The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-01

took money from the cash box without
cot ntipg it," said one witness. They came
with pocket handkerchief, filed is with
bank notes, and went home" testified an.
other
such was the method of doing business in
the lannon's bank of Skopine. And the vim
die went on, not for few weeks or months
merely, but Tor something like fifteen long
years, sn sstoCr ding fact even fer Russia
and elsewhere unimaginsble. In srcall
provincial town, where every body knows
every body else, RykOy's doings and the
banks position could not be secret, and
vhen the cresh came, the entire province
tkIaser) produced bat nineteen anfortunstes
who had intsusted their savings 10 Il. Rykov
and bis fellow robbers and among the 6 600
custeme1s OF the bank not one dvelt IN
skopine. How, above sill did the irregular.
tiles escape attention? For the Law places
communal banks under the immediate
supervision OF the Mayors and
municipalities. Il IS their duty
each Month 10 examine the books. count the
cash, and overhaul the securities rae ans.
wer IS simple. They wsre privy to the
frauds and Darticipators in the plumber. Al
robbed the bsDk. Mayor Ikonnikoy robbed
Mayor Ootschinnikoy robbed, the Town
Clerk robbed, every member Of the munich
pality robbed. The monthly audit was a
farce. The books were never looked at, the
each was never counted, and the balance
sheet was slgned without being examined
Rykoy could do whatever ne liked, and
coEducted himself with all the insolence of
an ignorant parvenu. There dwet in the
town q doctor of the name OF Bitni, a
man OF good repute and highly esteemed
but. being so unfortunate as to
offend Rykov, he was one day ordersd
Oy the police 10 betske himself to the
town of Ksssimvo and there abide. No
reason for this arbitrary procs ediag was
assigned, and 1t was only when the day of
reckoning came that Or. Btni learned that
his expulsion WIS due to Rykov, who had
remarked to the Chief OF Police that the
Doctor was an 'evil.intentioned man." On
this hint the Chief of Police had acted a
young fellow named SOkoloff was so ill.sd.
vised as 10 whistle while passing the mana
ger IN the public garden of 6kopine. Rykov
chose 70 look on this es en- insult. and the
youth was exiled by administrative order.
The police OF SkOpine," said the witness
Lanskoy, whose evidence was quoted in the
indictment, was ready at any moment to
execute Rykov's least desire"
Nor was this all. Rykov counted so con.
odently on the support of the local repre-
tentauves OF the Government that be lorded
1t over every body, openly rated the fire
brigade because they did not conduct them
selves TO his satisfaction st fire aad vexed
by some show Of Independence on the part
al the Chisf Of Police, told him that ne had
better take care what he was asoot lyon
and have only TO FAY word % have sent
down on your place a wagon load OF Cniets
OF PS.ice." When, IN order 10 ruin NJ
DlskonCv, who unfortunately for himself.
owed the bank 10000 ronb!es. ne
had this gentlsuan's house seized
md offered Tor SALE by auction not
a sipgs bidder appeared on the
seene, 50 great was the fsar inspired bV the
al-powsrful manager. This was exactly
what Rvkov desired. The house was worth
10000 roub.es; he made The complainant DO
ice vslUe 1t az 8 600, aud nad the unfortu-
nate III. DiakSndv cast into prison, where ne
remained for eleven monfhs. In this wav
sn almost ilileTSta man for the manager
could only just read sud wits-became 40.
soluts master OF SkoDins God alone couId
contend against Rykov, said one Ct the Wit
nesses.
1t Yves only in 1882 that some gentlemen
in question succeeded in getting printed in
the Russian Courier several letters on the nj.
fairs OF the Bank OF Skopine. The journal
that did this gooa work for the community
is one OF the few liberal orgaos left and il
has been barried and prosecuted by the gov
eminent TO the verge Of extinction.
The letters in the Courier were the death
sentence OF the Skopine Bank. Creditors
rushed from ell parts az the country TO with
draw their deposits; but the run ceased al
most as soon as it began, for the strong room,
instead OF containing the - coo, 600 roubles
and the bill cases were filed with bogus
pnper. The bank fell, and great was the fall
thereof. The scandal and the panic it caused
spread far and wide, confidence was at an
end, and there was q run on nearly every
communal bank in Russia. A few stood the
test, buta few dozen come to the ground, and
when their affairs were looked into they were
found to be pretty much IN the same con-
dilion as those OF the Bank OF Skopine.
During Rykov's trial be protested warmly
and often against what he called the injus-
tlce OF the public and the press. They say
that am monster; that | have stolen six
millions. 1t is gross calumny. / swear be.
fore you, gentlemen OF the jury, that stole
but one million-one million only" he pro-
tested, with indignant gesture and uncon-
scious humor. This was quite true, as mis-
young advocate triumphsntlY proved. For
bis personal use Rykov had taken only mil
lion. But he had been enabled to take that
million only by spending four millions more
as hush money.