Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-23
A THRILLING
ENCOUNTER
Nerve Hacking Experience
With a Band of Anarchists.

In accordance with the bill recently In.
troduced in congress?" asked Perkins
of Mlcller as they were lighting cigars
after dinner
"I don't think about the anarchist
question at ALL" Mickler replied. at
gives me a cold chill every time hear
the word anarchist"
/ Perkins looked up, somewhat sur.
prised ut the involuntary shudder that
accompanied his friends words.
81 don't expect you to feel as l do
about the matter" Mlckler continued,
because you haven't had the same eN-
perience. You haven't lived under the
impression that any moment you might
be dropped by stab In the back"
! Perkins scrutinized the speaker for
time. then said: "Well, tell me about il.
Singular that you've never mentioned 1t
before"
! At believe 1 WILL" replied the other.
"I've kept the secret all these years,
and I'm dying to tell some one. Be-
sides, l fancy the danger is pretty well
Z over. 1t happened when was In Lon
! don, twelve years ago last winter. l
! was taking a postgraduate course In
the university, but instead of paying
! much attention to lectures was lead
ing a gay life with a lively set of stu
dents. One night attended supper,
during which we had all put away a
good deal of wine, and about 2 O'Clock
In the morning I started for my ROOFS.
They were In a building occupied. rs
I understood, as bachelor apartments
in all stories except the first or ground
fioor Bidding good night to comran-
ion at the street door, I stumbled up
| the stairs. The cold air. following
upon that of the warm room had boon
supping in, intensified the effect of the
liquor had drunk, and instead of stop
! ping on the third floor, where lodged,
| I went on up to the fifth. Feeling my
way In the dark hall to my room,
found a knob in the correct position
and, turning 1t, threw open the door.
"The room was brilliantly lighted,
though the shutters to every window
were closed and a dozen men were
sitting around table. AS the door
opened every man started up, and
twelve revolvers were pointed ut me.
'The party around the table were as
much surprised as 1 was. AS soon as
could find my tongue 1 stammered
my excuse for interrupting them, as
surfing them that I had rooms on a
lower floor, had climbed too high and
had supposed 1 was entering my own
door. One of the number said to me,
Stand perfectly still Then, turning
to one Of his companions, he asked, l
How came that door to be left I'M
lockedp
"'When Ehrheart went for pitcher
| of beer a few minutes ago., replied
| thA mo t,. I,.,,a
chamber. 1 did not know that any
one had gone OUT
"'You shall pay for this returned h
the other, who was evidently the chief f
Then, turning to me, he said: N
"'Remain where you are
"Beckoning to two other members Of T.
the circle, he led them out of the room.
knew they had gone to decide upon
my case. Would they conclude to muir
der me? When they returned ex-
pected to hear that I must die. The
leader stood, looked at me in silence
for time, then said:
"'Young man, you have committed
n blunder that may cost you your life. \
You are free to leave this room, but b
members of our circle will be appoint
ed to keep an ever open eye upon you.
If you ever tell any human being Of
what you have seen here you will be
put to death at once. The only way
for you to live is with the secret <
locked in your breast If you reveal
1t you cannot be sure that the person
in whom you confide is not a member =
of our society, and If your confederate
is not member and tells another he
will run the same risk. Cor
"There was no need to promise Sc
crecy. No promise was asked. was
simply Informed that If let the secret
out must die. / turned, fearful that
I might get knife Ia my back, went
Gown the stairs, never stopping at my
room, going out into the lighted street
There I stood for a few minutes, not
knowing what to do. A man came out
of the building and without noticing
me passed on. knew he had come to
shadow me, and he did. dared not
go back to my room, SO I went to
hotel, where put up for the night
During the rest of my stay in Lon
don was Swallowed constantly. Only
occasionally would 1 notice any one
keeping me under surveillance, but
knew the terrible eye Of the anarch-
LIST circle 1 had stumbled on was
constantly on me. 1t was not more
than week after my return to Amer
lea before I received an anonymous
communication notifying me that
would be under the watch of the
American anarchists. For ten year.
continued to be Swallowed by these
people, and whenever changed my
place of my abode I received notice
that the society was Informed Of thd
change. A couple Of years ago I mad
my last change, and this time l wa
surprised at not receiving the cus
tomary notice. I assumed that, havin1
kept an eye on me for ten years thI
society was convinced that 1t was SAT-
to let me alone"
snow 1 think of It." said Perkins
you have had hunted look"
Nothing . to compare with what
have had within. and IL you had see
much of me several years ago 20
would have seen a walking ghost.