A DUAL CHARACTER.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12493, 20 March 1909, Page 4

A DUAL CHARACTER.

The chief Paris agent (says the "Press") of the Russian police was., known to, his superiors as M. Raskin, j He sent them regular* reports _re- ; r-pccting Russian 'Anarchists settled in Paris, and in all respects seemed to be a zealous servant of the State. In Paris, however, he was known to the Anarchists and Terrorists as Azeff Lapoukhin, the "great" Azeff, and looked upon as a leader. He was, j in truth,. -art "agent provocateur, a traitor in the employ of the police, * but so cleverly did he live his double life that the Chief of Police at- tat. Petersburg did not know that Raskin . -and Azeff were one and the same. < Raskin-Azeff is accused of complicity in half a dozen assassinations in Russia his alleged victims including the his alleged victims including the Grand Duke Sergius and M. Plehve. It is said, too, that it was he who "removed" Father Gapon. Burtzett, a journalist, denounced Azeff to the committee in Paris as a traitor, but so high was the esteem in which the Terrorists held Azeff that Burtzeff was warned that failure to prove Azeff a traitor might mean the loss of his own life. Eventually Azeff was summonod before the Terrorist Committee in Paris. He declared his innocence and assured his judges that if they allowed a guard to go with him he would quickly get documentary proof and return with it. Four men were < told off to keep an eye on him, but aeither they nor the suspect werexseen again. They were accomplices of '■ Azeff. Terrorists are now. scouring Europe, searching for the traitor. " Azeff found himself in a tight corner when, a few years ago, ho was asked to bring about the death of General ; Durriovo. His employers at St. Petersburg heard of the plot, and sent Raskin instructions to protect the . officer. Durnovo was staying at an ' hotel in Switzerland, and it is alleged that Azeff got out of the difficulty by pointing out the wrong man for assassination. At any rate, an innocent tourist was shot— the affair made a great stir at the time — and Durnovo escaped.