Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-04-28
A RUSSIAN BANKER.
TWELVE MILLIONS OF RoueLEs MADE
WAY WITH.
Career Of the Dir ector Of the Skopin Bank
Ending In sIberia-How He Managed
Financial Matters for = Period
Of Twenty Year,.

Ending In sIberia-How He Managed
Financial Matters for Period
Of Twenty Year,.
ISt. Petersburg Cor. New York SUM-
A remarkable case was recently tried tn
| The Moscow district court which has wildly
portrayed not only the principal actors in the
/ trial. but all classes Of society in the Russia
II to-day The hero Of tho case was Ivan
tiavriIovitch Rykoff He was born in Sko-
pin, n small town Of the Riazan province.
| His parents. poor burghers, could not give
him any education beyond that afforded by
the primary school, Of the town. His uncle,
millionaire merchant, bequeathed TO Ivan
lis property and name Then Ivan Rykof
lad his own swee, Will He tried his utmost
10 sqt1anier his fortune aud in the course Of
/ years be succeeded About 1850 Ivan found
himself pennilesS. About that time the prov
irces were granted certain degree OF SELF
government, and towns received the right OF
establishing banks Of their own. Ivan Rykoh
.sw bi, opportunity at once He induced
IS iownsmen % open n city bank and
o eject him as it. director The principal
gipital of the bank was 10, 900 roubleS. Ths
gown authorities had authority to examine
ponsible for its management. Director
RykofF, however. wanted 10 run tho bank
alone, and he know well how to achieve his
purpose. In the first place he loaned from
he bank large sums OF money TO every bank
officer the vice director. the cashier, the
bopkkeeper, AMI all the clerks. These mon
could never make their debts good. Then
be went for the town authorities. Soon the
mayor and the most influential aldermen
Jecsrne debtors OF the bank far l.eycnd their
means. Some citizens, headed by a rich
merchant named Popoff, formed an opposi.
ton party, and threatened to overthi ow the
director Rykof went TO see Popof
You are going to ruin the bank said tho
latter and the town, too and | am worth
11,oO0 roubles4'
Here are 5000 r5ubles for you an
swerel Rykof, layin, the cash On tie ia
iae.
You are fast making money aud fame,
All | am l,fs IN the shade continued
Popof
We'll, viii 1900 per snnum be enough
!or you" asked the director
Il was enough. AMI the opposition van
isl.el As o. the iovnsmen who grumblei,
ih.v were pacifed with vodka, which was
offered to them by the director nd libitum
sflbll many u liOs bbt4i
a and religious. there appeared glowing
cccounts OF the extraordinarily furnishing
coalition 0. the Skopin City bank, which,
unlike other banks, paid per cent interest
In some of the newspapers Of the capital
there APPEARED articles commencing to pub
lie attention the new financial genius who
lad appeared in Skopin 1t was said that
BIZ his W Use Investments and new enterprises
the director of the Skopin hank was in
,reasing the capital intrnstei to him lrJ per
cent that he had beautifiei his
town, and erected educational and char
table institutions, and was fast developiu;
the natural resources of his province.
Prize Is, monk, widows, retired officers, old
n9olemen, Gnl others rushed to Skopn
and entrea;el Ivan Ryl;off to take their
money The funds OF the Slopin bank
swe,lei enormously, and along with them
sucile the directors pride. Now lie wanted
imperial decorations and title, and be
went about obtaining them in his own
e. hion. TIE governor, the vice governor.
the attorney, the judge, and other officers CT
the province became debtors to the SsOpia
tank Then from the capital of the province
tae city If Riazaa, Ivan Rykof went to rh-
capital o. the empire, ami here, too h
found hearty welcome. Even tie third
section of his majesty's own chancellery toJA
a.. interest III the provincial financier Son
Ivan Rykof was made counsellor OF com
Ii.erce, and one imperial decoration aft
another was granted TO him for his service,
If the newspapers mada Ivan Ryk If
known and famous, the newspapers a.so
threatened him with a great danger \
resident Of Skopin Published in provincial
taper an account Of tie management of the
.Skopin bank, alleging that all the bank re-
ports were mere fabrications AMI the banI,
vas empty. Rykof hastene to silence the au-
tnOr He paid him 81 900 roubles. Then he
invited the city authorities 10 examine the
:ank. that is to sign a statement prepare,i /
10y himself, and made the author Of the let
IF publish 1t in the newspaper where the |
iginal letter appeared THUS the deposit |
- were Iacified
Meanwhile the deposits increased to mill |
.ils. As Rykoff could no: invest the CAPT !
tai advantageously enough 10 pay per ]
cent. interest, he made false report. and |
thus continued to preserye his own and MS
tanks reputation Among his debtor tier,
aiiearei generals barpns, counts and /
ir.uccs. lie gave prncely donations to the |
,.i.ari,25', institutions OF ais town and in the !
sk,rin churches, which also shared IN the !
directors generosity, daily prayers Were
if,TeI ~-or the health. prosperity and saliva.
ton 4 Coils servant. Ivan lie WAS u
httie car They fatterel him AM feared
liza, and kissed his hands. which were ever
.u.l q: money tina NJ went ON fully /
twenty years. DlIriag ;ais long period lie
va >everal times cuGiered by the officers O:
lE- ministry o. iiaancs, but each time,
owing to bis high connections. he came dry
out o; thu water.
In Russia there are about go periodical
publications. and Ivan Rykoif could not buy
every ons of them. Thus the truth about
ms bank was at last told and could not b.
i;sTegarled by the provincial authorize
lie court Of Riazan undertook t. inve L
gate the affairs OF the Skopin bauk Thsge
spon the depo-itor, maize furious ia i
upoa the bank. TIE. wanted their IN jneY
hack. which am Junte IT, Il. OJ0, ID aai tue
hank DID not contain a single milf n. TIE
crowd Of veteran officers. PRIEST. monk.
and aged widow, cried like children They
,,esleSci the hou o II tie director. but
>;ronS iron door hafTi 4 all their efforts n
break IN Church capital. convent funds
the muI-y Il orphan, and the savings Uf
oil, men and women-.d wa, swept away.
BY order OF the Risztn court tn. Skoy in
bank was cl1'ed, ami ivan RvkoI. with hi,
suborInates AMI tn, -lty officers. twenty
six men all told, were thrown into pri>, u.
The receivers WORKED On the book for over
a year At last the cas-, Wa hadiel II TIA
Moscow court
Even on the trial Ivan RykoT RENAMED
true to MS nature. Has inso.ence AMI arr
gance know no bounds He shouted n; tie
witnesses AID interrupted the court much
that several times 1t necessary 10 pm;
him ca; 81 The court. After Reviewing. the
conduc, . "a innG list OF officials. beginning
with lost carrier AMI ending ss!tE the GOV
ernor Il ne province. tie atjoraey Z
claimed There, in that lark tues, rIcI
I,awned their oath Of of,ic, their hraJr hon
ETY. and cOnsciauce,7
RykoG said in MS defense: Il would
gladly ascend pile and light l. Eyse!t Il
by 50 doing ! could sstiSfy my creiitors NJ
mist uTtunc was that tho government let !ns
alone Il Voc; viii give me my frA-.ofl !
viii = .oinr cauvcnt and pray for .l-
for-I' NOS az Iny SINS Tie government
cus e. ia M creditors"
Why the Dog Wouldn't Ta;.
.tuImh Is, journal
j. Is related by Prcfe - r Bel that uhca
friend 4 his was travelling abroad tie one
incoming took v,gt bis purs, 70 see x 4 c,rl-