The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-30
KNAVES OF HEARTS.
An Organization of Clever Russian Ras

An UTRanlZAJlOn OF CleVer huBslhn hhScalb'
The band of sharpers known as the
"Knaves of Hearts," who by some for
eign prints have been raised to the dig
nifty of political conspirators, are now
upon their trial before the Criminal
Court, at Moscow. The members Of the
association, whose fantastic title is Dor
rowed from French novel, carried on
their operations, not in Moscow and st.
Petersburg alone, but in many import
ant provincial towns.
The number Of prisoners is forty-eight,
OF whom twenty-eight are mobiles. We
must not, however, conclude that these
belonged to the arlstocracy; the ex-
preston only means that they were
neither peasants nor tradesmen.
Only one of them is OF noble origin
and even be had lost all his civil rights
long before his connection with the as
soclation, in consequence OF a former
conviction. He appears to have been
an accomplished swindler, and as he
was believed to have high connection s.,
he had no difficulty IN finding victim J..
Giving out that he was going to be mar
ried TO a wealthy heiress, he succeeded
in obtaining from one tradesman u guam
tity of fur clothing Tor his future
wife, and from another valuable col
study. He pretended to be IA large land
ed proprietor, and on preteXt of engag-
ing men as stewards took money from
them as security for their honesty. To
one man who applied for place as man
ager OF a distillery on one Of his pretend
ed estates he showed the books and
seals of the excise officers, all of course
fabricated, and astonished the appli-
cant by the minute knowledge he a! :
peared to possess of everything connect
ed with distillation. Taking security
from persons TO whom profitable places
were pretended TO be gwen was an easy
! means of procuring money; and great
many unfortunate persons out Of place
were sufferers from TINS moue OF decep-
tion.
One Of the principal objects of the
Knayes of Hearts was TO find out weak.
minded men with money, OF whom they
could make easy victims. One poor el
| low, who possessed a capital OF $50, ,00(
| roubles, was systematically piled with
drink TIL he was induced to give bills tC
a large amount. The life he led brought
him to delirium tremens, and ended in
his death. In their transactions with
this m sguided individual they were a..
| sisted by a notary, who was also mem
| Der OF Lle COnlGueGdcy. by means Of
false powers OF attorney from pretended
landed proprietors, horses and cattle and
a variety Of things were purchased and
paid tor by bills, all OF which turned out
70 be worthless.
A publican at Moscow had a clever
man i'll his employ, whom he clothed
and fed, and represented as a rich pro-
prietur from the country, whose bills he
rot discounted without much tlicuLty.
This man turned out to be common
tramp, whom the publican had saved
from starvation, atterWard turning his
Intelligence to account.
/ In snort, cheating, sWindling and for.
gerry in every shape were practiced
Counting-houses were established, where
all sorts of nelarious transactions were
carried on by various members of the
contederacy, who did not disdain to turn
their hands to robbery when a con.
venient opportunity occurred.
| One OF The band, a woman, is accused
of murder; but this crime was COM
mitted in consequence OF a quarrel with
her lover, who, IN u fit OF jealousy, haC
threatened to denouuce her tor hel
share in some of the acts Of the
association. Though mortally wounded
the victim lived long enough to give eY.
iGenCe which will probably be sutlicien Mt
to convict the murderess. AS
there are a great many witnesses to be
examined, the trial is expected to be {
very protracted one.