St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-15
He Is Known in That Far-Off
Country as the Volhyn-
ian Rinaldo.
AS Clever a Gentleman as
Ever Put a Knife to q
Throat.
His Crimes, Philanthropics,
Amours and Other Nota-
BILE Eccentpicities.
A Strange Admiration for the
Life of an Unredeemed
Highwayman.

In the criminal court of Kiev high
wayman, Sigmund KrukovSy, was SELL
fenced to hard labor for life. He had
been for many years an object of dread
and admiration. and was known as the
Volhynian Rinaldo. KrukovSy was the
son of wealthy Polish nobleman, and
the sole heir to large estates in the gov
eminent of Volhynia and Podolla. He
received liberal education. Besides
Russian and Polish he knew German,
French, English and Italian to per-
fectlon. He was an elegant dancer, a
daring horseman, fine swordsman and
a crack shot. AS soon as his father
died, and he found himself the sole
possessor of his large estate, he began
spending his money lavishly. He made
two expensive trips through Europe,
and wasted his treasure in Paris, vi
emma, Nice, Rome, Berlin and other
centers of culture and pleasure. At
about the age of thirty, when he re-
turned home, his fortune was exhausted,
his estates mortgaged and sold, save
one farm in Volhynia.
He could live respectfully if he with
drew to that farm, but unfortunately he
had never learned to work or TO restrict
himself in his enjoyments. He had al
ways had great admiration for the
lawless and unrestrained life of high
wavman; his favorite reading consisted
of books describing the daring deeds of
the knights of the middle ages and of
heroes like Rlnaldo Rinaldini One of
his college comrades testified that while
he was yet youth, KrukOvsky knew
no greater pleasure than to dress him
self like bandit, and, mounting a swift
horse, ride out in the country and
frighten the farmers out of their wits.
He possessed great mimic talents, and
could disguise himself beyond recogni-
ton in whatever form he chose. He
would often surprise his most intimate
friends by appearing as an officer of the
army, as all old farmer, as peddling
Greek or as trading Jew. His voice
and facial expression were so well
adapted to the role he chose to assume
that none of them knew him until he
threw off his disguise.
When, on his return to Russia, he
found himself rlined man, he organ
lied small band of robbers of his two
fav0rite fOOtmen and one laborer. The
first operations were mode IN the gov
ernment of Kiev, where wealthy rural
gentlemen and travellers became the
prey of krukovsky and his small band.
He made rule for his followers never
to shed blood unless in self-defense in a
struggle for liberty, and never to rob 81
Traveller Of more than half of the ready
money he had on his person. A few
weeks after his first sally his band was
captured, but he escaped in the guise
of a peasant. Nothing was heard of
KrakOvsky for the next two years.
All at once the wealthy landowners
of the districts of LUX, Dubeask and
Vladimir Volhynsk received letters in
which they we're politely requested to
infinitely designated, and they were
told that if they refused they would be
severely punished. The letters were
signed by Krukovsky. The name of the
highwavman was sufficiently known by
that time, land most of the land owners re-
signedly satisfied his demand. Five
men ignored his letters, and one sent
notice to the police authorities. In a
few weeks the five lost their shops and
granaries by fire. and the manor of the
other was destroyed, so that he and his
family barely escaped with their lives.
This deed sent terror through the
whole region. and Krukovsky was so
emboldened that he oftentimeS appeared
He was now the chieftain of large
band of robbers, which he had organ
lied in Galicia, and he made the high
ways of Volhynia and adjacent regions
unsafe. But he was greatly admired
by the ladies for his personal beauty as
we'll as for the courteous and obliging
manner with VIII ich he treated them.
Only one lady is known whom he
treated rudely. She is an elderly
widow, possessing large estates -in the
district of Berestechka. krukovsky
captured her while she was driving out
to call on friend. He retained her in
the forest and sent her footman to de-
mand of ner relatives ransom OF 5000
rubleS. The relatives informed the
police authorities. A watch was placed
at the spot where the money was to be
deposited, but the robber did not fall
into the snare.
For six weeks nothing was heard of
the captured,woman. Then her oldest
son, whose property is adjacent to that
OF his mother, received from her letter
which bore All Austrian postage stamp.
She wrote that she was kept in cave.
and that unless 5000 rubles were sent
Immediately to a certain place she was
doomed to death by starvation. This
time the demand was promptly COM
piled with. The poor woman reached
home in such condition that her people
hardly knew her. She said that Kru-
kOvsky and his men treated her very
cOurteOuSly the first two days she had
been among them. but afterward they
compelled her to make long marches
through the forests, ard to sleep on the
bare ground or in miserable dog KEN
nelS, and gave her only bread and water
to eat.
Krukovsky often played the role of
benefactor. Peasants, who lost their
property by fire, or were unable to work
on account of sickness, received liberal
support from him. He once heard that
nObleman in the district Of Strakhov
p property was about to he sold underline
hammer. To convince himself of the
true state of affairs of the poor man
and to find out the names and addresses
of his creditors. KrukovSky knocked
at the door one evening in the guise of
a commission merchant and begged to
be accommodated with a room for the
night. lie was kindly treated, and in
conversation with his host he learned
all that he wished to know. Three
days later the nobleman received all
his outstanding notes, Cancelled, to-
gether with visiting card from the
hIghwayman. upon which was written:
1.-The commission merchant to whom
you accorded hospitality while you
were in trouble"
He once spent several days in sue
cession in the city of Dubno. changing
his guise and lodgings every day, but
the chief of police got information of
his whereabouts and repaired to his inn
with posse of COSSacks. Soldiers
yVprl nIanp1 aronnr fho b,,ilfti,,nr nd -,