The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-07-28
The Million Rouble
Robbery

One evening toward the end of sum.
ner TOUR government officials left
MOSCOW for st. Petersburg in charge
o1 an enormous amount of monav
partly in specie, but for the most mart
In Russian rouble notes. The money
was consigned to the treasury in St
petersburg. All the officials had heen
In the government service for a long
Time ana were selected for this spe.
clai duty on account of their trust.
"orthlness and the confidence reposed
W them by the heads of the depart
ments 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
ana 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 Strogonoff, with % years'
service, and lastly young man named
brlazga, with ten years and a. half to
bis 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 were at the op-
posite end, one on each side, the Off
side door being locked by means of a
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. In addi-
ton they were securely corded with
fine 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 of 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 off, &C.
companied by the four officials and
the gendarmes. At the treasury the
packages were once again counted,
examined and found correct, and the
deputy OF the minister OF finance
himself gsye 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 a sudden
command to attend without mo-
ment's 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
staff, the various packages were
opened. Two of the note boxes, al
though intact as regards seals and
cords. and which ought to have con-
tanned 100000 rouble notes each, were
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.
Danevitch 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 1t was impossible that the
hoxas co,,ld have been exchanged be-
tween the treasury and the railway
station. The treasure was conveyed
In closed wagon, which was locked
end barred. and in it's passage through
the city guarded by IL mounted SOL
diers. At the station the wagon was
backed np to the railway carriage ana
unpacked in the presence OF quite
little army of officials. Unless there
had been a huge conspiracy the boxes
could not have been plundered there.
The next phase of inquiry was that
Of ascertaining as much as possiDle
about the four government ofnciais
who travelled in charge OF the treas
ure. Danevitch's inquiries ELECTED the
fact that they bore irreproachaoie
characters and were held in high es-
TEEN In the department Popotf was
q married man with family. he
was in receipt Of good salary ana
appeared to be free from financiai
worries Of any kind. The same re-
marks applied to Basilovitch ana
gtrogonon. They were both married
and family men and to all appear
ances in comfortable circumstances.
Briazga was unmarried. but ne was
regarded as a very steady, well-to-do
young fellow, and was known to DC
the main support Of his father, moth'