Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-01-14

spOndencB iva A Amerfca-An Escape
for the Girls who Wrote Notes "a
Him Arrest and Conviction oil
the Tn eff.
From the New York Mercury.l
Our readers will doubtless remember
that some time ago it was reported from
Brussels, in Belgium, that the Russian
detectives had traced to that city one
Vashtenef, who had been in the employ.
ment of the Grand Duke Alexis as valet
de chambre, and who had accompanied
the young prince on his voyage to Amer.
lea. After reaching Cuba, the Grand
Duke, who reposed implicit confidence
in Vashteneff, had sent him with some
of his trunks back to ST. Petersburg.
Among thes trunks was one which con-
tanned the numerous letters which the
Russian prince had received during his
sojourn in the United States, and it may
be imagined that among these missives
we're great many enterprising and
spicy ones, which, if published, would
undoubtedly meet with large sale and
yield the publisher a handsome profit
Mr.. Vashtenetf was probably Of this
opinion, too, for when he reached st.
Petersburg, he delivered to the imperial
family all the trunks that had been in
trusted to him, except the one which he
knew contained the private correspond
ence of the young Grand Duke. His
failure to deliver this trunk was not
discovered. Soon afterward Wash
teneff obtained from the Empress,
to whose household he was at
tached after his return to the Russian
capital, leave of absence in order to
visit, as he alleged, some relatives in
Rhenish, Prussia. Nothing was heard
from him even after his leave of absence
had expired. His prolonged ABSENCE
did nos excite any suspicion until the
arrival of letters from the Grand Duke
Alexis, in the beginning Of last Septem-
ber, established the fact that Vashteneff
had retained one of the princes trunks
and, moreover the one which contained
his private correspondence. 1t was
easy to surmise for what purpose this
particular trunk had been purlolned by
the faithless valet, and all further un-
certainty was set at rest by the appear
ance in the Brussels and Paris journals
of an advertisement by M. Planche, a
Belgian publisher, whe announced that
he would speedily issue The Private
Correspondence of Prince Travelling
in the New World" The forthcoming
hook was described in the advertisement
as one of the most absorbing interest,
and we'll calculated to attract general
attention. At the same time the adyer-
tiser, though somewhat vaguel ly, gave
the readers to understand that the
prince in question was a member of the
imperial family of Russia. The Rus,,
sian government keeps a semi-othclal
organ in Belgium, a journal entitled lie
Nord, and the Emperor Alexander was
at once informed of what was going on.
There could be but little doubt that the
letters which NJ. Planche proposed to
issue were there which VashteneH
had taken from Alexis stolen
trunk. A detective was at once
dispatched from st. Petersburg to
Brussels, where he held an interview
with Planche. The latter, who seems to
have acted with tolerably good faith IN
the matter, acknowledged at once that
he had purchased the letters for 25OO
francs. from a man whose appearance
corresponded closely with the descrip'
ton which the Russian detective gave
him of that of VashteneH. Planehe SAID
he was willing to surrender the letters,
nrovided that the expenses he incurred
n purchasing them and preparing them
for publication were refunded TO hlm-,a
to which the detective readi-
iv aoceded. The latter received also
from the Brussels publisher information
in consequence of which he succeeded
in ef'ecting the arrest Of Nashteneh,
who lived under an assumed name IN
the Belgian capital. After a decree for
the extraditon OF the trunk thief had
been obtained from the government OF
King Leopold H., the detective started
with his prisoner and the letters of the
Grand Duke for st. Petersburg, where
the Imperial family rewarded him lib
rally for the intelligence and hnesse with
which he had performed bis delicate
mission. As regards Vashteneh, be was
greatly detected, and well be might be,
for tbe criminal code Of Russia puaishes
an offences against any member OF
he Imperial family, no matter how
iriRing they may be, with extreme
severity. He Was tried in the
criminal court on the "a Of December
last, and admitted his guilt, beseeching
the court TO deal leniently with him. De
spite his prayers, however, and the elo-
quent appeal which his counsel made 70
the court, he was found guilty and sen
fenced 10 ten years transportation 70
Siberia. The unfortunate man fell into
swoou when be heard this senieHce. The
Of HE aged mother, how
ever. Who had IN years g0na III been a
faithful servant Of the late Empires, ths
present Gar, and. perhaps, the Wish 10
iend not TOO much importance 70 tie