AZEFF, ANARCHIST AND SPY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 98, 22 May 1909, Page 3

AZEFF, ANARCHIST AND SPY.

HIS LIFE-STORY, TOLD BY HIMSELF

l\ rumor came to land recently to the effect that the body of Azetf, the Russian Nihilist, had been found in Rome. A contributor to "Answers" who kaew Azeff has secured his reminiscences, Which cannot fail to be read with the utmost interest. Azeti's early anventures as a Revolutionary cu.miuatcd in his dramatic capture by Ratch kovsky, Chief of the Secret Police, who sold Azeff his release only on condition that he would turn his influence among the Revolutionaries to the Government's account. H' s subsequent adventures are here related.)

THE PLOT OF THE NIHILIST PROFESSOR. Embezzlement is a recognised institution in every sphere of Russian ollieial life. Any sum that is paid out of the national exchequer goes on steadily diminishing, until it arrives at its destination in a painfully reduced state. Thus, if a clerk in a Government ottbe is entitled to a monthly salary of £lO, the head of his department will help himself to about £1 of it. His secretary jjigjit be satisfied with 10s, and by the time the money has passed through two or three more hands the recipient may get £7 or £B. THE IMPOTENT TSAR. . . In order to make up for this deficit, he deals in a similar manner with any cash that passes through his fingers, so that in every department one man robs the next, to the detriment of his inferiors.

There is no power that can stop this kind of peculation, not even the Tsar's. An Italian painter—a personal friend of the Tsar—was entrusted with extensive work in connection with the restoration of a St. Petersburg cathedral.

Wien the work was completed tho painter discovered that, although he was required to give a receipt for the full amount, the remuneration that was actually tendered was 5000 roubles short of the sum originally agreed upon. Before leaving St. Petersburg, the artist was granted an audience with the Tsar, ami to him he poured out the vexations that oppressed his heart. The Tsar declared himself powerless to interfere inTfie matter, ! but gave orders tfial the 5000 roubles be paid out of his private purse. THE ASSASSINATION ASSOCIATION.

Once—and once only—the police department attempted to make these rules apply to my salary. Despite my protests, the officials tendered me £8 less than was due to me, A telegram to my chief, however, soon set matters right, and never after did they a-ttempt to enrich themselves -at my expense. This incident will show the reader that a police officer w actually more powerful than the Tsar of all the Russias.

Yet, wjth all their rami£ nations, their influence, and their enormous resources, in male and female agents and in money, the Russian police found themse]/ r 'cs hopelessly baffled by the cunning and the reckless courage of the revolutionary terrorists. Imbued with an idea of real or fancied wrongs, a very considerable section of the Russian intelligenzia—i.e., graduates and students—liad taken the terrible oath of the Fighting Organisation, pledging themselves body and soul to the task pf destroying the present system of assassinating the "enemies of the people" and robbing the Government. In some cases, even the professors joined in this movement. Thus, Professor Aleinikeff, of Kharkoff University, put himself at the head of an An'archis't group composed of his male and female students.

Their group was called the Anarchist Expropriators, and their chief deeds consisted in shooting police officials and robbing convoys transporting the taxes from the provinces to St. Petersburg. In the course of three years the organisation had killed five govern»s,-Some 250 police officials, cand they had also stolen several hundred thousand roubles. The rule most strictly obeyed by the members of the professor's party was that, if flight after an outrage proved impossible, the assailant) or assailants —men and women—had to commit sui/""cide. ' / Professor Alcinikoff one day came to me to engage the support of my party in the execution of a plot for which they did not possess sufficient resources. His plan' was to blow up the Surete— St. Petersburg's Scotland Yard together with the whole of the secret police. I promised every assistance, A POPULAR PLAX.

The chief of the "secret" nearly Ml *> round my neck when I told litiii »t my plan tit mix the ganf to earth, and. after a lengtliv discussion, I had fixed upon a project which waft Id most likely appeal . to the daredevil nature of the professor and his follower*.

At a memorable meeting, composed of members of liotll parties, and over wnkll Alemikofl* presided. I disclosed my plot. A dozen men and women had to he dressed up »■* living bombs. Ik-nrath their <4pthing they had to cany high explosives, and, subsequent to entering the Surcte —apparently on business they had, at a pre-arranged signal, to ignite their infernal machines, and thus hoist themsicves and t,he secret police with their own pejtards.N A chorus of applause greeted this proposition, and immediately twenty volunteers offered themselvus if or the task, which they knew would end in certain death. .'

There being more candidates than the number required, the meeting soon resembled a Babel, as nobody was willing to withdraw the candidature, in favor of another comrade.

To prevent them from coming to blows over an affair so certainly fatal, we had to resort to lots.

I could scarcely #tedit ray senses as 1 ■watched, the scene. The drawing of a blank resulted in disappointment verging sometimes on despair, while a "winning" lot caused the highest enthusiasm. A MARTYR MANIAC, .One J*sung girl—a student of about eighteen—was 'weeping bitterly and imploring us to allow her a share in the exploit, in spite of the blank she had drawn. But we were adamant, twelve being B sufficient number. She then threatened to commit suicide if nobody would resign in Iter favor. At last she prevailed over her lover to allow Her to go in his stead,and she at once looked happy and radiant as a Gride. going on a honeymoon trip. When, a few days they presented themselves at the Suretu, they were arrested before they could do any mischief or even take their own lives, f had kept the Minister of Justice on trie 2ui.»ive with regard to air particulars of the plot. Shortly afterwards the same official, through my" instrumentality, was able .to arrest the professor. ,He was caught in a. very unronumtt'fnlaiinep SvTiiie sleeping in bed—but subsequently made good bis escape.