The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1914-11-07
POLICE OF RUSSIA
The Trick They Work to Gather
In Political Suspects.
CAUGHT IN THE MoUSETRAP.

When, After a Secret Arrest. the Snare
Is Set It Holds All Who Enter, Re-
eardIess o. Nationality. Dress. Social
Position or official Rank
Although the peculiar form Of police
ambuScade known as mousetrap has
had its highest development and its
widest application in Russia. writes
George Kenran in the Century. 1t did
not originate in that country. nor did
Ii receive there its strikingly apprO-
pirate appellation.
1t was imported from France a cen
tury or more ago. and the name THAI
It bears was given to it by Alexandro
Dumas in 1899. The distinguished
French story teller described it in "rhe
Three MuSketeers' as follows:
The invention of the mouSetrap does
not date from our days. As soon rs
societies in process of formation Gre
ated police the police in their turn
invented mouSetrapS. As our readers
may not be familiar with the slang of
the Rue de Jerusalem and as it is tif
teen years since we applied this term
for the first time to the thing. we may
be allowed perhaps to explain to them
what a mouSetrap is
when in house of any kind a per
son suspected of crime is arrested the
arrest is kept secret. four or five men
are placed i'm ambuscade in the first
apartment. the door Is opened to ali
who knock. it is then closed after them.
and they are arrested so that at the
end Of two or three days the police
have in their power all the persons
| who are accustomed to visit the place
And that is n mouSetrap."
Dumas does not explain that the trap
is set and the first arrest made at q
| late hour of the night. generally be-
tween and 3 o'clock a. m., so that the
mice will not become aware of IL and
! avoid the dangerous locality. You may
call upon politically untrustworthy"
friend in the evening. drink tea with
him. discuss the state of the country
and go home at midnight without hav-
| ing seen or heard anything to excite
| suspicion or suggest peril but IL you
return to the same house or apartment
early the neXt morning you are liable
to fall into q mouSetrap.
The trap. moreover. catches and holds
every person WHO enters Ii regardless
Of nationality. dress. social position or
official rank Russian revolutionists
are accustomed to assume all sorts of
diSguises. from the blue frock coat and
wrinkled top boots of the gendarmerie
to the sword. epaulets and golden cords
of the general staff. and If the cZar
himself in the uniform of the Preebra-
zhenski guards should visit incognito
house in which trap had been set he
would be arrested promptly and sent to
the nearest precinct station house for
Identification
No discretionary power Of any kind Is
given to the police officers in charge.
The mice caught may not look at all
like the mice for which the trap was
set. but even If they appear to be en-
mine or lizards or small. blind kittens
they must go to the station house for
examination and judgment.
In every large Russian city the police
CynIcaT Critic.
Teacher-And Nathan Hale said IT
only regret that | have but one life to
give for my country" Wasn't that no.
BILE? Bright Boy-Oh. dunno! Most
onybody that's going to be hung would
sooner have few more lives!-Judge.