Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1881-05-28
A Russean Robbery.
THE BOLD MANNER IN WHICH A PO-
LICE OFFICER WAS TAKEN IN.

A Russean Robbery.
: THE BOLD MANNER IN WHICH A PO
LICE OFFICER WAS TAKEN IN.
, Those who hava traced the career
OF that able diplomatist, count
Shouvaloff, the late Russian Am.
bassador to England, will remem.
Der that at one time he filed a high
} position in the Russian Imperial
Detective Police at St. Petersburg.
In that post he had, at certain peri.
ods of the year, large drafts of
money granted to him from the i'm.
perial treasury with which to pay
the secret and other police his Or
ders. 4~
/ These drafts, when received, he
was in the habit of taking it to the
house of the famous banker, Baron
Stieglitz, to,be cashed. Upon one
Of these occasions he had received
the regular draft for 30O,0 900 roubles,
to be disbursed among his men, in
various amounts. As the amounts
varied very much, it was necessary
to obtain the payment of the draft
in notes both of large and small
amounts.
To collect the required amount,
the banker requested the count to
call in a short period, when the mon
ey would be sorted and ready for
his receipt.
On this particular occasion, 1t
was agreed that Count Shouvaloff
should call at, Or nearly before, two
o'clock in the afternoon. These Wis.,
it's of the chief Of the detective po-
lice to the rich bankers had long
been regarded by the light-fngered
brethren of st. Petersburg with eyes
of envy, as it was we'll known to
them that OH these visits large sums
of money changed hands.
The arrangement which had been
made between the count and the
banker had been overheard by an
attentive accomplice, and they now
~. '"ined to make a bold stroke
for the money. Shortly before the
appointed time for the transfer of
the money, the bank doors opened,
and in walked a gentleman. to all
appearances Count Shouvaloff, wear
ing the official uniform; in walk.
manner and voice the exact cOun-
terpart of the chief of police.
The required notes had been care
fully counted and arranged. and di-
rectly, OH application of the suppos.
ed Count, they were handed oyer
with the utmost confidence, and the
receipt rendered by the pseudo
count.
The bank clerk who attended him
to the door, and handed to his Of
fetal custody the precious package,
saw a carriage-in every particular
the counterpart of the well-known
official equipage. The servant, the
horses, even the fittings, were we'll
known to him as those of the chief
of the police, aud not one iota of
suspicion entered the heads of the |
bank authorities, as with a grace
full bow the supposed august person
age took his departure. i
Some twenty minutes after the
departure of the supposed official,
the bank doors again swung open,
but this time to admit the real
Count Schouvaloff, who at once ad-
vanced to the desk to demand the
money for the treasury draft.
On the application being made,
both banker and clerks we're dumb
founded.
"The money, your excellency
Why, you received it but half an
hour ago, and here is your receipt"
Schouvalotf saw at once that he
had been robbed, and cleverly rob-
bed, too, and his acute intellect told
him that not moment was to be
lost. Assuming thoughtful atti-
tude for few seconds, he replied,
in a quiet and composed manner:
"Ah, yes ! How thoughtless of
NE! l quite forgot it,"
And, with some short apologies,
he left the bank.
Among the Russian police, both
public and private, it is a standing
order to note the movements of the
head of the department, in order
that, should he be required, he can
at any moment be found. |,
Leaving the bank, Count Shouv.
alOff accOsted the first of his men,
and inquired:
"Did you see me pass this way
half an hour agof
The man, who had, like the bank
er and clerks, been deceived by the
pseudo count, replied at once:
"Yes, you left the bank and drove
to the right"
A second man gave further aid,
and SO the third and fourth, and
at last the count learned that he
lin duplicated had been seen to en-
ter a hotel in side street, and
send away his carriage.
Euterinp the hotel. the commit ac.