THE PRUSSIAN SECRET POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7080, 26 July 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PRUSSIAN SECRET POLICE.

M. Tissot, whose " Voyage dans le Pays des. Milliards" and other works on life in Germany are well known, ban brought out, says the London Standard, a new volume of the same series on the Secret Police in Prussia. In it ho relates a vory curious and chanctcristio anecdote of M. Jules Favre's journey to Versailles, to negotiate with the German Chanoellor. At the Bridge of Sevres, M. Tissot writes, the Frenoh Plenipotentiary entered a carriage, on -the box of whioh an agent of Stieber, Chief of the Polioe, had taken the place ofthe driver. Prince Btsmarok has recOmmendod Stieber to keep a sharp watch on M. Jules Favro. Tho Director of Police carried out with great ability the instructions be hid received. He had - a chamber preparod for the Fronoh Minister in the house in whioh the offioers of the Prussian Secret Polioo were installed, and M. Jules Favre, quite unsuspecting, oconpied during his stay the bed of Zerniki, lieutenant of police spies. Stieber was unknown to the Frenoh Minister, and remainod in attendance on him, even preparing his tea for him. On first arriving at nis lodgings, M. Jules Favre was received by Kaltenbaok,' a commissary of police, whose genial and simple manners removed all suspicions of the Minister. He protested that he could have received no greater honour than to lodge the illustrious advocate nnder his roof. M. Favre fell into tho trap laid for bim, and, in his conversation with the pretendod resident of Versailles, allowed many valuable facts relative to tho situation in Paris to. escape from him, and which were immediately transmitted to Princo Bismarck, who ' was anxious to know _ the exaot state 'of the besieged oity before negotiating. On the day of M. Jules Favre's arrival. Prince Bismarok sent for Stieber, and said, " I have not received any journals from Paris to-day. M. Jules Favre must have brought some with him to read on the way, and you must procure them." Stieber reflected a moment and replied, " Yon shall have them 1" He rave instructions to all the persons about the French Minister to remove all the pap&r from the little resort which all humanity is compelled to frequent, apd to take care that no other jhould lie in his way. What Stieber counted aa happened, io. due course. . After each of M. Jules Favre's visits,. the fragments of newspapers he left were seized on, as well aa the portions he had used, and whiob, after being cleansed, were transmitted to the Intelligence Office. The "surveill&noe around M. Jules Favre was so strict, that it was impossible for any real inhabitant of Versailles to warn him of the espionage to which he was subjected.