The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-24
srRANeEsT CLUB
In the World Is Degenerate Russian
 "Sybarltes cercle.p

From the Chicago Tribune.
 Russia has outdone Rome in its golden day, outrivaled the splendor of ancient Athens, paled the glories of beautiful Paris. In Kharkoff-a town of which nine tenths of the people of America never
 have heard-there is a club the most 1 wonderful and beautiful-and also the 1 most degenerate-that the world ever has | known.
 The '.Sybarites Gerclea of Kharkoff is the most luxurious. the most beautiful, 1 the most degenerate of all the clubs the
 world has ever known and the lavishness, i the luxuriousness the beauties of the club have just been revealed to the world be- 1 cause newspaper man impersonated one | of the members and secured an entrance to the palace at Kharkoff, where never l before the foot of man who was not member or an employe was set, but which had been tried by scores of court beauties I and lovely women from France and from l all the Russas
 No woman dare tell that she ever has l, been guest in the Sybarites Cerele, but hundreds have been entertained in that white marble den.
 Grand Dukes Cyril and Boris-them- selves the leaders of the exquisites of the Russian grand ducal cique-are
 
 There were twenty male human beings the richest of Russias young nobles-who formed the cercle, and. at the cost of $100,000, they built in KharlSoff minia- ture white marble palace. finished with rare woods and with inlaid doors, with beaten bronze and silver handles and plates, with silver chandeliers No one In Kharkoff ever saw the inside of the mys- tic palace except the workmen and the Nft t1aa .a1,, ar,1 txfha UTaQ d finished these twenty exquisites furnish ed it at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars, donating rare paintings, rich tapestries and gold and silver services.
 Then an Englishman named Gower-a renowned chef-Was engaged with a corps of assistants who never left the kitchen, and dozen beautiful girls were employed as waitresses, and. clad in the Grecian style, they were called upon to serve the banquets to the twenty young, human animals who pose before the world as men.
 The fame of the club spread and other males of the same set sought entrance to the club-only to be refused-but the mem bers invited thereto the women of highest rank and greatest renown. and wonderful feasts were given by them, followed by orgies that would shame ancient Rome.
 The plates on which the rare viands of  studded with rubies and opals and dia- monds and pearls. the table napkins are of finest silk, drawn into beautiful pat terms the bath towels and sheets for the beds are of pure silk, webbed finer than a spider can draw them, and, altogether, the club house is the most wonderful in the world.
 In court circles at St. Petersburg and Paris and Vienna the beauties whispered of the wonders of the Sybarites palace and, in time the curiosity of Europe was aroused to know what went on within those white marble walls at the grand ducal resort at Kharkoff
 It was known that the Engllshman Cover was paid $5O0O year to cater 10 the twenty. and that each of the members paid S2500 a year dues. besides paying for special entertainments.
 M. Koznkoff a journalist, determined to penetrate the mysteries. He imper- sonated q member who seldom came from St. Petersburg to join In the luxurious orgies--and wrote for his paper a descrip- tion of the club house and it's contents.