Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 172, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1911 — Page 2

Records of MICHAEL DANEVITCH

True Tales / Russian Secret Service EM by QBGRQB. T. PARDY """""“"ST"

A MODERN BORGIA Durinc his long and remarkable career, Michael Danevitch was called upon to solve problems of a very varied nature. In his own particular way the man was a genius; and it almost seemed as thought nature had endowed him with an eighth sense, for he saw and grasped points which no one else could see. He was a perfect actor, and his powers of mimicry and of changing his expression and personal appearance were little short ofmarvelous. He could with ease assume the role of an ambassador or a peasant woman, and he possessed to a remarkable degree the faculty'of patience, which is indispensable to anyone who wishes to distinguish himself In the detective’s art One summer night Col. Ignatoff, who was in command of an Infantry regiment of the line, temporarily stationed in. Moscow, returned to his barracks after being out all evening, and, complaining of being very ill, ordered that the regimental doctor should be sent for. When the physician arrived, he found that his commanding officer had vomited violently, and was lying on the bed in a state of utter collapse. The soldiereervant who was with him said that his master had suffered dreadfully, and desertbed his feelings as if a fire was raging within him. The doctor applied remedies which restored his patient to consciousness, and he finally murmured that be believed his illness to be due to some iced fish soup (a favorite Russian dish) of which he had partaken freely. He thought it probable that the fish from which the soup was made were not quite fresh. On being asked where he had partaken of the soup, he was seized with another spasm and died without being able to answer. A post-mortem exaagination was made, and resulted in the discovery that death was due to *h Irritant poison that had set up inflammation o f the stomach. This seemed to be quite consistent with the victim’s theory that his illness was due to unwholesome soup. The fish soup is a very common dish In Russia. It is highly seasoned, thickened with rich cream, a quantity of olive oil is added, and the mess is iced until nearly frozen. As it is only partaken of in the summer great care has to be exercised that the fish is quite fresh. Any carelessness in this respect is apt to produce serious 111neas. It was a knowledge of these facts which led the medical men to conclude that the colonel’s death was entirely due to the soup. The dead ■nan was burled with military pomp and splendor. It was known among his intimate friends that he was a married man, but owing to "Incompatibility” he and his wife had long lived •part All his effects he left by will Co a nephew named 'Peter Baranoff, captain in an artillery regiment which was also stationed in Moscow. It was generally supposed that Col. Ignatof was Wealthy, but it became known after his death that he died worth very little. This gave rise to much gossip, and it was hinted that he had squandered his means on a certain lady to whom he had been greatly attached. CoL Ignatof had been in his grave about twelve months, when Moscow was furnished with another sensation. Although he had died poor, relatively, his nephew bad fallen heir to something lik*Jls,000. The young fellow had never been very steady, and, after his uncle's death launched out into excesses which earned stern reproofs from his military superiors. However, an unexpected and effective stop was put to his method of enjoyment. Late one night a man was picked up near one of the gates of the Kremlin wall in a state of unconsciousness, and was conveyed by a police patrol to the nearest station-house, as the natural inference was that he was intoxicated. He was Identified as Captain Peter Baranoff, from letters and cards found in his pockets. Within an hour of his admission he died, without having regained consciousness. As no reason could be assigned for his premature decease, an autopsy was performed, and It was then found that, as in his uncle's case, there was violent Inflammation of the coat of the stomach and the intestinal tract. In the stomach were the remains of some half-digested morsels of fish; smd it was also made evident that a little while before his death the deceased had partaken freely of vodka. This led to the supposition that intoxication was accountable for the unconscious condition in which he was found; but Intoxication would not account for his death. After some discussion among the medical men, however, it was decided to certify that he had died from eating impure food, which by its poisonous action had set up inflammation, which had been much aggravated by the vodka. Some attempt was made to trace his movements on the evening of his death, but all the attempt resulted in was twteo six and seven. He was in pri- ■

(Copyright by W. O. Cbapm**;

vate dathes, and he had incidentally mentioned to a friend that he was going to the opera and afterwards intended to sup with a lady acquaintance. He did go to the opera, but left early, that la, before ten o’clock. From that time until he was picked up unconscious there was a blank that could not be filled. Strangely enough, at this time there was no suspicion of foul play. That he should die in a similar manner to his uncle’s demise was considered rather remarkable, but there the surprise ended. But within a week of the burial thoughtful medical student, who was pursuing his studies in the great college at Moscow, addressed a few lines to the Moscow Gazette. in which he ventured to suggest that the doctors who examined Baranoff’s body had failed in their duty in not causing a chemical analysis to be made of the contents of the deceased man’s stomach;. and he advanced the opinion that both Baranoff and his uncle had been willfully done to death.

This communication caused a good deal of talk, and in the end the authorities were aroused. An official order was issued that Baranoff’s body should be exhumed, and the usual means taken to teat whether or not the deceased man had died accidentally or as a victim of foul play. This was done, with the result that a report was made that the deceased had met his death from a strong dose of black hellebore. Col. Ignatofs body was then taken up and the chemical examination revealed that he too had been slain by the administration of the same drug At this period black hellebore was by no means a well-known poison, and the average doctor was perhaps ignorant of the morbid symptons It set up in the human system when a fatal dose was given. It is classed among what is known as the true narcotico-acrids, and bears the botanical name of hellebores niger. Its effects on the human subject are violent vomiting, delirium, convulsions and Intense Internal pains. If administered in alcohol or food of any kind, no suspicion is aroused on the part of the person who takes it, as the taste is quite disguised. ~ An attempt was at once made to trace the movements of the two men for some hours before their death. In the colonel’s case this was not an easy matter, as he had been dead for a year; but it was discovered that Capt Baranoff had called on a friend of his, a civilian named Alexander Vlassovsky, who lived in a villa just on the edge of the town, and they went together to a case-restaurant, where they dined. After dinner they played billards for a short time, when they separated, as Vlassovsky had an appointment with a lady. He did not know where Baranoff was going. He did not ask him, and the captain volunteered no information. It was proved, however, that he went to the opera, and left about ten. Some hours later he was found unconscious outside the Kremlin walls.

It was at this stage of the proceedings that Gen. Govemykin, the military governor of the city, becoming impatient with the slow progress made by the police who had the affair in hand, sent for Michael Danevltch, who was then in St. Petersburg, to come to Moscow and endeavor to solve the mystery. After making some preliminary investigations, Danevltch sought an interview with Alexander Vlassovsky. The latter .was a fashionable young man and lived In what was known as the Slobodl quarter, where most of the wealthy merchants had their villas. The business he carried on was that of a stockbroker, and judging from the style he kept up he was in a flourishing way. He was a bachelor, and made no secret about it that he was fond of gaiety. According to the account he gave he had been acquainted with Baranoff for a long time and had lent him some money to enable him to keep up his extravagances; for although Baranofts people were of high rank, they were not rich. Of course his financial transactions with Vlassovsky were kept secret, for had they become known to military authorities he would have got Into serious trouble. It will thus be seen that the relations between the two young men were those of borrower and lender. They were not friends in the ordinary sense. Indeed. Vlassovsky remarked to Danevitch with some bitterness: “You know, like most young officers, Baranoff was as proud as Lucifer, and yeemed to think that I was not his equal, though he was never averse to dine and drink at my expense.** “Why did he come to you on the night of his death f* “To borrow money; I lent him 200 roubles.” .. ,- y.- : “Did he owe you much at the time of his death?” “Yes, nearly ten thousand roubles.” “That is a large sum! I suppose you will lose it?" “Why, no, there is no danger of that. His life was insured for ten thousand. I hold the policy and a letter from him to the effect that should he die before paying me my due I was to receive the policy money.”

“Tou think, however, that he had many lady acquaintances?” T should say there isn’t a doubt about that He was wild.** $ “And possibly hie death was due to jealousy on the part of a rival.” “It is qulte possible.** "Did you know his under* "I did. I lent him money occasionally, but he paid me in full before he died.** Danevitch stopped his questioning at this point As he left the house ho was of the opinion that he bad found a clue to the mystery, and began to think out ways and means of following it up. In a semi-fashionable quarter of St. Petersburg lived a lady known as Madame' Julie St Joseph. She was of French origin, but had been for many years in Russia. Her husband had been dead for a long time. She was extremely handsome, and at this period was about forty years of age, but might have passed for being a good deal younger. As a wealthy and pretty widow, she was much sought after by men ot all classes and conditions. Quarrels about her were Innumerable, and more that; one jealous suitor had lost his life in a duel of which the bewitching Julie was the cause. The style she elected to live In was compatible with the possession of richness. She kept up a splendid establishment her house was sumptously furnished; she had many servants and numerous horses. Among her servants was a Creole; a man of medium height but powerful build, and’with a sullen, morose expression. He was called Roko, but of his origin and history nothing was known. That he was blindly devoted to his mistress was a matter of common knowledge. It was the beginning of the Russian New Tear and Madame St Joseph gave a ball. It was a very grand affair, but the people who attended it could not lay claim to any high social position, at least so far as the ladies were concerned. The ladles who were in the habit of frequenting the fascinating Julie’s salons were of questionable reputation. Julie was not recognized as a person of social distinction, and in the feminine world some rather cruel things were said about her. The men, however, represented many grades of life: the army, navy, law, the diplomatic service, art.

THE CREOLE POURED THE CONTENTS OF THE PHIAL INTO THE JUG.

literature —Intellectual Bohemia generally, though hot a few of these men were at considerable pains to conceal the fact that they visited the charming widow. Among the guests who attended the ball was a dark-skinned somewhat peculiar looking man, said to be a Polish count, named PrebensH. He had a heavy moustache and beard, and wore spectacles. As he appeared to be an entire stranger to the company, the hostess took him for a time under her wing; but as he could not, or would not, dance, and seemed to find Irresistible attraction in the buffet, where there were unlimited supplies of wines and vodka, she left him to his own devices. At length the count, from the effects, apparently, ot too many strong drinks, sought a quiet nook In an anteroom, and ensconcing himself in a large chair sunk into a heavy sleep. Some time later, when the night was growing old and the grayness of the winter dawn was beginning to assert itself, and the guests had dwindled down to a mere handful, Roke, the Creole, entered the room. Seeing the count asleep he shook him, but receiving no response went away, returning in a few minutes with another man. The newcomer was Alexander Vlassovsky, who approached and being no more successful than Roko in his attempts to awaken the sleeper, told the servant to carry him upstairs to a bedroom. That was done and the count was tossed upon a bed and left there; but before half an hour passed Vlassovsky came into the room carrying a small shaded lamp. He passed the light of the lamp over the sleeping count’s eyes and shook

Mm, but as the Bleeper made ao response Vlassovsky placed the lamp cm a table and, ■wtinr himself in a chair by the bedside, began to search the pockets of the guest. The search resulted in the production of a miscellaneous collection of articles which were duly returned, but at last a pock-et-book was drawn forth which was opened and found to contain a considerable number of bank notes. These Vlassovsky transferred to Ms own pocket and, replacing the pocketbook, withdrew, Some hours later' Count PrebensM rang the bell.in his room and In response to the stem-' mons Roko appeared. The count eyed Mm for some moments in surprise, and then asked: “Where am I, and what time is it?” “Ton are in the house of Madame St Joseph. It is three o’clock in the afternoon. Tour excellency indulged too freely in liquor and we had to put you to bed.” “Has your mistress risen yet?” "Tea, your excellency.” “Very good. As soon as I have performed my toilet return here and conduct me to your mistress.” Roko bowed and withdrew. In half an hour he was back again, and followed by the count led the way to Madame St Joseph’s boudoir. Dressed in an elegant fur-trimmed dressing gown, madame was stretched upon a divan. Without rising, she extended her hand and said: “Pray be seated, count. Roko, pour some coffee. Will you take vodka or cognac with it, count?” The count chose vodka, and his wants having been supplied, the lady bade Roko retire. "I owe you an apology, madame,” began the count “I forgot myself last night. It was good of you to take care of me. I am deeply indebted to you for your hospitality. Pray tell me what penalty I am to pay for my misconduct?” "Tour penalty, Count?” laughed the lady. “Tea, I am wealthy, and should be made to pay according to my station. Money is no object to me. I am almost alone In the world.” "Indeed,” exclaimed Madame St. Joseph, with animation. "Tou are fortunate. I presume you are staying here temporarily?” “Yes, I am traveling for pleasure.

When our mutual friend Trepoff was good enough to ask you to extend your courtesy to me, and 'Bent me an Invitation to your ball, I accepted it with pleasure, glad to leave the loneliness of my hotel.” . “Indeed, I can well understand that, Count Now if I might venture to ask you to make my poor abode your residence during your stay In the city, it would afford me great pleasure to play the hostess. Will you accept my hospitality?” “Really, Madame St. Joseph, I—I—” “Pray, no thanks or excuses, Count; the pleasure is mine, and I will endeavor at least to prevent you from suffering from ennui." The count rose and, warmly pressing her hand, expressed deep thanks for her kindness. He accepted her invitation, and without losing any time hastened to his hotel to pay his bill and remove his things to Madame’s house. That night he dined tete-a-tete with his charming hostess, and in the course of the dinner told her that the previous night he managed to lose, or be relieved of. In some way. a large sum of money. When she ex,*-ssed sympathy with him he made light of his loss, and said that he would regard it as a fine paid for his rudeness. • - a A fortnight passed and the count found himself In comfortable quarters. desirous of monopolizing his company the widow Invited Nobody to the house, and those who paid the ordinary courtesy visits she speedily dismissed. One caller, Peter Trepoff, who came specially to enquire about the count, was told that though he had been there, he had departed without a word saying where he wag

very secluded. She would n“t ‘acoompany the count when he invited her to go out, and she so strongly persuaded him not to go that he yielded and remained indoors. One he had retired to rest and had been in Ms room about an hour when he heard the handle of his door move. The door, was not locked, and very gently the latch was raised and the door opened. Presently Roko crept in on Ms hands and knees. He paused and listened to a heavy snore that seemed to indicate that the occupant of the room was sleeping soundly. Roko carried a tiny lantern, and he flashed a ray across the sleeper's face. Satisfied that there was small danger of his awakening, he produced a phial containing a colorless liquid and, approaching a night-table, on which stood a jug of barley tea, wMch the count was accustomed to drink in the night time, the Creole poured the contents of the phial into the jug, and having done so withdrew as quietly as he had. entered. Soon afterwards the count rose? procured a light, and took from his portmanteau a large flask, into which he emptied the barley tea.

At the usual morning meal he did not put In an appearance, but sent a request asking her to bring a doctor to him, as he was feeling rather 11L When the physician appeared the patient stated that he must have eaten or drunk something which had upset him. The doctor prescribed for him, and in the course of the afternoon the count saldhe felt better,-and in spite of Madame St. Joseph’s arguments to the contrary insisted on going for a drive on the Neva for a couple of hours, asserting that the fresh air would complete Ms recovery. On his return he declared that he felt much better, and refused an offer from the lady to have Roko sit up with him during the night About midnight the door of his sleeping apartments opened and once again Roko crept silently to the bed and emptied the contents of a. phial into the barley-tea. Soon after the intruder had with-, drawn the count jumped up, poured the tea into another flask, and then lay down in his bed again until a neighboring church - clock tolled out the strokes of two. Immediately he arose, dressed himself, took from his portmanteau a revolver,. and lighted a lantern provided with a shutter to shut off the light when required. After listening carefully at the door a moment and satisfying himself that nobody was stirring, the Count proceeded along the corridor, descended a short flight of stairs to another'corridor along wMch he passed, and gained the main door that gave access to the street. He opened it cautiously to admit eight men who filed into the hall without speaking. Following the count they proceeded to the sleeping apartment of Madame Julie St Joseph. In an anteroom Roko lay on a couch fast asleep. Four men remained in the anteroom; the other four and the count entered the . lady’s chamber. Here ’ a shaded lamp burned on a bracket and close to it an ikon, or sacred picture hung. The pretty widow was also sleeping. By this time the count had undergone a strange transformation. His beard and moustache had disappeared, revealing the smooth-shaved, mobile face of Michael Danevltch. He shook the sleeper's shoulder and she awoke with a startled cry. The four policemen had concealed themselves; Danevltch alone was visible. Seeing a strange man by her bedside, Madame Julie called loudly for Roko. The Creole sprang up to find himself in the grasp of two stalwart men, while the revolver under Ms pillow was seized by his assailants. “Madame Julie St. Joseph,” said Danevltch, “you are under arrest. Get up and dress yourself.” A look of terror swept across the widow s face. “On what grounds am I arrested?” she asked. “That you will learn later on. Sufficient for you to know you are a prisoner.” ;; 4

She recognized the hopelessness of resistance and was, of course, aware that her faithful watch-hound, Roko, had been rendered powerless. But It did not dawn upon her that the count and Danevitch were one and the same. ■ Half an hour later she was conveyed to the jail with Roko. By thl&llme she had In some measure recovered her self-possession, and asked Danevitch airily If he knew how her guest the count was. “He is perfectly well, madame,” replied the detective. "Ton may judge for yourself, for it was I who played the part of the count so effectively.” ' Madame Julie gasped as the truth came home to her. “What a fool I have been!” she cried bitterly. ’'But tell me, how was it that Peter Trepoff asked me to invite you to the ball?" "Peter Trepoff Is' *my agent, madame.” With a gesture of despair Madame Julie burled her face In her hands and groaned as she realized how thoroughly she had been duped. Several hours before the widow and Roko were swept Into the net prepared for them, Alexander Vlassovsky was arrested in Moscow. Danevitch learned that fact by telegraph when he went out from madame’s house tn the afternoon. He had first begun to suspect Vlassovsky after that interview when he was making inquiries about the death of Capt. Baranoff. The result was that he intercepted letters from Madame Julie St Joseph who had returned to St Petersburg. She had a small house tn Moscow, which she occasionally visited In order to secure victims. In Moscow, where he was well known, the wily Vlassovsky did not go near her, but he helped her aa far as he could In her fiendish work. He had been very cleverly trapped by the notes which he had stolen from the supposed

_ J -_e. - _ v—. ■ - ♦ - \ and when he attempted to pass them he was arrested, for Danevltch had Subsequent revelations brought to light the manner in wMch the arch criminals worked together. Madame Julie’s beauty lured many men to her side, and she bled them of their money, her plan being to cajole them into giving her'h lien on any property they might possess. This was Managed by the aid of Vlassovsky, and when the victim had been securely caught he was poisoned. The poisons were concocted by Madame Julie herself. She had picked up Roko tn South America, where she had been for some time, and weaving her spell about Mm, had made him absolutely her slave. It need scarcely be said that with her arrest in St. Petersburg Madame St Joseph's career came to an end. From the moment that Danevltch entered her house her doom was sealed. Believing him to be Count Prebenskf, she* begged him to help her financially, and he drew up a document wMch purported to make over to her at his death certain estates in Poland. Having secured him, as she thought, her next step was to poison him by small doses of black hellebore so that he might gradually sicken and die. Her devilish cunning was evidenced in every move she made. She would not appear in public with him, nor <yd she allow any of the visitors to her house to see him. Consequently it would not be known that she associated with Mm. As Ms illness deveh opened by means of repeated doses, 'she would have him removed to a hotel, and she knew that, as in Col. Ignatofs case, he would shrink from letting it be known that he had been intimate.. with her?** But Danevltch proved too much for her. The poisoned barley-tea he submitted to analysis, and the evidence against her was overwhelming. When she found that there was no hope, she was determined to defeat justice, and one morning she was found dead in her cell from the effects of a self-admin-istered dose of prussic acid. The acid was conveyed to her by a warder who had been bribed by one of her friends. It cost him Ms liberty, however, tor Ke was sent to northern Siberia for the term of his natural life. Roko died soon afterwards from fever contracted in the prison, but he was faithful to the last, for not a word could be wrung from him calculated to incriminate the strange woman to whom He had been such a devoted slave. Vlassovsky was deported to northern Siberia in company with the treacherous warder. The number of Madame St Joseph's victims was never determined. That they were numerous was certain, and had it not been for Danevltch’s interference she would probably have pursued her infamous career for an indefinite period of time without deteetlon.

GOULD IN ROLE OF MAGICIAN

Father of Edwin Refuses to Retrieve Lost Hat When Asked to Second Time In One Day. Edwin Gould says that when he was a little boy his father took him on an excursion into the country. The father several times cautioned him against leaning his head so far out of the ear window. Little Edwin wanted to know why, and his father told him that his hat might blow off. The youngster then Jammed his hat down on his head and said: “Now it can’t blow off:* But suddenly the bat blew off, and the little fellow was disconsolate. His father had snatched It off and hidden It behind him. But when Edwin began to cry and sob, his father said: “There it comes!” and then began to whistle. The little fellow looked out of thq window, and suddenly his hat was slipped upon his head. “I was amazed,” says Mr. Gould. "I thought that my wonderful daddy had whistled and performed a miracle for me. I laughed with glee, threw my hat out of the window, and said: “ ‘Now, Daddy, whistle It back again. That’s fun.’ “But he said he could do that only once in a week.”—The Sunday Mags, sine.

The Bloody Necessity.

An Englishwoman who was In thia country recently told the following stories of her countrymen’s dependence upon the word “bloody.” A polltlcal candidate, In canvassing for votes, said he believed In the "one man, one vote” system of representation. As his hearer apparently did not comprehend, he explained at length that he believed that every man should have a vote whether he had any property or not and that a man should have but one vote, no matter how much properey he had. Still his hearer looked mystified. Finally in desperation he said, “Don't you understand? One bloody man, one bloody vote.” The reply was, “Of course. Why didn't you say that in . the first placeF' Another man resolved to cast the word “bloody”'from his vocabulary. The first time he made a speech after his resolve, he tried to say that something was absolutely true. He zuoceeded In saying, “It is abso-bloody* lutely true.” —LaFollette’s Weekly.

Early Shad Season Predicted.

Shad fishermen along the Delaware river say that warm weather will cause shad to begin to leave the Delaware bay very shortly and within the next three weeks fresh Delaware shad should be caught In this section. Some of the gillers will be casting their nets by March 30 unless there should happen to be another snowstorm.— Paulsboro Sun.