The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-11
TYRANNY N GERMANY
Russian Priest and His Wife
Accused of Theft.
BRUTAL POLICE OFFICIALS
MaItreat Them in the Most
Outrageous Manner
New York, Sept s.-Tne Post says:

New York. Sept 9.-The Post says:
Early in May the assistant priest OF
the Russian church. at No. S23 Second
avenue: in this city. went abroad with
his wife on a brief leave Of absence, TO
visit their relatives IN Russia, whom they
had not seen for three years. They sailed
on the Trave for Bremen. What follows
Is abbreviated from Father Ilya Zotkon's
own account of the affair, published in a
recent number of the N0voe Vremyo,
one Of the leading papers Of ST. Peters
burg. The outline Of the story. it may
be remembered, has been known IN this
CITY for some time past. On the ninth
dav out. the ship gave ball for the first
and second cabin passengers, on which
occasion the decorations consisted of the
flags of all nations. Father Ilya, on see
ing no Russian flag, asked one of the Off
GERS why it was absent, and that one
might be put up. The officer shrugged
his shoulders indifferently, and said they
mad none on board. Whether this had
anything to do with what followed, it is
Impossible 10 say. Nine. Zotikoff suffered
extremely from sea-sickness all the way
over. Therefore instead of pursuing their
original intention to economize their time
by going directly on to st. Petersburg.
they decided to rest little, and went to
the Hotel Bellevue, near the Berlin rail-
way station. At II p. m. as they were
about to go TO bed, there came knock
at the door. Nine. ZoGkoff, half-dressed,
answered it. and in walked a man in
plain clothes, VINO announced himself s
an agent Of the secret police, showed his
badge and informed them thart they were
under arrest, but did not inform them
why. Father Uya, in view-of his wife's
health, asked that they be allowed to re-
main, under police surveillance. at the
hotel until morning. This was refused.
They were compelled to dress and ac-
company the agent, on fgoot. in a pour
ing rain. to the distant police station,
the time consumed fro the trip. in ather
Jlya's opinion, being half an hour.
At the station their descriptions were
carefully noted down, they were stood up
against the door-jamb for measurement,
and. dripping and shivering. wN&1' taken
into separate rooms, where they were
stripped of their underclothes and closely
searched. No attention was paid to their
passport, and when ather Ilya failed to
understand a request to open his mouth,
Chat his teeth might be catalogued as to
number and quality, an official pulled
open the priests lips with his dirty hands.
The physical examination being concluded
they were escorted, on foot, separately,
by helmeted policemen, to Jail. Father
1lya found two beds. by cropping, in the
pitch-dark cell to which he was conducted
one being already occupied, and one in
tended for his use. He did not use It,
being absorbed in alarms for his delicate,
sick wife, and for their fate. Mime. Zoti-
koff found in her cell a woman arrested
for tllieving, as she herself announced.
The only light was from small round
hole in the door, to which the prison
guard applied scrutinizing eye at inter
walls throughout the night. The thief
kindly cared for Nine. Zotikoff during the
night in the fits Of swooning and hysteria
which were, not unnaturally, added to her
previous sufferings
At six In the morning Father nya was
relieved Of his cell-mate. after he had
been forced to empty in the corridor the
dirty water in which he had washed.
while to the cell-mate was allotted the
task OF disposing of the very primitive
arrangement for their needs which had
nauseated Father Ilya more than once
during the night. At seven black bread
and water, were furnished, which Father
Ilya could not eat At eight o'clock he
was conducted back to the station-house
by uniformed police, to the amazement
and interest Of the passers-by. For hours
he awaited the arrival of an interpreter,
VINO had been sent for. Nine Zotikof
meanwhile, had been brought, also under
uniformed escort, and was kept apart
from him for examination. The examina-
ton was brief-and it appeared that the
accusation against them was that a mail
pouch had been stolen from the postoffice
room on the steamer. robbed. and found
in their cabin after they had left il! The
examination. for Father Iya, as well as
for his wife, was as follows:
did you pass the mail-room?" Eyes"
did YOU steal a pouch?" No" did
your wife steal a pouch?'' mo" you
may so where you will" said the officials.
who had hardly listened to the replies.
So, about one o'clock. husband and wife
were reunited. and shook the dust of
Bremen from their garments as soon as
possible. ather Ilya adds that there GER
tainly was no mailpouch in their cabin
when they left it. as they carefully ex-
amined it before leaving. as most travel
ers do. Moreover. he doubts whether any
mai-pjouch was missing at all. because
the mails were taken from the steamers
before the passengers. and ne himself
saw the officer with the regulation re-
ceipt therefor in his hand. which would
have involved discovery OF the theft and
detention Of all the passengers had any
thing really been wrong. After leaving
Bremen. on the train. Father Iya,
modest, quiet, calm man. not given in the
least 20 nerves" was taken. for the
first time in mis- life with fainting fits.
and mysteries. He and his wife have been
ill ever since with the physical shock and
the modification, and have been unable
10 return 10 theJir post here. though
their leave expired or July Is There can
be no question whatever Of Father Ilya
entire innocence and uprigh;ness, and Of
his wife's in the minds Of any persons
who knew them. Moreover. Il seems diff
cult 10 understand that. setting aside mis-
priesuy character. any official could pos
sibly mistake their gentle. innonensive
character. Apparently. no explanation
has been furnished BY the Germans.