AZEFF THE TERRORIST

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 444, 1 March 1909, Page 7

AZEFF THE TERRORIST

MURDERED OR HIDDEN? DISCUSSION IN THE DUMA. THE SPY SERVICE. (UY TELEGRAPH —HtRSS ASSOCIATION—COrTUtOHT.) St. Petersburg, February 20. Conflicting accounts aro currcnt regarding tho fato of Azeif, tho Terrorist. Somo state that ho was murdered in Russia; others dcclaro that ho is hidden there. A member of the Duma read ill _ The Chamber a letter from Azof! to a' police official, lauding himself for founding tlio Terrorist organisation, and for acts including tho murder of tlio Grand Duko Sergius. Tho Premier, 31. Stolypiu, declared that Azeff had been an ordinary polico agent, to whom revolutionists ascribed legendary qualities and colossal crimes. Ho denied tlio possibility of , Azelf having participated in tho murders of M. do Plehvo (Minister of tho Interior) and tho Governor of Ufa, .'.\M said that after Azelf had joined tho Central Revolutionary Committee, not a singlo political murder had been committed. Tlicro was nothing but tho revolutionists' word to show that Azelf ever participated in a Terrorist act. M. Stolypin added that tho Government would relentlessly punish agents who provoked crimes. However, as long as a reign of terror lasted, tho spy servico must continue. M. Lopukhin, who betrayed Azeff io tho Revolutionaries, would shortly be tried. (Rcc. February 28, 4.40 p.m.) London, February 27. The majority of the Duma aro satisfied i with M. Stolypir.'s explanations regarding Azeff. They aro confident that tho Government will uso all lawful means to combat Terrorism.

AZEFF AND LOPUICHIN. Great excitement has been aroused both in Russia and Franco in connection with the case of 11. Lopukliin, formerly chief of tho Russian detective service, and a member of one of tho oldest and most distinguished Russian families, who was recently arrested at St. Petersburg; in connection with revelations mado under cross-examination, before a secret tribunal in Paris, by Azeff, tho chief Terrorist organiser of tho Russian Revolutionary Society. Azeff, who was condemned to death, was represented as having arranged most of the outrages and assassinations carried out or attempted in Russia during recent years, including a plot against the life of tho Czar. It was further alleged that ho caused Father Gapon to be executed by the revolutionaries. In the Russian Duma, a number of deputies interpolated tho Government respecting what was termed tho warfare between tho secret police and the regular police. Attention was called to tho duality of Azeff as an agent of tho secret police and as a Terrorist. It was alleged that the arrest of M. Lopukliin was intended to stifle further, revelations which would be antagonistic to tlio accusation by tho Government that M. Lopukliin was the instigator of the crimes perpetrated by Azeff and others.