The Cairo bulletin., 1911-04-19
My Unobtrusire
Typewriter
BY EDWARD L. THORNTON
Copyright by American Press Assoc
cintinn Isi1
oWARD L THORNTON

typewriter, 1 enEdBeu OnE WIZ SPohU
little English | kept him busy
tipping letters, contracts, specifications
and other such documents
Alexis Breutowski was his name,
and he was born in Russian Poland.
quiet, unobtrusive fellow, very poor
and out at the elbows. | took fancy
to him and told him that ii he cared
to 90 with me wossl take him to
the United States and secure h posi-
/ ton for him In the steel works rep
resented. He accepted the offer.
That was at time when nihilism
was threatening every man prominent
FIJI the government, from the car
down to the superintendent OF police.
I tried to learn something about the
! nihilists from Alexis. but he appeared
to take no interest in what they were
doing, or. rather, said he did not APP
prove Of their methods The only
man he appeared enthusiastic over
was Count Tolstoy, whose policy was
nonresistances
However when I made friend OF
Russian and Alexis saw that was
with him great deal he told me that
| 1t was dangerous to be seen with the
man. When asked him why he re-
| piled that he had heard through a rel
ative who was connected with the po-
! lice that the man was suspect, which
meant that he was being watched by
| the government for completely with
nlhilism. Having no wish to become
a suspect myself, dropped the man
like hot coal.
I was successful In getting an order
for rails and after the contract was
signed applied for permission to de-
part understood from Alexis that
he had also made application, had
hired suit Of rooms which ! used
both for living and office apartments.
and that might at all times have my
typewriter handy gave him one OF
/ them for sleeping room.
/ When tho time came for my depar-
/ ture Alexis had not yet received his
/ passport I told him that had been
I dealing with representa- OF the
I government and thought that II
told them I wished to take my type
writer to America to give him bust
ness position they might hurry the de-
/ livery of the document But Alexis
shook his head, saying that there was
SO much suspicion Of persons entering
and leaving russia that my making
! such an application might deter rather
| than hasten the granting Of the pass
] mort, but IL would wait few days
he was quite sure he would receive It,
told him that must leave the next
day, but since intended TO remain in
London until the ship on which l had
engaged passage sailed he could join
me there. | offered to leave with him
the price Of the tickets. but he de-
clilied, saying that the money would
be advanced by bis relatives.
What was my surprise the next
morning on arising from my bed to
/ find the suit Of clothes | had taken
off the night before missing. fooked
in Alexis room his bed had not been
slept in. Had he stolen my clothes and
deeamped? My money was all right;
he had not taken that But my pass
port was gone.
/ ran over the probabilities in my
mind and remembered that he was
about my age, height and build. 1
was blond; so was he. The eyes
of both were blue. Then 1t occurred
to me that he who had worn a full
beard had the day before cut it of,
leaving only mustache, as In my case.
Fearing" said to myself, that he
would not get@his passport In time TO
20 with me, he has taken mine, made
himself as much like me as possible
In order to pass on Ii as his own ana
gone away with 1t.
Thinking that he had left me some
written word, looked about. but not q
scrap did find,
Taking another suit from my trunk,
put It on and went out to get some
breakfast. In the restaurant noticed
several men talking in low tones. l
heard one Of them speak the word
nitroclycerIn. Somehow / suspected
from their peculiar manner that some
government magnate had been assas-
sinated. bought newspaper, but
there was no notice Of anything of the
kind. The man Alexis had warned me
, against came into the restaurant and
looked about. Seeing me, he beckoned
me to follow him and went out He
paid no attention to me till we reach
ed n little street almost deserted; then
he turned and said, Go at once to the
; chief Of police aud report that your
passport has been stolen"
, "How did you know? Who stole it?
} what's the matter"
Your typewriter is beyond the Dor
: der, He wishes no harm to come to
YOU. Go at once and do as | say"
HAS anything happenedg
yes" he whispered. Last night
the chief Of police was killed by q
bomb as he was entering his home"
/ took the mans advice and escaped
arrest for completely in the assassina-
ton got out Of Russia as soon as
they would let me go.
on arriving in London had not been
} at my hotel an hour before 1 received
tha card OF Alexis BreutowSki. I sent