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164 tion. That hand was the pope Gapon, who was unmasked as an agent of the political police.

Witte attempted at first to work upon the sentiments of the Tsar through a peaceful procession, through the religious fervour of the people, but failed. The guards fired at the defenceless crowds, at the holy ikons, even at the Emperor's portraits.

Then Witte played his last card. He threatened the throne with revolution, hoping through fear to compel the Tsar and his advisers to admit the realisation of the new Constitution, which had been already proplaimed In the name of the Emperor. But the reactionaries, mostly German generals at the head of faithful regiments, strangled the hydra.

Witte fell, and retired from active politics for good. But the shadow which still held the power of his ruin in its hands remained. It was Gapon, the history of whose assassination in Finland remains a mystery. The executioners were one of the social-revolutionary leaders, the engineer Ruthenberg, and an agent of the secret police "Okhrana," who, during that stormy period, was close to Witte's person. According to this agent, Witte knew of the planned assassination of Gapon, but did nothing to prevent it, although at that time he had still great influence and could have easily done so.

Witte's enemies were aware of his part in the murder of the pope and exploited it to arouse the vengeance of the agents of the "Okhrana" against the