The Raymer enterprise., 1911-07-20
The Million Rouble
Robbery

One evening toward the end Of sum.
nsr four government officials left
Moscow for st. Petersburg in charge
ef an enormous amount OF money,
partly In specie. but for the most part
In Russian rouble notes. The money
was consigned to the treasury in st.
Petersburg. All tho officials had been
In the government service for long
time and were selected for this spe-
eial duty on account Of their trust.
worthlness and the confidence reposed
In them by the heads OF tho depart.
uents to which they belonged. The
Oldest man and the one In command
Of the little party was upwards Of
seventy years Of age. He had been
In the government service for 40 years
md was greatly trusted and respected.
ills name was Popoff. The next In
seniority was Ivan Basilovitch. who
had been 33 years in the service.
Then came Strogonon, with 2S years
service. and lastly young man named
Bnazga, with ten years and half to
his credit In the government service.
In addition to these four government
officers. four gendarmes. fully armed,
accompanied the treasure as a guard
Of safety. The party Travelled by the
ordinary train. but had a special sa-
loon carriage. the packages OF money
being placed at one end. The only
doors TO the carriage we're at the op-
positG end. one on each side, the off.
side door being locked by means OF
secret lock which could not be opened
except with the proper key.
The bullion was carried In oak
boxes fastened with iron bands. The
notes were in small square boxes,
sewn up in strong canvas III addi-
tion they were securely corded with
rne but extraordinarily tough cord
which was manufactured especially
for the government and could not be
used except for government purposes.
Every package bore the state seal.
Anyone unlawfully breaking the seal
WAS guilty, according to the law OF
Russia, OF treason, and liable to death
or Punishment to Siberia In due
course the train reached st Peters.
burg where the packages 81 money
were examined. counted In the rail-
way carriage and found correct. They
were then loaded into covered gov
eminent wagon. counted and examined
again. and also found correct; and all
being ready, the wagon drove of, ac-
companied by the four officials and
the gcndarmes. At the treasury the
packages were once again counted.
examined and found correct. and the
deputy Of the minister OF finance
himself gave the necessary receipt to
the head officer. The important duty
being thus completed the gendarmes
were dismissed TO their quarters and
the officers went to their respective
homes. In the course of the next day
Michael Danevitch received sudden
command to attend without mo-
ments delay at the bureau OF the
chief OF police, The latter official told
the detective about the money having
been removed from Moscow to st.
Petersburg the previous night. and
added;
This morning. In the presence Of
the minister Of finance and the official
staf, the various packages were
opened. Two OF the note boxes. al.
though intact as regards seals and
cords. and which ought to have con,
tained 100000 rouble notes each, we're
found to be stuffed with blank paper.
The minister requests that you be as.
signed to the case. so you will pro-
coed to take up the matter at once"
Daneyitch betook himself TO the
treasury and was conducted into the
presence OF the minister OF finance,
from whom he learned all the details
OF the transit OF the money. After
making certain Investigations In st,
Petersburg. he proceeded TO Moscow.
where he satisfied himself from the
evidence laid before him that the
money left the Moscow treasury all
right and II was impossible that the
boxes could have been exchanged be.
tween the treasury and the railway
station. The treasure was conveyed
IN closed wagon. which was locked
rnd barred. and In its passage through
the city guarded by IL mounted sol.
dlers. At the station the wagon was
backed up TO the railway carriage and
unpacked in the presence OF quite a
little army OF officials. Unless there
Had been huge conspiracy the boxes
could not have been plundered there.
The next phase OF inquiry was that
Of ascertalning as much as possible
about the four government officials
who travelled In charge OF the treas
ure. Daneyitch's inquiries elected the
fact that they bore irreproachable
characters aud were held In high es-
teen In the department Popoff was
married man with family. He
was In receipt OF a good salary and
appeared to be free from financial
worries OF any kind, The same re-
marks applied to Basilovitch and
Strogonor They were both married
and family men and to all appear.