The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-05
merely gossiped in drawing rooms and


clubs.
The heroine Of the story was born
In MOSCOW of parentage so lowly that 1t
is unknown. She was called Martha and
she grew up to be a radiantly beautiful
woman, with a beauty all the more fas-
cinating that it was informed by wonder
full intelligence. She captivated a substan-
they were married. Mime. Lissanew1tch
was as ambitious as beautiful, and she
persuaded her husband to remove to st.
Petersburg In the capital she found al
most undreamed-ef possibilities for ad-
vancement by the two weapons of wen-
anhoed-beauty and wit.
Serge Witte, or Sergius de Witte, as he
is now called. was Just rising to be the
great man of the czar's realm Plain,
blunt, a great thinker and man of Vn-
resting energy, he had forged forward
from the position Of station agent on
railroad to place second to the car
himself. Now he is known as one of
the great men Of Europe. His name is
linked with the plans for internal de-
velopment which have placed Russia in
the forefront of the powers of the earth.
Nine LiSSanewitch became the divinity
of Sergius De Witte. All Of the time In
which he was not engaged with the busl-
ness of state was spent in her company.
Iissanewitch was a stolid, prudent man,
against him. He saw that there was no
head to be made against the czar's IA
vorite and against the will of a beautiful
and ambitious woman.
81 want you to consent to a divorce
said De Witte
How much will you give me?' asked
prudent Lissanewitch.
twenty-five thousand rubles," replied
De White.
The thing was done and Nine. Lissane-
witch became Nine De White. Matilda of
Moscow was at last raised to a place
even more influential throughout the
court than that of the czarina herself.
She helped her husband to climb higher
and higher and at last he was made min
lister of finance. Nine. De Witte now
had opportunities of meeting great bank
ers, men who carried on gigantic business
enterprises of the empire. She wanted
to be the richest woman in the empire
In her own right, as well as the most
influential. Her eyes fell upon Adolph
Rothstein, who is now the Baron Roth
schild, of Russia She determined to use
his knowledge to win the prize that she
coveted so much.
RothStein was German who, after
valuable schooling in an English banking
house, had become renowned as a broker
In Berlin His skill in doing business
in Russian bank notes led to his engage
ment at high salary by the Internation-
al Bank OF Commerce, in Russia. In
course of time he acquired almost auto
cratic control of the bank. and managed
it with so much skill that 1t has been
identified with all Russia's important
financial moves in recent years.
He also organized the Russo-C Chinese
bank, which Is a controlling factor In
the problem in the far East today. He is
now member Of the imperial council of
the treasury of the Russian empire and
governor of the Imperial Bank of Rus
STA
Advised by the banker, it is said, ma
dame speculated on an immense scale.
By a single coup she won s., 600, 600 while
other smaller transactions running over
period of ten years Melted her fully
twice that sum- Rothstein's position
forbade him to appear in the role OF a
stock market speeulator He was able,
however, to furnish invaluable informa-
ton to the woman ne befriended, and
so it came about that Nine. De Witt the
Moscow peasant. was power to be reck-
oned with in the world of finance. She
was all the more formidable that for a
long time no one suspected her manipu-
lations.
Among the securities with which she
dealt was the stock of the Moscow
Yaraslav railroad, the directors of which,
owing to her speculations, lost more
than s10,00e.0O0 OF the losers the heav-
lest was NJ Mamonto. the president of
the road, who was left with a debt of
So, SOC. 600. Mamonte did pot take kindly
to his Losses. He began an investiga-
ton and discovered the Spectator who
had ruined him Naturally he jumped to
the conclusion that, hiding behind his