The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-25
THE ASSASSIN OF STOLYPIN

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even the revolutlonlsts approved en-.
tirely of his Official act" But he
would not have lived that long, and
I Stolypn would be a better man to-
/ day" writes Col James Porsitz late
head OF the st. Petersburg Secret
Political Police. had | but remained
in the ranks few days more" Per
petual spying had become, however,
too sweet a job for even so expert
encod a professional IS Persitz, born
and brought up in the very soul of
the service, and his resignation, fol-
lowed by Bogroff's escape from ST.
IBERIA, were incidents of the same week.
The whole affair began about five
years ago, said the former police chief
to the London correspondent Of the
Cleveland Plain Dealer, and transpir-
ed like this
Our secret agents in Warsaw. where
Bogroh lived, became suspicious that
he was connected with a revolution
airy body which had its headquarters
in the ancient capital of Poland He
was Swallowed for several weeks and
finally when we discovered that he
was aiding the revolutionists, his ar
rest was ordered He was taken from
mis- home and, guarded by six gen
darmes in command Of Captain Alan
asjeT, was placed in frst-class COM
partment on the Nord express for st.
Petersburg 1t was our intention to
place him in the prison OF the fort
ress of St Peter and st. Paul until
we should have more evidence against
him. AS is the custom with all inn
portant political prisoners, he was
placed in chains before boarding the
express and, to insure against his es-
cape, the six gendarmes and Captain
Afanasief were ordered to remain in
the same compartment with him until
he should be turned over to me in
St Petersburg. Yet had it not been
for my activity, Bogroff would never
have been lodged behind the walls of
the fortress of St Peter and St. Paul.
For, despite all our precautions, the
Nord express reached St. Petersburg
without him.
Captain Afanasieff had been in such
a hurry to get Bogroff on the train
that the prisoner had had no oppor-
tunity to dine; SO, as he was we'll sup
piled with money, Afanasief per-
mitted him to order his dinner from
the dining-car. When one Of the gen
darmes told the head-waiter in the
diner that a dinner was TO be served
in one of the frst-class compartments
that person naturally supposed that
an official Of some Importance was to
/ be served, and he not only had set the
solid silver service that is used only
/ for nobility, but carried the dinner to
| the compartment himself. Instead of
high official in gorgeous uniform an
unkempt prisoner in chains confront
ed him And so great was his sur
prize that he dropt the tray with all
the dishes upon the floor
Soon after midnight, without the
slightest warning, the train came to
sudden stop. The conductor and
brakeman jumped to the ground and
ran ahead to find out what was the
matter. The train was near a small
station between Brest Litovsk and
NIinsk. A red lantern on the tracks
showed that the engineer had obeyed
a danger signal.
While the engineer and conductor
were walking down the track to as
certain the trouble a general of gen
darmes in full uniform and followed
by a file OF uniformed officers went
through the train. Entering the COM
partment where Captain Afanasjeff
and his men were guarding Bogroff
he ordered the surprized Captain to
consider himself under arrest.
Your sword. Captain Afanasieff,"
he commanded. mo officer of the
Gar can sleep at his post"
In vain Captain Afanasjeff protest
ed. you are under arrest by order
of your superior officer" said the gen
eral
There was nothing Afanasjeff could
do but surrender his sword. you will
consider yourself under arrest and re-
main in the next compartment until
we reach st. Petersburg" added the
General. Your men will also con-
slider themselves under arrest for
gross neglect of duty. I will guard
the prisoner myself"
The gendarmes, supposing that they
were being addrest by the general in
command of their division, stacked
their swords in a corner of the COM
partment where the Captain, stript of
his sword and boiling with indigna-
ton, was sitting, afraid to question
the orders of his superior officer.
Meantime the engineer and conductor
had investigated the tracks for several
hundred feet ahead and finding moth