Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-11-01


school at Moscow, Leonid Menschi-
kon was arrested for belonging to a
revolutionary circle. He was betrayed
by a fellow member Of the circle, Zu-
batoff, who became an eminent pro-
vocateur and chief of police at st. Pc
tersburg. The young student spent a
few months in Jail Then he entered
the police service, not as spy, but as
a kind of clerk or lower. official.
He determined to learn the system
and the personnel and to obtain docu-
ments for the benefit of the revolution
lists. But he cou y not do much for the
first fifteen years ,eing kept in subor-
dinate positions When he was trans
ferred to the office OF the Ohkrana, De-
ton, at ST. Petersburg, in 1900, he
found his chance. AS head Of the de-
partment of procedure" he had
charge of secret and valuable ar
chieves, and he directed his subordin-
mates to make copies of documents,
which copies he appropriated and de-
posted in various places in order to
insure their safety. Some documents
he would take home at night and make
typewriter copies himself, informing
his superiors that he could not do all
the work at the office by day. In this
simple fashion he managed to accu-
mulate more than 1000 pages Of valu-
able material. He was not watched
or suspected duringt;this period. He
worked alone and kept aloof from rev.
olutionists, even as the tide Of revolt
rose to its climax in 1905, for he
wished to complete large enterprise.
But something happened which forced
him to uncover himself.
Mr.. Menschikoff saw in the secret
records that there were throo extreme
~ able agents provocateur in the
Third Section. One was named Ras-
kin, another Vinogradofr, another
Valuyski. These men were In the in
most confidence of the terrorists. They
knew beforehand all the big plots,
even the Staying Of Minister Plehve
and Grand Duke Sergius. This trinity
of talent, strange to say, focused grad
ually into one personage-a master
traitor whose name has removed con-
siderable stigma from that Of Judas
in the minds of several million peo-
pie.
Mr.. Menschikoff, regardless of dan
ger to himself and his plans. felt COM
PEELED to write an anonymous letter to
a member Of the revolutionary central
committee, informing him that great
terrorist leader was a police spy.
The committee member was asked to
tell no one except five Of his fellows,
but in his establishment he showed the
letter to Eugene Azefr, who was
known to him by another name. and
said:
who is Azetf?"
Il am Azeff." calmly replied the arch
spy. But there Is mistake. The
guilty man is Tataroff."
Tataroff also mentioned in the let
ter, was in fact a police agent. He
was q candidate for the inner circle
of terrorism, sent forward by his en-
.ployers for the purpose Of checking
up the activities of Azef, whose splen-
did villanies had no supervision. Ia
taron tried to save himself by accus-
ing his eminent colleague, though he
had no personal knowledge Of Azeff's
police position. A revolutionary tri-
bunal tried Tatarotf, condemned him
to death and had him shot in 1906.
Before he was killed, however, Ia
taroff denounced Azeff to the police as
being disloyal and engaged in terror
istic work Azeff was arrested by
General Grassimoff, chief Of police,
and threatened with exposure Of his
double role, whereupon he made a
wholesale betrayal Of revolutionists
whom he had perhaps not intended to
betray. Several hundred were arrest
ed, exiled, shot or hanged.