The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-05-04
Story of a
Russian Rising
ecOpyright. 1917. Western Newspaper UnIonJ
By WARREN MILLER

posed the czar who sent me to that
horrible life consequently | have but
n thought. to see my country under
such a government as will give her
freedom within and save her from be-
ing enslaved by another imperial mas
ter from without.
Being in Petrograd soon after the
last revolution, / went TO a man who
was n member of the provisional gov
eminent, told him how l had planned
and executed my escape from prison
and asked him If there was any work
I could do to serve my country in her
struggle for the preservation of that
liberty she had so suddenly grasped.
"You are just the man we want" he
said, "for a certain purpose. In Mos
cow there has secretly arrived a mar
from New York who is a leader among
a certain class of fanatics, or rascals,
I am not sure which. We believe that
he has come over here to take advan-
tage Of the clamor Of u simple peas
ants for the land to work flor an an
archistic movement. We can do moth
ing to head him off without a definite
knowledge Of his object. You can serve
Russia best by going to Moscow, rep
resenting yourself a friend of that
mans course, getting his plans from
him and bringing them here to the pro-
visional government"
/ accepted the commission and went
to Moscow. The man whose conf
dence / was to attempt to win still
lives and / do not care TO mention his
name, nor that mine should be known
In this connection. / have no desire to
receive a thrust in the back In return
for what he would call my treachery. !
shall call him Scoralof.
When | reached Moscow / found
that Scoraloff was keeping very dark.
/ represented myself TO a woman as
a Red and she being a Red herself
gave me her confidence. In her en-
thusiasm for the cause she took me to
Scoraloff and introduced me as a
helper of their cause. | will not dwell
upon how / won her confidence. 1t is
enough to say that | won 1t,
When | had learned all that I wanted
10 learn of this cOmmunistlc plan,
suggested that | would be glad to carry
any orders S~coraloff might have for
those associated with him in Petro-
grad. In this l made a mistake. My
object was to be passed back to the
capital in order to furnish the infor-
nation | had gained to the provisional
government but | saw by Scoraloff's
expression that he suspected me of be-
ing a spy. However. his suspicion was
apparent only for an instant. He gave
me a password that would enable me
10 go 10 the capital without being
stopped by any of his consplrators.
Scoraloff really wished a messenger
ne could trust and gave me a letter
written in his own hand to his chief
abettor in Petrograd containing nu
merous instructions. Before setting
out on my return journey I read the
letter and was disappointed that no
date was mentioned for the rising.
I had not gone far on my journey
when / felt some n touch me on the
/ shoulder. and turning, saw a man who
UEAttRu liz ~ lbAlON ~ Il az ~
know whether he was a government
official or a Red. | had a pass on my
person signed by an officer of the gov
eminent for all loyal persons TO pass
me and assist me in official business.
/ suspected that this was a Red SO I
gave him the Red password. He paid
no attention to 1t, but took me TO a
- l.. -, Iox,,~ a n 90 Moscow Qnd
lea me to the top story, where, opening
the door. | was ushered into a room In
which sat a man at once knew to be
n Red. No one but a Red would have
been lodged In such n place. My life
was at stake, for in case | was
searched the order OF the government
would be found and would stamp me
for a spy on the Reds.
The man before whom l was taken
went about an examination of me very
adroitly. He said that he had received
an order from ScOraloff to intercept
me for the purpose Of adding to the
instructions he had given me. / was
invited 10 take n seat and received a
pumping 10 discover whether | was as
/ pretended a Red or a government
p y. / coolly asked the mans permits
sion to smoke and having received II
produced a box of cigarettes which l
offered to him. He took one, / an
other. | struck a match, held 1t to
him. then TO my own, and we began to
smoke.
After a verbal examination he old
me that he had no doubt that l was
what | purported to be, but Scoraloff's
orders 10 search me were peremptory.
was stripped, inspected and every
article of my clothing was carefully
examined. Nothing was found to In
criminate me and after a hearty shake
OF the hand l was suffered to go my
way.
Why was II that my voucher from
the government was not found?
Because IT was written on the wrap
per of the cigarette he had smoked.