Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-11-04


school at Moscow, Leonid Menschi-
koff was arrested for belonging to a
revolutionary circle. He was betrayed
by fellow member of the circle, Zu-
baton, 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 a spy, but
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 could not do much for the
first fifteen years, being kept in subor
dinate positions. When he was trans
ferred to the office of the Ohkrana, De-
partment of Protection of Third Sec
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 during this period. He
worked alone and kept aloof from rev.
olutionists, even as the tide of revolt
rose to it's climax in 1905, for he
wished to complete a large enterprise
But something happened which forced
him to uncover himself.
Mr. MenschiAoff saw in the secret
records that there were thrce extreme
ly able agents provocateur in the
Third Section. One was named Ras-
kin, another Vinogradoff, 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 millions 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 a 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 Azeff, who was
known to him by another name. and
said:
who is Azeff?"
Il am Azeff." calmly replied the arch
spy. But there is a mistake. The
| guilty man is Tataroff-"
Tataroff, also mentioned in the let
| ter, was in fact police agent He
| was a candidate for the inner circle
| of terrorism, sent forward by his en-
| ployers for the purpose of checking
/ up the activities of Azeff, whose splen-
| did villanies had no supervision Ia
/ tarof tried to save himself by accus-
| ing his eminent colleague, though he
had no personal knowledge of Azef's
| police position A revolutionary tri
4 bunal tried Tataroff, 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 q
wholesale betrayal of revolutionists
! whom he had perhaps not intended tc
betray. Several hundred were arrest
ed. exiled, shot or hanged