Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 201, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1911 — Page 2

Records of MICHAEL DANEVITCH

True Tales Russian Secret Service Edited by GEORGE T. PARDY

The Merchant of Riga Ferguson, TauchniU and Company were the largest firm of exporters in Riga. Their trade consisted of flax, hemp, quills, furs, etc. They had agents all over the great Russian empire, including the far eastern and far northern part of Siberia. The trade was principally with Great Britain, and the firm employed a fleet of a hundred steam and sailing vessels, besides numerous small craft for the navigation of the Russian rivers. Donald Ferguson, the head of the firm, was a Scotchman, naturalized In Russia, where he had lived for nearly forty years. He had married a Russian lady, by whom he had several children. -- Ferguson enjoyed the distinction of being reputed one of the wealthiest merchants In Russia, and he was no less conspicuous as a prominent cltlaen, who had done an immense deal for his adopted country. For many years he had taken an active part In all philanthropic movements. He had earned for himself, from one end of Russia to the other, a name for fair dealing, probity and honorable conduct In the mercantile world he and his firm were held tn the highest estimation. The warehouse of Ferguson, Tauchnitx and Company was an Immense block of buildings on the Grand Quay at Riga. The counting house was In the very center of the block, facing the quay and harbor. Adjoining, but at the back of the counting house, was Mr. Ferguson’s private room. This room was lighted by a large window overlooking a covered-in courtyard. On three sides of the yard were platforms provided with cranes and communicating with different floors, and it was here that carts and wagons were loaded and unloaded. Frequently when business was brisk work was carried on all night at the warehouse, but during the early spring, when the export was only beginning, the usual hour for closing up was six o’clock, and three o’clock on Saturdays. One Saturday afternoon Mr. Ferguson was the last to leave the office, as he remained behind to finish some business he had in hand. It was then about four o’clock. He proceeded to his house on foot, being greeted on the way by several people who knew him. His private residence was in the suburbs of Riga. His family at home consisted of his wife, two grown-up sons and two daughters. He had two other sons, one being established in Hull as the English agent of the firm. The other traveled all over Russia, and was away on a journey at this particular time. On arriving at his home, Mr. Ferguson partook of some refreshment. He then told his wife that he had suddenly remembered something of Importance that he neglected to do at the office and he would go back. He did not say what the business was. Mrs. Ferguson asked him how long he was likely to be and he answered that he would return in an hour or so. At this time his sons were out They arrived a little after seven, and as their father had not returned, they set out. expecting to meet him. Failing to do so, they went on to the warehouse. On arriving there they were surprised to find the main entrance door slightly ajar. They pushed It open and entered. The place was In pitch darkness and there was unbroken silence. They groped their way to their father's private office and found it to be as dark and silent as the rest of the establishment In moving about, Donald, the elder of the two, struck his foot against something soft and yielding. He started back with a cry of horror. “What’s the matter?” asked James, the younger brother. “I don’t know,” answered Donald, “but I believe there is a body lying on the floor.” The young men procured a light and found their father lying on his back, with his right arm bent under his body. At first they thought he had merely fainted, but the ghastly appearance of his face soon undeceived them, and when they touched him they had painful evidence that the worst had happened. They at once notified the police and a doctor was soon on the scene and said that Mr. Ferguson had been dead for about an hour. It was Doted that the office was in great disorder. Ledgers, cash books and documents were lying in a confused jumble on the floor; and a litter of papers scattered about on every •Ide. A large safe was open, and its contents of papers and books had been hastily dragged out These signs suggested robbery and induced the doctor to make a more careful examination of Mr. Ferguson's body. Having done so, he announced that it Bras a case of murder; the merchant had been strangled, and there were Indications of great force and strength having been used. Several scratches were noticeable on the dead man's hands, from which a little blood had flowed, and deep finger prints on the

(Copyrisht by W. G. Chapman)

neck. Everything pointed to a desperate fight for life. Means were then taken to ascertain to what extent robbery bad been committed, but strangely enough, on the desk was an open cash box containing a considerable num of money. —In the safe, so conspicuous that it could not have been overlooked by the eager eyes of a thief who had committed murder in order to rob, was a leather bag full of coins. Yet the bag had not been touched, its mouth was still tied up with tape. Also on Mr. Ferguson’s person were many valuables, including money. Why did the criminal, having committed murder, not avail himself of the spoil that lay to his hand? Riga is a large place. It is a populous and busy seaport, doing an enormous trade with other parts of Europe. In addition to the sailors who came and went constantly, there was always a large garrison, for‘the town is strongly fortified. So what with sailors and soldiers and the hangerson who are always to he found In their wake, law and order were not so well observed as in some other towns; and in the low quarters of such a town a criminal might easily find refuge from pursuing justice. At all events the police were baffled for the time being, for no trace of the assassin could be discovered. Mr. Ferguson’s character stood so high In the community, and he was such a wellknown man that the authorities resolved to make extraordinary efforts 'to solve the mystery of his demise, and accordingly Michael Danevitch was sent tor. < Danevitch’s preliminary investigations led him to the conclusion that the motive which prompted the deed was certainly not robbery. The members of the dead man’s family spoke of him with profound sorrow and regret. He bad proved himself a model husband, a kind father, and though he was not communicative, either to his family or anyone else, no Importance was attached to that It was his nature to be somewhat silent and reserved.* After carefully considering the problem from all angles, the detective’s deductions were as follows: Firstly, the murder was unpremeditated. Secondly, the murderer met his victim by appointment. There were several reasons for thinking this. It was Saturday afternoon and Ferguson had never before been known to go back to the office ster it had closed on that day. His partners were emphatic' in saying that there was nothing In connection with the business -which required his personal attention at that time. No valuables having been carried off and the confusion in which the papers were found, pointed to the motive being a desire on the part of the assassin to obtain possession of some document to which certain circumstances gave a greater importance than money. Thirdly, the victim and his caller having failed to agree on some point, and the former, perhaps, proving stubborn, the latter, in a sudden frenzy of rage, fell upon him, and got so much advantage In the initial stage of the struggle that he was enabled to conquer with comparative ease, although Ferguson had made an effort to free himself from the death-grip. Fourthly, the crime having been accomplished, the criminal, agitated, and filled with fear and alarm, frantically turned over papers and books and rummaged the contents of the safe In his eager desire to find what be wanted. Finally, without discovering the document he required, probably, he fled, and In bls hurry and confusion forgot to close the door behind him. The many documents scattered about the office did not help the investigation, as they were all business papers, and obviously had been discarded by the murderer as of no use to him. Danevitch’s next step was to examine the contents of a large wastepaper basket that stood in the office. Amongst the mass of torn stuff he found some fragments which attracted his attention. One scrap bore the words: “Door at five.” It was a coarse piece of paper, of Russian make, and the formation of the letters indicated that the writer was an uneducated person. With painstaking care the detective searched tor and found the rest of the sheet and finally succeeded in getting all the scraps together. Then he pasted them together in their proper order, and was thus enabled to read the following: “This is the last chance I shall give you. I will be opposite your warehouse door at five on Saturday. We can then discuss the matter alone and undisturbed. You need not try to escape me. If you fail to do justice to those you have wronged, I will make tKe whole affair public. So stay away at your peril." It was now evident to Danevitch that Ferguson had held a secret —the secret of some dark transaction, which placed him so far in the power of an uneducated person that be had obeyed the command to go to the office after all was closed up tor the day, in order to hold an interview with the writer, who neither dated his missive or signed bls name. One of the dead

man*s x peculiarities had been an obstinately strong will, and he was not likely to have consented* to retreat from a position he had once taken up. In this Danevitch saw a probable cause of the crime, when it was taken in consideration with the lettqr. The writer had not planned the deed, but had been exasperated Into madness by Ferguson’s obstinate refusal to agree to his terms. ' Despite the evident value of the clue he had found, Danevitch found himself handicapped by the very obvious disadvantage he would be placed in if he ventured to suggest that there was a flaw In Ferguson's character. Whatever the error he had committed, it was clearly serious enough to draw him back to his warehouse after business hours, In order to hold a clandestine interview with the person who had virtually ordered him to appear there. Wherefore the detective _was_ obliged to exercise extreme caution when he sought an interview with Mr. Tauchnitz, a very shrewd German, who held bls partner in the highest estimation. “Do you think, Mr. Tauchnitz," asked Danevitch, “that your late partner bad by dome rash act compromised himself to such an extent with an inferior as to be completely In the power of sueh a person?” “Certainly not,” replied Tauchnitz with strong emphasis. *T believe that Ferguson was absolutely incapable of anything of the kind. And his bustness Integrity was quite above suspicion, although he was very reticent about his own private affairs.” “Now what if I were to suggest that he had been guilty of some rather dishonorable' action, what would you say?" “I should say that you were doing the man a gross injustice.” “Perhaps,” returned Danevitch tran-

quilly. “But be good enough to tell me if Mr. Ferguson kept any private papers in his office.” "Yes, he had a large tin box,” responded Tauchnitz, “which he kept in his own room, and which contained documents that did not relate to the business.” “Could I have access to the box, do you think?” “No, I am sure you could not I have sent It away to his family.” Danevitch lost no time In seeking out Donald. Mr. Ferguson’s eldest son, who was a partner in the business with bls father, as in fact, all the sons were. “I understand. Mr. Donald,” said the detective, “that your father kept a box of private papers tn his office and that it is now in the family's possession. I wish you would allow me to examine the documents in question, as there is a possibility that we may find something which will give a clue to the murderer’s identity." “You may examine them,” said Donald, after a moment’s reflection, “If my mother and brother offer no objection.” The mother and brother being consuited, they gave their consent, subject to the condition that the two sons should be present at the examination. The box was then brought forth and opened. Among the papers it contained Danevitch spied a packet, tied

around with red tape, and marked in the corner: “In the event otmy death burn thia packet unopened.” By a swift sleight-of-hand movement Danevitch seized the packet unobserved by the others and slipped it into his pocket He had a feeling that it contained the solution of the mystery, and he considered that in the interests of justice he was entitled to appropriate and examine it It was the law of Russia that any papers or documents, however private, could be seized if justice might be aided thereby, and the detective, unwilling to cause a painful scene, deemed the step he had taken an altogether proper one under the circumstances. Nothing of a compromising nature was found among the other papers in the box, and the sons were evidently gratified at the result of the search. An hour later, locked in his room at the hotel-where he was staying, Danevitch opened the packet and its contents revealed to him an astounding story. He discovered, as he had suspected, that Donald Ferguson, the public-spirited citizen, the good father, had been very human, very weak. A woman named Blok had come some years before Ferguson’s murder to reside' In Riga. She had spent the greater part of her life in a small town in the interior of Russia. Her husband bad followed the occupation of a boatman on the Volga, being assisted by bls two sons, Alex and Peter. He had a daughter named Catherine. The Blok family were held in high esteem by all who knew them. Although occupying but a comparatively bumble position in the social scale, they were eminently respectable, and were regarded as hard-working, honest people. Of course, they were very poor and were not able to make any provision for old age or accident One day Blok and his son Alex were

drowned, a steamer having run their boat down during a dense fog. The breadwinner of the family being thus suddenly taken away, the Bloks found themselves without means of support. The youngest son, Peter, was then but eighteen, and' unable to earn more than would suffice for hla own wants. Under these circumstances, and acting on the advice of a married sister who resided in Riga, Mrs. Blok removed to that city with her daughter, hoping that in the busy seaport they would all be able to find some employment. Catherine was noted for her sgood looks, and was a bright,' intelligent girl. They had not'been tong in Riga before she obtained work in the flrm of Ferguson and Tauchnitz. She very soon attracted the attention of Mr. Ferguson, who displayed much interest in the family and Improved their position to a considerable degree. Peter Blok came to Riga about this time and Mr. Ferguson gave htm employment in the warehouse, where he remained for three months. At the end of that time he was sent on board a vessel belonging to the company and made several voyages. Finally be was placed as second tn command of a river boat engaged In the Astrakhan trade. Two years later the Blok family, to the surprise of all who knew them, suddenly left Riga. The reason of their departure, and th® place to

which the> were going, were alike kept secret For a few weeks before they went Catherine remained at home on the plea of 111-health She did not appear ill, and her companions were rather astonished when they heard the news.. It presents an interesting study in psychology that Ferguson, the rich merchant 'the respected husband and affectionate father, should have been irresistibly attracted by this humble peasant girl so far below him in social station. Yet so it was, and when Catherine left Riga, she was influenced thereto by .Ferguson, and her object in going was to conceal, as far as possible, that the merchant prince had become her lover. When Mrs. Blok and her daughter left Riga, they retired to Valdai, in the Valdai hills, to the south of St. Petersburg. Here they took up their quarters in a stone-built house and enjoyed comfort and luxury which must have been very novel to them. At regular intervals, about once a month. Ferguson visited them. For three years he continued to make these journeys in secret Then his visits ceased, but correspondence passed between him and Catherine, who was the mother of a boy about two and a half years old. The man bad looked after her and her offspring, but not as liberally as he ought to have done. 'At last differences arose between them, tor which Mrs. Blok was responsible. She thought that her daughter had not been treated well, probably not without justification. In the end Ferguson exacted from Catherine a document, whleh was signed by herself and mother. In this document, which was vfcry artfully drawn up by Ferguson, the latter was represented as having been the victim of blackmail and extortion, and the girl stated that it was impossible for her to fix the parentage of her son.

By means of the papers found in the packet, aided by many patient inquiries, Danevitch was enable# to work Out the foregoing tale. It is difficult to say why Ferguson kept those incriminating documents; but no doubt he thought that as long as he lived the confession —if it could so be called —which be had extracted from Catherine Blok would effectually protect him against any further claims she might be inclined to urge. After learning the contents of the package, Danevitch proceeded to make the acquaintance of the Blok family; and to that end, tn the character of an old vagrant, be visited mother and daughter in their retreat at Valdai. It took him some to gather the materials for the little history already related. Necessarily he had to worm himself into their confidence, and he would not have succeeded in doing so had be not laid claim to occult powers, which enabled him to read the past and divine the future. With such people as the Bloks this went a long way. They, in common with their class, had a fixed belief in charms, fortune-telling and spells. When the supposed fortune-teller zaW the Infant child of Catherine, he exclaimed: “Ah. that is a fine boy, but alas for his future. The child that knows not his father is ill-starred.” “Knows not his father,” echoed

Catherine Indignantly. “How dare yoa say that?” “Think you,” asked the pseudoseer, “that I can be deceived? I look with different power from yours. That child knows not his father and will never know him, for he is dead.” Catherine burst into tears, exclaiming between her sobs, “It is true.” Recovering her composure by a violent effort she said scornfully: “You may be a very clever seer, but you cannot tell me how his father died.” Fixing his eyes steadily on the shrinking woman, Danevitch replied:! “He was done to death. He was foully murdered, strangled by thehands of an assassin.” Catherine, white-faced and trembling, stared blankly at the speaker and was silent. But her mother turned Indignantly on the detective. “Leave the house,” she cried: angrily. “Be not angry, good mother,” said! Danevitch quietly. “Your daughter questioned me, and I but answered as she » desired.” Then with startling abruptness he asked: “Where Is your son, One I know is dead, his bones He at the bottom of the river Volga, but the living one—where is he?” Mrs. Blok looked appalled in her turn, and drew back from the strange wizard from whom nothing seemed hidden. Before she could reply Catherine started up and cried wildly: “Leave us. In the name of the great father leave us. My brother i» far away; hundreds of miles divide him from his native land, and perhaps he will come back no more.” i Danevitch left the house feeling that he had confirmed his suspicion* in every detail, for as soon as he had learned the story of the family he had come to the conclusion that the boaa who had slain Ferguson was Catherine’s unhappy brother. The young fellow, proud-spirited and honest, flamed up at his sister’s wrongs, and taking the matter in his own hands; had penned that letter to Ferguson demanding an interview. It wa* obvious that other letters had been written, because the writer said:i “This is the last chance I shall give you." Peter Blok had gone to the merchant, not with robbery in his heart—he was too proud for that—but with revenge spurring him on, and the hope of obtaining from Ferguson the document on which was traced the false statement wrung from Catherine. It was easy to work out the sequel. Peter went to the office, he demanded the paper his sister had signed, and insisted that Ferguson should recognize the claims the girl and child had upon him. He probably grew angry and threatened his employer. The latter was obstinate, perhaps insulting, until, stung into a frenzy, Peter leaped upon the man and crushed his life out. Youthful strength and fury made Peter Blok a murderer, although he may not have intended to slay his victim. Finding to his dismay that death had silenced his enemy forever, he made a frantic effort" to discover the paper which i he knew was sorqpwhere in Ferguson’s possession. But his search proving fruitless, he fled to escape the consequences of his unpremeditated crime.

In the course of his investigations Danevitch found that Peter had been second in command of a boat sailing from Astrakhan. Three weeks before the murder he obtained leave of absence to visit his mother, who was sick. As it was a Jong journey to where his mother resided, his lengthened absence did not arouse any suspicion. After committing the crims there was every reason to believe that he quitted Riga at once, and Danevitch satisfied himself that Peter had not gone to Valdai again. As'he had already spent .several days there with his mother and sister, had he returned he must have been noticed, for It was a small place where a stranger was sure to attract attention. From what Danevitch gathered during his Interview, in the character of a seer, with Catherine and her mother, he inferred that the girl, If not her mother, knew that Peter was going to see Ferguson. Also from the girl’s statement in reference to her brother he guessed that Peter had gone to sea. It was equally feasible to suppose that before going he wrote to his sister, telling her that he 'was bound upon a distant voyage. A whole year passed, however, and no trace of Peter was found. The crime had almost Idled out of the public memory, but the police had not forgotten, and one day it was announced that the supposed murderer of Donald Ferguson had been arrested in St Petersburg. Although he had grown a heavy beard, he was soon identified as Peter Blok, and a ship’s discharge In his possession showed that he bad come from New York to Cronstadt In an American vessel. Up to this point Danevitch had kept the knowledge of Ferguson’s wrongdoing to himself, but now that Peter Blok was under arrest he was bound to make the matter public. To the people of Riga the revelation was like a bombshell dropped In their midst. At first few believed, but the damming documents were produced and could not be gainsaid. Then many sympathisers with Peter came forward and he was provided with funds for his defense*, and of course at the trial the whole story was brought Into the light It was a bitter blow to the Ferguson family. It redounds to their credit, however, that they made ample provision for Mrs. Blok, her daughter and the boy. The trial of Peter Blok proved that all of Denevltch's deductions were correct. When all the evidence was given, a revulsion of feeling In the prisoner’s favor took place, with the result that he received the comparatively mild sentence of three year’s banishment to Siberia. .