M. WEISSMANN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 3

M. WEISSMANN

THE- LIFE STORY OF A RUSS PAN POLICE SPY. (From our Continental Correspondent.) ST. PETERSBURG. June 6. M. Weissmann is the hero of the day: even loyal Government supporting papers occupy themselves with this person; and this nuuns something, for until a very short time ago M. .Weissmann had entertained close relations with the Russian Government. This man is a typical example of tho Russian police? spy and informer, a man after tho kind ol that despicable Azoff who drew a Minister's salary from tho Crown and yet kept in with the Terrorists. The career of M. Weissmann is of great interest, as it permits a poop into tho fcecrete of Russian political police administration, the proper direction of which is one of the most important duties of tho Russian MLniAor of tho Interior. So Important aro these duties that M. Stolypin only came out on top fu his recent battle with tho Duma because at this moment there wah no other man like him ia Iho whole of Russia .capable of taking charge of the political police, which is entrusted with tho care of tho safety of the Imperial family.

■Originally Weissmann was a littlq Jowl-in reporter in Odessa. He went in lor all sorts ( of money-lending businesses, and thus became acquainted with the police-colonel do St. Claire, a man deeply in debt. As Wcissmann, as report ea* of a democratic paper, had many friends among the students, he could carry many a piece of useful information to the colonel. *Tho political police made a few good captures, and Weissmann not only found regular .official employment as police spy, but even went with Colonel Budiiovitch, who was charged with the. supervision of the Russian political emigrants on tho Balkan IVninsula, to Bulgaria, where ho soon commenced to play an important role. __ lie did not confine himself to tho watching of Russian suspects, but had his Jingor in political movements in Bulgaria, Servia, and Roumania.

Ait tho time of the Macedonian revolt he served Turkey', and was a constant guest 1 at tho house of the Turkish Grand Vizier. Turkey, Roumania, Bulgaria, and Scrvia conferred upon him a largo number of orders and other distinctions of honour for special services he had rendered those states. With the unfortunate Alexander of Servia ho was on terms of close friendship. There can be no doubt that Weissmann repeatedly' drew the King s attention to the danger tluut threatened th© unfortunate monarch, and had even handed a list of the would-be murderers to the Servian Minister of the Interior. The latter, however, ridiculed the fears of Weissmann and took no notice of that list of mimes. Rt was found on him .after his assassination. Furthermore, there can bo no doubt that Weissmann played a certain rolo ; m regard to Queen Draga; it is said that Weissmann’s wife had a new-born child ready in order to pass it off as DragWs offspring. Weissmann .was at the height of his career. He led life on a large scale and did wluct he liked with the imbecile and lazy Budiiovitch. He even interfered with tho dispositions of the Russian political agents, and thus made himself much disliked. But the Russian diplo-. matists dared not protest, for the service of tho political .police goes above all. After the assassination, of King Alexander, Weissanann was ordered to leave Servia within twenty-four hours. After receiving the same order of expulsion from Bulgaria his role in the Balkans was played jout, and the Government recalled him to Russia. At first he was stationed in Tiflis, but the ground there soon became .too hot for him, as the liberty-loving Caucasians make short work of police informers. They know how' to handle tho "kinohal" (a iongpoin'tod dagger, razor-sharp). Weissmann was appointed chief of the secret police in AYiarsaw, which office ho held for some time till he made a "faux pas" — ho not only let a man, who had stolon fifty thousand roubles, escape with a payment of ten thousand roubles, but oven provided him with a passport Which enabled him to escape to England, and from .there to America.

Strange to say, tills affair became public. His enemies made capital out of it against him, and Weissmann "escaped" to Paris; that is to say, on account of his "-services" he was allowed to go unmoleeted. Since then he .has appeared in all capitals of Europe, jmncipally un dertaking the financing of large industrial undertakings in Russia. Now he has placed himself at the disposition of the. Russian tribunal, hoping that in consideration of Ms former "services" tho judges will not be too severe with him-. Most likely this will happen, as has been the case with his worthy colleague, the city governor of Moscow, General Reinebot, who has just got one year's imprisonment, "with a strong recommendation to mercy," for his pecuniary malversations on a gigantic scale. At present, M. Weissmann, who fifteen years ago earned .perhaps a thousand roubles a year, lives in one of the most luxurious apartments or the ,Hotel dThirope. Witii pride he shows -his visitors th© writing-desk of which Alexander of Servia had made him a present, and in a little silver box ho keeps the blood-stained hire handkerchief of Queen Draga. On his Londbn-mad© dross-suit of latest style are crowded tho medals of some fifteen Balkan orders. If M. Weissmann would take a little more care of Ms fingernails he would look nearly like a gentleman.