The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-10-08
IN RUSSIA
High Officials Who Sell Appointments
Regularly Established Rates.

High Officials Who Sell Appointments at
Regularly Established Rates.
To give an idea of the character of
our medical service, writes 'Stepniak,"
Two recent and characteristic trials may
cited-that of Bush and that of
.oritzky. Both of these men were fully |
thieves. The first was
Surgeon-in- Chief of the feet. His trial
took place in 1882. and made. as well it
a great noise in Russia. The
other gentleman was Surgeon-in-Chief
of the army. His trial took place in
1884. The two trials in their
main features were identical-the same
the same procedure. the same
of defense. We need then
a~nalyze but one of these trials that of
though older than the other,
it is richer in detail. Surgeon-in-Chief
and Civil General DR. Bush did not, like
of the Skopine Bank, dis
tinguished himself by the enormity OF
his populations; the blackmail he levied
never exceeded from f100 to f20O, and
he condescended on occasions to accept
as little as a f5 note. For eight years
places, promotions and transfers were
sold in the Chief Surgeons Office with
out any sort of cOncealment
or disguise, almost as openly
as if they had been offered by auction.
The business was managed by two con-
fidential men-Andreef, who acted as
cashkeeper, and Parteneff, who acted
as clerk. 1t was no secret. Of one
hundred and twenty-siX surgeons who
we're called as witnesses, eighty-six ad-
mitted that they had either paid black
mail themselves or knew those who had
been thus mulcted. The other forty de-
MED all personal knowledge of the
doings in question; protested even that
they had eve heard tell of them. But
their sincerity was evidently doubted
by the imperial p~rocurator, for he sig
%nifcantly complimented the eighty-six
on the "civic courage which they dis
played in confessing their fault. DR..
Saviesheff and DR.. Lukine testified
that everybody said thai Andreef,
Bush's man of business. took bribes."
The facts were known even to the stu
dents of the Academy of Medicine.
Doctor Inspector Popof testified to hav-
ing heard students speak of it as a mat
ter of common knowledge. and he had
said sharply to one of them Don't
talk nonsense. How can you pay for
an appointment when you have not got
a kopeck in your pocket ?" On this the
student, nothing disconnected. made
answer ''Oh, that is nothing. If | can
not give money 1 a give a bill" The
bill system was the only one practic-
able for impecunious doctors emulous
of good places and fat pay. Andreef
always conducted his business like a
gentleman" The bills, which he took
beforehand. were presented until
the promises in consideration of which
they were accepted had been fulfilled.
If, on the other hand, Bush was not
able to keep his engagement. the bill
was returned "a curious instance of the
''honor'' which is said to prevail among
thieves. Ordinary nominations and
simple transfers were dealt in accord
ing to the established tariff" which
varied, however. from 200 to 400 rubles
GEO to 940) for each transaction.
Bush, of course, ~endeavored to exact
the larger sum and drove very hard
bargains. The Surgeon General of the
Baltic fleet, Smirnow, testified that in
1880 he was travelling with two young
doctors, one of whom. unrestrained by
his presence, observed: 'But it is
altogether abominable. They bargain
down there 1.-THE Surgeon-in-Chief'
office as if it were a drug-shop. ]
offered Andreef $50 rubles, but he
wanted 800, and, as 1 could not AFFORD
so much, my nomination did not come
off," Yet all was not shop" The
story was graced with a touch of poetry
and romance. represented by Mile
Seleznef, a lady of the corps de ballet.
Mr.. Efrenof, one of the witnesses, ties
titled that. being invited to take tea al
Bush's house. he met there the lady il
| question and Andreef. While they
| were at table a packet was brought tt
the chief. who, after opening it and
| running his eye over the contents, ex
| claimed: "Ah! what a stupid fellow
this Shvank is. He does not know how
to make appointments" and then
| turning to Mile. Selzneff. he said
Nominate somebody yourself" Where
upon the ballet-dancer named DR.. Tel
choff, and her nomination was duly car
red into effect.
Most of the posts at Bush's dispose
were sold for lump sums. but Their
were others from which he drew a regu
lar yearly income. In Russia. as every
body is aware. a naval or military hos
pital is a small gold mine for those VIII
know how to make the most of thei
opportunities. So many things are re
quired. and it is easy. either by mini
MIXING the quantities Or d~eterioratin!
the quality-perhaps by both-to "save'
something on everyone of them. Fo
"save" read .steal." This being tn
case, it is not surprising that the direct
orship of a naval or military hospits
should fetch a relatively high price
1000, 5000 and even 1000 rubles. Blu
Bush, not satisfied with a paymen
down, levied on his nominees an annua
tribute, and if they fell behind wit
their payments, or did not pay what h
thought enough, the Surgeon-in-Chie
would threaten them with dismisSa
As, moreover, he knew every detail {
the hospital administration, and coul
guage to a nicely how much ever
dictatorship was worth, it was impo:
sible to keep back any part of the plu,
der which he considered right
his due. There was found anon
his papers a detailed list of the incon
of Cronstadt Hospital, expressly draw
up for his information by his confidel
tial clerk. Partenef. Its extent may /
inferred from the fact that it covere
two folios of foolscap. Nothing WI
omitted. Bush was equally tamili'
with what may be termed the interi'
or domestic bribery of the hospital
In his own particular notebook WI
found the following interesting men
orandum: .Grinzevitch (the direct
of the hospitals) receives brides fro
the doctors through the intermediary
the clerk Terentief, from the furnishe
of food and firewood through the int
| mediary of the clerk Makaroff, from Il
) fu%rnishers of pharmacy through SIX
! penhalen, from those of the school
surgery through Akinfieff."
Thus G~rinzevitch did in his hospit
precisely what Bush himself did in b
more exalted sphere. Each for himse
according to the measure of his abilit
l All this vent on for long wears, Al