Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-02
FUSED AS A ScAP[GOAT
Prominent Russian Suffered for
the Grand Dukes Crime.
MEMORIAL CHURCH SCANDAL
Charges That Are Circulated in St.
Petersburg.
STORY TOLD By PROF. IsIEFF
Disgrace of Cyril, One of the Heroes
of the War, for Marrying Divorced
Wife Of Czarina's Brother.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

| bank OF the Jetateriminsh canal, new
and splendid church has been erected as a
memorial to the late Emperor Alexander II.
and stands upon the spot where In March,
| 1881, he was blown to fragments by bomb.
| The body of the building is of chocolate
| bricks, trimmed with white marble, and
| half of the exterior surface is covered with
| brilliant mosaics. representing scenes In the
| life of the Savior in large panels, and
smaller panels containing the coats OF arms
| of the fifty Russian provinces and the Ro-
| manor family. and portraits of the apostles
and the saints and patriarchs Of the ortho-
dox-Greek church The roof is crowned
with seven towers of Byzantine style, COW
cred with yellow, green, blue, orange and
white mosaic, and bearing slender golden
spires and crosses with hanging chains.
Two of the towers are gilded and dazzle the
eye with the reflection of the sun. 1t Is as
fantastic the Church of st. Paul at Mos
cow which was erected several centuries
ago In the time Of Ivan the Terrible, and
you will remember the familiar story that
that amiable car was so jealous OF the
work that he put out the eyes OF the archl-
tect, lest he should design another more or
equally beautiful
1t is no. customary to erect such churches
now, but the committee in charge or TINS
memorial decided to revive the ancient de-
signs and reproduce with modern materials
the characteristic features OF Orthodox &C.
clesiastical architecture of the middle ages.
The mosaic work is exquisite, equal to any
In Rome and the glittering splendor of the
| interior is unsurpassed even by ST. Isaac s,
the most famous church in Russia, or by
| the Church of St. Saviour at Moscow, which
was erected to commemorate the laii OF
Napoleon Bonaparte.
Scandal of the Memorial.
OF course. there is a scandal connected
with the erection of this magnificent memo
rial 1t appears as If nothing is ever done
In Russia without scandal, and of course
a grand duke is mixed up in it. 1t does not
seem possible to have a scandal of any di-
mansions without member of the imperial
family as the central figure. 1t is called
1.-The Church of the Resurrection" and was
suggested by the late Emperor Alexander
III who appointed a committee 10 take
charge of the movement with his next old
est brother. Vladimir. as chairman Pro1.
Isieff, director of the Imperial Academy OF
Art was made the secretary and the execu-
tive member Of the committee. Contripu-
lions were solicited from every part of the
empire; collections were taken IN every vii
lage by the priests throughout Russia, and
even the beggars offered their mites. The
| total amount collected was II 100000 rubles.
| The design was accepted and the contract
| let about twenty years ago The work mas
| proceeded slowly but continuously untii
now and it will be finished within few
months.
Twelve years ago. when an accounting
was called for. it was discovered that Prof.
| Isaeff was defaulter to the amount OF
| . OO0 600 rubIes He was arrested, convicted
and sentenced to twelve years in the peni-
Tertiary. His time was reduced because or
good behavior. and he was recently dis-
charged and has returned to st. Peters
| burg demanding revision of his case He
declares that unless the senate of the en-
| pile which corresponds to our supreme
Court with a broader Jurisdiction, takes up
| the matter and makes an investigation he
will appeal TO the douma. Every man with
| a terrible grievance is now appealing to the
| douma. If that body were to take notice OF
! half the terrible wrongs that have been
| committed and the terrible sufferings that
! have been endured by innocent people 1t
| would have time for anything else.
Prof Isieff. however, is a man of learning,
| and has many influential friends among
| THE inteliectuals." as the scholars and
| college professors VIII oare directing the
| present liberal movement are known. He
has been eminent for his knowledge of the
| arts Until he was charged with this en-
| bezZlement he bore an unblemisheQ reputa-
| tion and his selection to take charge of the
| funds for this memorial indicates the eX-
| tent of public confidence In his integrity.
| Therefore 1t is possible that some attention
| may be paid to his case, particularly as 1t
involves no less person than the Grand
Duke Vladimir senior uncle of the car
| and the head of the imperial family.
Isieff Accuses Grand Duke vladimir.
| Prof Isieff's story is as follows: He says
4
| tions for the Church of the Resurrection
began to come In Vladimir, chairman of the
| committee drew upon him for $50, COO
rubles and gave instructions that the draft
should be paid from the memorial funds.
! This was done without question, Isief
supposed that the money was to be used
| for legitimate purposes, but few months
later when Vladimir made a second de-
mand, he objected and insisted that the
| finance committee should be consulted be-
| fore any more money was diverted from
/ the purpose for which It was subscriber.
1 Vladimir, however, promised that he would
make both loans good within a few
| months. Instead of doing SO he continued
| to make other drafts until the total reached
nearly 100000 rubles. or more than $1,00o.-
| 600 in American money. In the meantime
| he kept Isien in state of terror and
Threatened to have him arrested # he re-
/ vealed the facts The declaration was acci-
| dentally disclosed, and IsieH was arrested
| for embezzlement The grand duke per-
suaded him not to make confession and
| promised that he would protect him IN the
/ court. During sht, trial Isief's lawyers at
| tempted TO bring out the true facts but the
presiding judge would not permit them to
| do So He would not admit any teSti-
/ mony concerning Vladimirs connection
| with the embezzlement, and the scapegoat
| was convicted and sentenced Vladimir
| promised that Isieff would be pardoned i'm
| mediateiy, and 1t is believed that he en-
deavored to fulfil this promise. but the
4 car refused TO grant his request and Viadr
| imir would not disclose his reasons for
| asking
| While Isieff has been in prison the grand
duchess has frequently visited his wife and
| has, paid her. 1t Is said. 2o0u rubles a
| month in order to insure her silence. 1t Is
| also claimed that Vladimir terrified her
| with threats, telling her that II she gave
| any intimation that he had the benefit of
the enbezzlement nobody would believe
her, and that he would be compelled to
have her severely punished.
Vladimir Blamed for the Red Sunday.
This terrible story is known to a number
of liberal leaders in ST. Petersburg, and is
| likely to be made public at any time by a
resolution of inquiry in the douma. or
through some other means OF securing
an official exposure vladimir. ID the
worst hated Of all the imperial family.
/ Until recently he was commander-in-chiei
OF the army. and. as you will remember. IL
accused OF having given the order to fire
upon the people who came unArmed BY
thousands on that memorable Sunday IN
January, 1905. to present petition to the
GEAR, who was supposed to be IN the Whittier
Palace This multitude waa led BY tho no.
torious Father Gapon. Greek priest. WIG
had been employed BY the poifce anthorine!