San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-08
CHATTER 1.-THE DAWN OF HOPE.

The little town of Nertchinsk had, a short
time before, been greatly excited by the
murder of an engineer called Major Dobson,
the grantee Of piece Of ahriferous ground
situated ten or twelve miles from the
village.
This Englishman lived upon the land he
operated. Thanks to modern Improvements
In the mining industry, he had succeeded
In obtaining large quantities of gold in a
spot disdained and abandoned by his pre-
decessors.
The Major attracted the assassins more
perhaps, by the reputation of originality Of
character accorded to him for one hundred
miles around, than by his wealth, although
that was immense.
Every morning he went to the place WHERE
the steam-engine was working, wearing
enormous boots drawn over three pairs Of
stockings. He examined the machinery at
tentively; at the least sign of rust, he pulled
of one Of his stockings and rubbed away
until he had restored the polish; his three
pairs Of stockings were used in this way,
and the mechanics, in whose faces he hurled
them, were obliged to bring them back to
him under penalty of dismissal.
the grantees, he lived in niggardly fashion
and had but one servant-an old woman
and it was asserted that, far from sending
to Barnoul the entire amount Of gold he
mined-for the mines belong to the govern
ment, and all the gold Of Siberia is smelted
at Barnoul on the Obi-he did not fear to
purloin large quantities of it which he kept
concealed.
One morning, he and his servant were
found dead, the skulls of both split open
with hatchets.
However, the robbers did not succeed in
discovering the Majors supposed hiding
place. They were able to steal only small
amount of silver, Major Dobson being in the
habit Of sending the most valuable portion
of his profits to England.
Three weeks later, another assassination
turned out much better for its authors,
and agitated the entire district Of Merit
chinsk.
A Russian from the Crimea, named Khab-
aroff, possessed as grantee piece of land
from which he had been unable to get even
the smallest morsel of gold, though much of
the neighboring territory yielded superb re-
turns. Then, this man devised the means
of putting his hand upon some Of the pre-
cious metal, the color of which the govern
ment would never see, thus depriving the
grantees, his prosperous rivals, Of commits
sions to which the results Of their operations
entitled them.
In his capacity of life proprietor, he had
the right to keep liquor shop upon his
lands for the accommodation of his work
men, but, as he did not employ single
toiler, his spirits were sold to his neighbors'
people at the reasonable price Of a half
pound of gold dust bottle. Two barrels of
brandy, worth at most fifty dollars, brought
him in about one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. 1t goes without saying that
the purchases were paid for so magnificent
ly with the precious ore stolen by the gold
hunters.
Khabaroff was despoiled Of portion Of
his ill-gotten wealth, after having been left
for dead upon the public square. But,
b while he was being cared for, his method
of enriching himself at the expense Of the
State was discovered, and misfortune over
took him.
In consequence of these outrages, the local
authorities zealously set inquiries on foot.
Then, it was suddenly discovered that a
band of gold-robbers, already famous through
odious exploits, had made this double stroke,
and that the son of the Ipravsnik, or Justice
of the Peace, had for long time been asso-
ciated with this band.
Everybody esteemed the Ipravsnik. He
was proud and honest Russian named Yer
mac, a descendant, perhaps, Of the Cossack
who, followed by his gallant companions,
conquered Siberia.
Yermac had been at Nertchinsk for few
years only, in disgrace-eXiled, in fact. II
was said that he had filled an important
post in the magistracy in Moscow, acquiring
there reputation for austerity and incor
ruptibility, and pitilessly dcnouncing the
preyarications of his colleagues. The lat
ter, uniting, had succeeded in undoing him.
Such a man could not remain Indifferent
to the too well-founded suspicious in regard
to his son. He resigned his Office, and as
he was not permitted to return TO Russia
and did not desire to make further efforts to
create an independent and honorable situa.
ton for himself, he solicited and obtained
the position of superintendent among the
guards of the Ou6boul mine. Yermac was
the keeper whom Yegor Semenoff had IN
suited and struck. No doubt, if he had
been acquainted with the rectitude of the
man of the whip, Yegor would have repent
ed of his fury, for he was capable of appre'
ciating in others qualities he himself pos
sessed in common with them.
Yegor Semenoff had been exiled for politi-
cal causes. Arrested at Kieff, where he
attended the university, he did not know
what was his crime. One evening the police,
making descent upon his residence, had
seized his letters, papers and books and led
him IN t1,.icnp