The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-03
A M1LLioNAIRE's REVENGE.

| From the London Telegraph.
A plain wooden coffin writes The st.
Petersburg correspondent was lately
conveyed, in shaky old hearse, to the
poor peoples section Of the Volkova
cemetery, in this city. There was no
priest to recite the last prayers, no
mourners to shed q tear over the rela-
tive or friend who had passed away;
the grave-diggers lowered the wooden
box, hurriedly shOveled in the earth,
stamped on the grave and all was over.
A dog or IA bbit might have been thus
put out of sight. And yet all st. Peters
burg is now talking about the hfeless
inmate of that plain, frail coffin. For he
was once a well-known manufacturer,
millionaire, a power in the capital of
Russia, who scattered, money to the
right and to the left. doing many a
generous deed, never known or long
since forgotten, and now there is none
so poor to do him reverence. His pow
erty and misery were of his own chOos-
ing: ingratitude drove him to initiate
Timon of Athens, and to turn his back
upon mankind
he fell i'll, and his recovery was de-
SPARED Of He made a will in favor of
his wife, who was then no longer
young, and of his children, whom he
adored. He survived the crisis of his
maladv and was able to move about,
but his death was believed to be only a
matter of months. The doctors sent
him to a watering-place for the sum
mer season, not expecting him to re-
turn alive, and his wife and children
shared the conviction of the physicians
Appointing a young man, who was
bound 20 him by the strongest ties of
gratitude, TO be director Of the works,
he left st. Petersburg alone.
At first he became much worse, as
everybody expected; then he rapidly
improved, in consequence of which he
stayed ON longer than had been his in
tention. At the end of six months he
returned home as hale and hearty as
ever, eager to enjoy life with his family.
But he found no family there. His wife
had played the role of Potiphar's spouse
in his absence, but the young director
proved no Joseph. The guilty pair lived
together openly, and succeeded in turn
ing the children against their father.
At first the woman had expected his
death, and merely snticipated-as she
thought-the course of action She would
in that case pursue. Then, finding she
had gone too far to retreat. she simply
demanded a large yearly allowance for
herself, her paramour and the children.
1t was a terrible blow for s., but
he acted with prompt decision. and,
without uttering a word Of complaint
or reproach, first of all he dis
missed the director. Then. calling
the bookkeeper into his room,
he said; Now. look here You
know what has taken place, but
you don't know how il has affected ne
The pair counted on my death and
were disappointed They now reckon
on nv riches. and / wish them 70 Be
disappointed still more. A. long as !
possess anything I must make them al
allowance. Therefore. I want 20 pos
sess nothing. If I squsDder my money
they viii apply 20 the courts 20 have
re declared n0n compCs Inentls, and
trustees win be appointed 70 look after
everything. and that. Of course. IS not
what I want Now listen / am the
sole owner Of the WORKS, etc, and can F..
do what Ike with my own and want
you 70 exert yourself 20 bring every-
thing 70 rack and ruin, 50 that sudden +
i the whole concern VIII burst and
leave nothing out dust behind Mind .
now. nothing must - left Enrich
yourself. let the cashiers enrich them .
selves, don't forget the vvorzmen- Do
Just IS bat you llke-T vii second you;
bat let ths end be az I desire-" and
the booEl<eepcr went and carried ont
his employers instructions conse3en- 4
tiousiy.
The manufacture. seeing how thinvz .
were going rubbed his hands with de-
light and pad BIS vie the eoEeaanted .
allowance A. the end Of the two
wears came The crash--s complete
crash. the VERY fragments a which
could nos - gathered up by his q Eaily.
Before the matter became Pab.jc be
allied meeting q his cashier, BOOK .
i-esper. foreman and rs wife and eail-
i-en- TIE latter svere convinced taat /.
MS object was 20 hand ever ihe works 4
% the4. toT he had Eo-e than once &