled out a cigarette and
began to puff Justify. Both windows
we're up, and attempted to lower one
of them. The man stopped me. per-
sisted. whereupon the man drew a re-
volver, leveled 1t at me and said some
thing in Russian. Understanding this
to mean that If didn't let the window
alone he would murder me. | deslsted.
Gradually | became overcome by the
fumes Of the cigarette and lost con-
seriousness.
was awakened from my slumber
by a man shaking me. 1t required
some time for him to arouse me. and
when he did so l found that we had
arrived at the station on the border
where all passports are examined. I
looked about for my fellow passenger.
but he was not there. Not thoroughly
myself, seized my hand baggage and
went into the apartment in the sta
ton where passengers are required
TO wait while their passports are be-
ing examined. Then / opened a satch-
ell in which l carried my passport. 1t
had vanished.
now recalled the man that looked
like me, and II occurred to me that
he had robbed me of the document
with the intention Of passing out of
Russia by it. l told my story to the
officer in charge of passport examina-
ton, and he Immediately issued an
order to detsin any one attempting to
pass on a passport bearing my name
| He was too late. One of his deputies
reported that the passport had been
used by man for whom a sleigh was
waiting: he had jumped into 1t and
been driven away. When l was shown
the official he threw up his hands. ex
claiming:
Great heavens. This is the man
In this instance ! was saved from
suspicion because my passport haC
been used, but there remained the
question, WAS | in collision witt
him?" requested the officer II
charge to telegraph an account Of the
case to the American minister to Rus
STA. and he did so. But | was delayed
several days in the little station be
fore an order came to permit me to &
through without a passport. Had 4
not been for my diplomatic connec
lions heaven knows what would have
become Of me.
Several years after this was sitting
in my office in the state department
at Washington when a man with {
Russian name was announced. or
dered him admitted. and he said to me
II owe you my life. sir. or more
Had it not been for my using you
passport l would now be working il
the mines Of Siberia"
"Are you the man who drugged mi
with cigarette smoker"
Il am. ] was made up. The clerl
In the embassy who took you you
passport did the work. The railway of
fetal who showed you to the compart
ment was one of our circle. And the
friends seeing me or were also mem
bers, holding the seats that there
should be no one else in the compart
| mont