Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-12
AMAZING CAREER
OF RUSSIAN Count
Was a Conductor on a Street Car
In America Fooled Four
Governments.
NOW ON HIS WAY TO SIBERIA.
Went Through His Own Vast Fortune
And Then Tackled Many Others
Bumped King Edward.
Special Corresnondence.

Special Correspondence.
S Petersburg, Dec. I've are now
hes ring the last Of a nObleman, at pres
emf on his way to spend the rest Of his
yei RS In Siberia, whose career surpasses
an thing in fiction OF history for ad.
venture, monumental money getting in
devious ways and equally monumental
money-spending on Injuries fit for
Croesus. owing TO the fact that the
United States was the scene of part of
his story the cable dispatches have CIV
en- details Of his final capture, but the
whole astonishing narrative, spreading,
as 1t does all over Europe, has never
been told in complete form before. As
the result Of much delving among the
records, It Is now unfolded chapter by
chapter.
Count Nicholas Savin, scion OF one OF
the most ancient families of Russian
nobility, was born in 1858 as the young
est son of the head Of the house at that
time. His upbrnglng was that OF the
ordinary Russian arstocrat OF the old
school, and at the age of 20 he entered
the smartest regiment Of cavalry
guards with the rank of cornet, the
lowest grade Of officers in the Russian
army.
Early in life he had remarkable
experiences, for his three elder broth
ers died one after the other. IN a short
time making him sole heir TO the vast
family estates. His father died soon
afterward, and he entered into pos
session Of his patrmony at the age OF
%. At that time his property was esti-
mated TO consist Of 100000 acres Of land,
| while his invested capital was figured
| at about 81, 900 600.
Feeling secure In the possession OF all
| these riches, Count Nicholas SaVn
| began a life OF the most reckless sort.
| He kept race horses, and he gambled
| on the race courses of Russia as though
his only object in life was to throw his
money away as quickly as possible lie
| played cards with equal recklessness,
I and when he took part in "A game the
| points were never less than 81 each. His
mode Of life in general was luxurious
| to excess. He gave dinners costing
| $4,000 each, and in Russian midwinter
had fresh flowers brought from the
south OF France to give to each of his
guests a bouquet valued at s25. The
| same extravaganza was practised in all
| directions, with the result that the
| counts immense fortune soon began TO
decrease with alarming rapidity.
THE CRASH.
Within three years from the date of
| his succession to the family estates the
\ crash came. and almost before he had
| any idea that he was in pecuniary diff
! hculties the count found himself ru-
ined man, The estates had to be sold
| to cover the endless list OF debts which
| he had contracted in all directions. In
many cases the count had been ruth
La H. a
| er creditors, who took advantage OF his
| childlike Ignorance of money matters,
| but they had only FASTENED the oatas-
| trophe which Count Savin's spendthrift
| habits would inevitably have caused
sooner or later. When accounts came
| to be balanced up Count Savln found
| that there We're insufficient funds left to
| pay his debts OF honor, so that he was
quickly branded as an outcast by his
| former comrades Of the regiment of
| cavalry guards Count SaVin threw up
his commission In the army. went
| abroad and drlftel to Paris, the Mecca
of all Russian travellers.
In Paris began that career which
raised Count Sayin to an unenviablc no.
| toriety. He soon got into touch with
| card-playlng circles. and In the great,
| gay city he acquired practical knowl.
| 'ukN VI blphfg III Jamie anu NlUfI ntffk=
sary accessories to luxurious life
without private means. His marvellous
| linguistic talents were Of great service
| TO him. for he could converse fiuenty
| In English, French, German and half a
| dozen Slavic tongues, including Polish
| and S2eChish, besides his native Rus
sian. His title procured for him tho
| entree Of the most exclusive circles OF
| Partisan society, for the story Of his
| mlsfortunes in Russia had not then
reached the French capital. while his
| personal manners which We're AZ distin-
| gulshed as they were amiable and fas-
| clnating, made him n favorlte In the
| fashionable salons OF Paris
WON FROM FUTURE EDWARD VII
Not long after he had settled in Paris
| Count Savin rented magnificent
| apartment on the Boulevard des Ital-
| lens and began housekeeping on a
| princely scale of credit. one firm fur
| nished the apartment at n cost OF $50,
| 900 without receiving n cent IN cash;
| another business house supplied the
| count with quantities Of wine; n thir
\ catered for choicest provisions, and ~
| forth I'm AL branches Of life. The hard
| cash required 90 pay for the immediate
| necessities OF existence was easily earn
| ed at card playing, and by means Of
| loans obtained from aristocratic friends
Count Savn was an expert In the arr
| OF getting money from women In so
Ciety, He first fascinated them. made
love TO them, made a CONQUEST OF then
| or compromised them I'm some way oI
other, and then drow on them for
funds which We're given, either for
love Of him or to escape the exposure
with which he guardedly threatened
them II other means failed. Men, too
lent him money freely. for he had a
wonderful knack Of inspiring them with
the utmost confidence IN his power tc
repay loans ~ any magnitude. French
noblcmen, wealthy manufacturers
fnanciers politicians, actors and writ.
ers all fell into the trap, and supplied
money which they never saw agnin.
But Count Savins victims were moi
limited to French circles. On severa
occasions he Joined the circles OF tn,
favored few who associated with tn,
Prince OF Wales. now King Edward
VII OF England, during that royal per
sonage's visits TO Paris. and each timt
the Russian succeeded IN winning con
| slIara hla anna nf fnopru frn,,, 49, kol,