THE DIRTY WORK OF SCOTLAND YARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2825, 14 April 1882, Page 2

THE DIRTY WORK OF SCOTLAND YARD.

A scare was caused on the occasion of the Czar visiting the Crystal Palace. The expediency of this visit had been much questioned, and the authorities of Scotland Yard were very nervous about it. Their fear was not so much .that the Czar would be assassinated as insulted. In 1867, while going through, the Palais du Justice, in Paris, he had been mobbed by French Radicals, who had shouted in bis ears, “ Vive la Pologne !” and some demonstration of the sort was to be apprehended on the part of Communist refugees living in London - On the day before the Crystal Palace f6te, word w as brought to Zarouboff that a Pole who earned bis living as a fencing-master, intended to throw himself'atAlexander ll.’s feet and present a petition for the release of his brothers, who were in Siberia. This had to be prevented at all coats. The Pole lived in Wardour street, and the Russians were for getting him arrested out of hand. The English police doubted whether they could do this as they had no warrant bnt they astutely suggested that some charge slionld be preferred against the Pole. The wretched man’s residence was accordingly watched, and in the evening as lie was going out to dine at an eating house, an English hireling ran against him, collared him, made an uproar, and accused him of having picked his pocket. A broken piece of watch chain dangling from the Englishman’s waistcoat seemed to bear out the Englishman’s accusation, and the poor Pole, despite his indignant protests, was marched off to the police station. On the following day he was brought up before a magistrate. A charge was sworn against him, and a remand asked for. The magistrate granted the remand, refusing bail, and the Pole remained a week in gaol, the prosecutor, of course, failing to appear at the adjourned hearing. Zarouboff is very sarcastic at the underhand stratagem which the English police countenanced to get this Pole out of harm’s way; and he adds that “anything can be done ” in England by keeping up a semblance of legality. “In very delicate cases,” he remarks, “as when you might wish to kidnap -, somebody, the official police will not give you overt assistance, but they will get you helped by one of the private, inquiry offices, whoso agents are often discharged policemen. These agencies do the dirty work of Scotland Yard. They render important clandestine services, and their proceedings, even when notoriously illegal, are winked at.” —“ Cornhill Magazine.”