The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-02-01
Corruption in Russia.

A Moscow paper has just published
list of the principal thefts and embez-
Elements that have recently been COM
mttcd in Russia, the trials concerning
which arc at present going on or have
lately been concluded. First, mention
is made of Melnizky, who carried off
$4,000 rubles from tho great Founding
Hospital in Moscow, and who has lust
been sentenced to Punishment to Siberia.
The cashier, SwiridOff, defraudcd the
Association for Mutual Credit in Moscow
10 the extent Of PSI, 900 rubles. A GER
tain SaTjano managed to dcfraud tho
Southwestern Railway of 400, 900 rubles.
The deficit Of the Skopin Bank amounts
TO no less than 12,0O0,0OO rubles, of
which sum "Unce" Rykoff is said to
have got at least one-haif. One evening
the Agricultural Bank at Kherson was
found on fire. After the flames were
cNtingulshcd Il revision was ordered of
the bank iunds. There should have
been 900 rublcs in coinage and
5000, 600 in paper currency, but care
iul count revealed deficit of no less
than 100000 rubles. Where the
money went to no one knows. The di-
rector of the Suieurtsch Bank, in Wlad-
| ikawlIas, can not explain the loss of
100000 rubles from the treasures in
| his charge. In Kranstadt former MEM
bers Of the board of management of the
| bank there have been arrested, ,aS O deficit
Of 5000, 900 rubles has been discovered.
In KOstrOma the cashier Of the Com
| munal Bank was satisfied with merely
taking bagatelle of 10000 rubles, and
the chief of the railroad station at Kis-
| chincff with u paltry $4,000. The re-
cent commisSariat process at Odessa
has reference to steal of 5000, 900
rubles. The so-called qunine process
| (rauds in connection with quinine con-
tracts during the Russo Turkish wary
treats Of theft of 250,00C.
In Archangel the crown apportioned
| $4,000 rubleS for the construction of q
lighthouse, which cost, according to the
examinations made by special com
! mission, only 10000 rubles, 60, 900 stick
ing in the hands Of officials and contrac-
tors. An Official named Argustoff, in
Wilma, stole $4,000 of the Government
funds, and the postmaster of jeliSsawet-
grad "anneXed" ~, 900 rubles. A Mos
cow merchant named Solodownikoff,
has been found guilty of fraudulent
bankruptcy to the amount Of 500, ,O0C
mhlc5. In Odessa q criminal process is
kOwSl<y, who forged q certificate o
baptism for the purpose of getting un
lawful possession of 100000 rubles
And SO on, not to mention the bagatellC
of 10000 rublcs and under. The con
clusion arrived at by the Moscow paper
is that Siberia has no terrOrs that ar,
sufficient 10 check the mania for fraud
and cmbezzlements in Russia, and t.
anybody who has been in Siberia
seems strange that the idea could eve
have prevailed that simple banishmen
thIther is q severe punishment at all
There is to-day n sentenced Russia,
bank cashier living in TOmsk, who
being cultured and intellectual man
really enjoys very prominent position
in his place OF exile, and his crime, tha,
Of taking about 100000 rublcs out o.
the bank funds, is almost entirely for
gotten. OF course, to live we'll in ban
ishmcnL in Siberia the embezzler must
have put something by in q dry place
for such an cventuality, and if he is
willing to hide the temporary incOnven.
ienco Of being undo" police supervision
in q town that, beyond IFS distance from
civilization, has nothing particularly
diSagrCcablc about it he win In duo time
get his reward. He may return to Rus
sin after the lapse of his term of exile or
if he made enough out of his transac.
tions ne will prefer to live in Paris or
Nice or some other resort, and there
enjoy the fruits of his former delinquen.
cics, and which, having suffered pun.
ishmcnt therefor, in due time he thinks
that ho has fully earned. Such crimes
have in the past been undoubtedly pun.
ishcd most leniGntly, and sterner
measures will in all probability soon be
adoptcd.-Bcriin Cor. N. Y. Herald.