A RUSSIAN REFUGEE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 107, 27 April 1908, Page 4

A RUSSIAN REFUGEE

There is at, present living in Geneva a M. Bromaar, wboni the ltu=siau Co' vcruinent is urging tlie Government or Switzerland. * far whlkout success, to extradite. It is alleged by the Kussiau authorities tlmO Al. JJroniaarV real name is Vussijeiv, and that it was l«! who killed the Chief of I'oliur at I'enza in January, l'juo'. To show what little reason .there K for this aJJega-' tiou, it is only neccsfcary to statu that, at the time of the assassination, it' was generally known iu Russia auc} stated in the Russian press, that the nuiu who (killed tlhe police-master of I'enza 'Wiis caught on the spot and' beaten so severely by the pottee thai) Ik- was carried in an unconscious state' to the local hospital, where he remained for a considerable time hovering oetwecii life and death. What became l of hiui afterwards is not known, but in all probability he died as the result of the injuries indicted by the police.

It is extremely unlikely that he ever I ettoaped, as the Russian police authorities now allege. Happily, there" is a I growing feeling of uneasiness on the' | part of Government and amougsil i the people of Switzerland against the* I idea that they should be called upon to do the dirty work of the Russia ri bureaeracy. They have experienced 1 ' lire value of the Ru-sian Government'.; promises- in the past where political refugees were coucerucd. In two or three such instances the Swiss Govern■ueHl granted extradition on the distinct uiidersHinding that ti:e prisoners* nhuuld lie IriiMl, not by court-martial, lint in a court »il law by a judge and 1 jury. ;u tliut soiiu* measure of justicv might be evpeolen. The Russian Government, of course, never makes any difljcultiy alwut giving the desired pledges and breaking them witbouS Mimpiinttion. Kx[ierienee has, in faut, shown )Mnr utterly untrustworthy arc" any conditions entered into, or any promises given, liv tlie ltiistsiau Governrue'nt in an extradition demand. The' feeling u growing in Switzerland that' there should not lie any conditiimul extradition of Al. ISromaar, and if so, there cannot be extradition at all, because, even supposing he is the jierson all»gcd to be. bis offence was a politi' oil one, coniroitocd—to i|Uotc a standard definition—"in carrying ou civil war or open ins'urre'etion." I