The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-01-02
A Rescue
Story of an Ameri-
cans Adventure
In Russia.
By ALAN HINSDALE


Of $4,000 year and was globe trot-
ter. He was also an amateur sports
man-yachtsman and everything else
that affords amusement out of doors.
One winter Champlin was in st. Pc
tersburg NOW Petrograd). Russia was
then at peace with all of the world
except herself. Revolution was brew
ing. The government knew it was
brewing, and the Russian secret police
was keeping an eye on all suspected
citizens. Revolutions are generally up
heavals of the lowest classes. The !
late Russian movement was participat
ed in by persons Of first grade, includ-
ing the mobiles, or at least members of
noble families. Champlin was not
aware of what was g@ng on-for
everything was done secretly-tiH one
night when he attended a ball given at
the Winter palace.
The American minister had secured
him his invitation and had warned him
to exercise the utmost care In avoiding
being drawn into a dangerous position
toward the government
The advice was lost on Champlin,
who proposed to associate with whom
he pleased. Being a free American
citizen he demurred at being told by
any government who should not be his
friend. However he went to the ball,
not dreaming that he would fall into
| the trap such as he had been warned
| against.
He was dancing with a girl, the
daughter of a general in the Russian
| army. Her right hand was in his left
and held high. He felt something drop
| into his coat sleeve. The girl brought
| the dance to a close, at the same time
looking meaningly at the sleeve. Low
| ering his arm. Champlin caught some
| thing in his hand. He put it in his
| coat pocket without looking at 1t, but
as soon as he could do so unobserved
he examined it, finding powder wrap
ped in a bit Of paper, as medicines are
put up by druggists.
As Champlin was leaving for his no
tel he saw the girl he had danced with
| passing out. Two men, one on each
side, escorted her. They were evil
IDENTIFY not guests. The girl gave
| Champlin a look which he could not
| understand, but he inferred that 1t
was an appeal for something. He pass
| ed out of the palace behind the two
men and the girl and saw them enter
| a carriage. Jumping into his own con-
veyance. he directed his coachman to
eo11oxr tho o,1a 4ucf dffx-ino away
Champlin saw the two men and the
| girl alight in front of police station
and go inside. There he lost her. He
thought Of following her in, but feared
| to compromise her by doing so It'll
was well he did not, for the powder
remained In his coat pocket, and If he
had been searched a deadly poison
would have been found on him. This
he discovered later on.
It was evident to him that this young
lady had been suspected. Doubtless
spies were watching her when she slip
| ped the powder into his sleeve. His
theory was that she had prepared to
| poison some one during the ball.
Whether she had succeeded or failed,
she had taken advantage Of dancing
with ChampIin to get rid of the Grim
mating substance.
Champlin had an overpowering de
sire to learn what had become of the
girl He made inquiries, but learned
nothing. Persons may disappear IN
Russia and never again be heard Of
| Perhaps their immediate friends or
families know where they are, but few
inquiries are made, and the responses
! are not apt to be definite. At the
same time, there are breaking hearts
Champlin believed, notwithstanding
the girl had got rid of the evidence
against her, that she was doomed. To
be suspected In Russia is to be pro
nounced guilty, especially at a time
when the government is in danger.
One morning when Champlin was
about to open his bedroom door to go
down to breakfast he found a note on
the floor which had been slipped be-
tween the door and the sill. Opening
it, he read:
Pardon my daughter for having used
you to save herself. She failed. She was
seen to drop the package in your sleeve
You are being watched. Leave Russia
| secretly II you Gail
There was no address, no signature
Champlin knew the name Of the girl
he had danced with, and instead of at
once leaving Russia he waited until
an inquiry had appraised him that she
| had been sent to- Siberia. Then, In
stead of leaving secretly, he departed
openly, arguing that he was doubtless
known to the police as an American
who had no interest in the revolution
and If he tried to get away secretly
he would render himself liable to sus
picion.
There was something in this transit
ton from the festivities of the Winter
! palace to the dreadful Kara prison,
with its desperate hunger strikes, that
affected Champlin deeply. What NOV
ed him most was that appealing look
Lisa Dmitrievna gave him when being
marched away from the hall between
two officials. He had supposed it to
mean, 'If you are questioned do not
give me away" but as the episode
rather the tragedy-continued to i'm
press itself upon his soul he could not
help feeling that it meant, "For heav-
ems sake, save mer
have said that Fred Champlin was
a lover of adventure. So he was. But
the idea of rescue of woman from
the Russian government was so wild,
so innately near the impossible, that
for time 1t never entered his head.
When it did 1t was banished, but to
| Il - ~
Cured to him that he possessed one
element of success that was not to be
despised, especially in Russia. He had
plenty of money, and Russian officials
were amenable to bribery. No sooner
did the fact present itself to him than
he gave himself up to concocting a
plan by which he might assist Lisa
Dmitrievna to escape from Kara.
A prominent American journalist had
some years previously obtained permits
sion from the Russian government to
inspect the Kara prison and write
report of the treatment of the prison
ers there 1t occurred to Champlin
that such permission would. be of great
help to him. Since his efforts were to
be entirely dependent upon the use Of
money he thought he might as well
begin at once. But this first move
was independent of bribery. He from
whom permission must be given was
of the imperial blood, and to attempt
to bribe him might spoil everything.
: Champlin went to England and
bought newspaper. Immediately its
columns contained bitter attacks upon
the Russian government for the treat
ment Of prisoners at Kara. Champlin