IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 10

IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA.

MYSTERIOUS- ARREST, OF- ;A -BRITISH! " -subject:; . OFFIOLAJj ACTIO?. 1 ;. .'-' Av British"' subjecai l . has- beoii' arrested?. inOdessa* under- circumstances,-winch; point to: an. extraordinary! riaistakp.' bysj.tho. Russian: pplice,,.says :the -" pi Marchi'lS)) ; . Tlio- victim- is. a nvellfknowri • City manMr; Luxenburg,, a.i manufacturers' agent, whoso placp. of'business is in Cheapsido, and who-,rcsidcsj''with; !his : wifo aiid/ family,, in, Goldhurst l Terrace, jELampsteadi. ■ .' / 1 Mr.' liiixonburgj; ;wlie hasj ..been.; accustomed';'fdr- thirty, years' to: Iravel-; on- the Continent, readied 'Odessa' on jMarcH/3i'; Ho carried yHthi.him, a llargo-trunk, containing; single;, boots"' as samples,, a- .spall', handbag; and:-a-suit'case.. \ j:i'These,-; werb loft: at: tho -station,; and: tlio next,; morningv'yv'era soarchfcd ; by. Russian .officials/' at. the" railway- station, and" -Mi;:, 'liuxpnburg' was amazed; te- hear/that. ho..wa3 ■to. bo-; detained'; on; suspicion. beings concorned; in' spreading: revolutionary, doctrines.: ;He indignantly repudiated tie suggestion; but a 'packet.of, literature- off avjironouneed Anarchist type, was : shown td him; and lie : was : accused of., endeavouring,jto.'. smuggle it ;iuto 'the.-counitiy.V • ' '■ :• "'These - things.;, are .:-not - mine," ... declared : :Miv Luxenburg;''' and,P lqiowjnothing: \vhaih. oreri'about.,] thcim!'' '• j ! The'- officials/consulted: in! private, -and? ;theri.iaiin6unced ; 'tliat lib "was at: liberty, and) apologised/ for 'the'. anuoyancq-: and'-: inconve-. iiioncb>'thoy,had, caused-;lliin. f'.;'- tVVY>:« ' HALED, T.O. PRISON i .The''.sequel', is.-startling.' Mi-.-"Luxenburg-,'went: to-his-hotel;, and' retired for the night. I:le. was awakened shortly,- after/ midnight, ■ordered-.t0,: dress, and:-abruptly, informed! 'that'- r he- whs under, arrest, ." oni instructions: from - St. Petersburg;; -He was, forthwith; haled Vto> prison, and : has since; been, dotainbdi jthereVwithout; any: cliargo being preferred' against, liim, or any appearance- before ,a, court: '-i' j .'/Mi':(Luxenburg, before his second arrest, 'wrote; a: letter to; his-.wife'-iin: London;, in •'which'iho alluded,to,the incident at:tlio rail-, •way: station-.. InNthip letter lie says:— ■ I:now;'como to, tell, you,.about my,incar- -.' : ; coration. . \ j : _ i '. I.' .arrived, there- on.- Tiiesday., evpningj ,/ /cleared: illy passport, and! , to. the: Cabu'jl, Hotel. On ; " Wednesday- morning E -; .went'jto' the, station to' clear the samples. . It .was. riino- o!clocky and. no, officials-were 1 ' there.';: ;-// . .'■*) . ' v ;/; ,Aihcbig;/the luggage which t-hb: gen;V darmeSi kept, .their: oyes.j on; were- three , largo saispicious-looking trunks. ' No.;-pas- ; .'senger-claimed- tliom. . ■J (. I; I; was; sitting- in ,tho restaurant, having my,: brepikfasi'. Tlio: captain camo. in: and 1 '.askcdJoafch- passenger.: if tlio 'three: packages -belbngfid; to liim.; _ No. one claimed: them,: /as-the'real passengerwas not. there;' f' :; ■ ;Af£pr' ! brpalifast-1\ went, on/to thoj plafr. V.!formy,to; wait for-, tlio Customs,, and tlio. ; Icaptain...-asked. me' agarn. about','the , lug- ; '. II toldv liim- Nbj" but, before I ; „ had! lihislied -tliis: short: word' a' gendarme, ;■ .told; -hio, to, follow liim',-. and-, two men, fol-. ; .' y ; lpwed\behind mo, , ■ -; They took, me,into tho''dining-rooma exi amiiVed) me .tliorouglily, and , kept mo, waiting. ' •-■ ' \: In:, tliei, meantimo I'j sent- word,: to, my .-. •, Speflitour, but ho- was-not: allowed -to., como; , near/ ine;,, JBut ho- explained, matters' to !, the: captain,.'and the captain released' mo ; , and .'apolo'gisodi, for his blunder. ;■ . The facti is,- hoMnadb:tho. mistake.. Ho v, tbok-'mo-'a's .a jiassongeri who: arrived:: that . morning; and' as,my passport referred.-to; the • nightVjboiwe- this . aroused his. suspi- ': cion.. ~.. ■ v '.! The-.Customs.'' ofßcials: sympathised -with I me, , and said;ifc. was a : 'shamo,.to treat mo ■: -. in .this manner: ■ However,, I 1 did: not lose v; l norV6!-in'-thp.-leaiit.-■' }' -' . " ' jSECONID' AE.REST. ' 'I: : , • Onp- pf:,Mrs. agents: in Odessa ■cabled; thq news. of' tlio second • arrest,' .and:deolared' his- inabili,t>v: to: offer any-, explanation.'. . - '.i f' ; • . .- :Mrs; Euxonburgi'bt,-once went,,, ifsplieitor,'., Mr.--,'SeaJ£.\td' ;i the ; Foreigily Office ;in, Londonj" where she': had an. intervip\v 'Lord-Kilmarnock. fAi cable w- ; a§.:.§ent ■AvNicholsonj.tho, Bntush;: Petersburg,- requosting.' -lrim- to •. ; 'fullest ,possible, inquiry.' ; The- Consul-General at Odessa was alsp, in:struoted-. to,.take. Estops, to have the, mystery, Lcloared-lup. :Ho-demanded;tp' see the charge ; against ;:Mr. Liixtaibiirg, and • :was,. shpirn-, a. book-'in- which-Jwas' tho'bntryj " Secret-revor ilutionar.y.organisataon.' 1 ■ Mrs; Luxenburg .lias paid several-,.visits: tp the-lforeigh.pflicoj.'and ,a : cablegram': was-' sent 1 ■to- Sir A. - Nicholson, asking- him to demand •eitlier Mr. Liixeiiburg's rolease or an. im--media.te trial for. any,- olfencoi with which :he- may bo, chargeo! - l . ' * Another cablegram, was, dispatched; urging : ,the,. .British: ->i'rabassadbr,,to,-- - have: tho •affair/iirivestigateds witliput .ra- moment's 'der lay. ■ - .!':•>.^ lIIS WIFE'S STOHY ' , Mrs I .' Lii-xeiiburg, who,; iiaturaliy'; 'is: deeply: : % told, 1 an' 'ExiirosS" •■ !, ' ! reprpsenta : - ,-tivfe ; 'that --her husband - ombarked for, Sufeia ■;on February 26, travelling: by'- 'way;-'of Flushing;, and'-Berlin; • ■ 1 "Ho made a short stbp at : Berlin;"' J shb said," to, see' our .daughter,- 'who -is at school there. I do:hope: that: she has not heard of tho arrest. • ■ , ' ' My husband- has never l had such an oxpbripiice : beforp,' alhough he- was -in; Russia last-year. He has always beenwell trpated; :'and net a broatbLof' suspicioii lias.'been raised against liini. i "Tho notion- 'of a;sspciating- ; him. with ,Anarchist, propaganda is. absurd.- Ho has •never mixed himself un' with politics in his '.Hfo: . / " ;' '.:' "He must bo released soon, and, personally, I liopo ho will; not again visit 1 Russia,l; am afraid'jho will; howevor; because lie is very- '.pjucky. ' .He liiis,' sevbral.:agents'- in' Russia-; and- he is alwavs anxious: to see itliem-:and' deal-,with:'them personally!',^:: 7 '': ".Wo cabled- to our Ambassador' at St. Petorsburg,". said an ofTieial at tho Foreign' ; Office to. an " Express" representative, " and ihe has full powpr to' act, as, circumstances make necessary. ~ , . It is probable that some mistake has been- made, arid that this -will be at onco recpgnised by-, the Russian Gpvprnmcnt. , "Wo are, or course, in ccmmunicationwith Mr. Luxenburg's-relatives,' but'we are yet quito in the dark concorniiig; the- pxpla-' ] riatipn: pf tho arrest.,"' "