Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 182, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1911 — The Million Rouble Robbery [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Million Rouble Robbery

One evening toward the end of stunner four government officials left Moscow for St. Petersburg in charge of 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*the officials had been in the government service for a long time and were selected for this special duty on account of their trustworthiness and the confidence reposed in them by the heads of the departments 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 and was greatly trusted and respected. His name was Popoff. The next in seniority was Ivan Basilovitch, who had been 33 years in the service. Then came Strogonoff, with 28 years’ service, and lastly a young man named Briazga, with ten years and a 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 traveled by the ordinary train, but had a special saloon carriage, the packages of money being placed at one end. The only doors to the carriage were at # the opposite 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 addition 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 lhw of Russia, of treason, and liable to death or banishment to Siberia. In due course the train reached St Petersburg where the packages of money were examined, counted in the railway carriage and found correct. They were then loaded into a covered government wagon, counted and examined again, and also found correct; and all being ready, the wagon drove off, accompanied 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 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 a sudden command , to attend without a moment’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, although intact as regards seals and cords, and which ought to have contained 500,000 fouble notes each, were found to be stuffed with blank paper. The minister requests that you be assigned to the case, so you will proceed to take up the matter at once." Danevitch betook himself to the treasury and was conducted into the presence of the minister of finance, ffom 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 it was impossible that the boxes could have been exchanged between the treasury and the railway station. The treasure was conveyed In a closed wagon, which was locked and barred, and in its passage through the city guarded by 12 mounted, soldiers. 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 a huge conspiracy the boxes could not have been plundered there. The next phase of inquiry was that of ascertaining as mush as possible about the four government officials who traveled in charge of the treasure. Danevitch’s inquiries elicited the fact that they bore Irreproachable characters and were held in high esteem in the department. Popoff was a married mah with a family. He was in receipt of a good, salary and appeared to be free from financial worries of any kind. The same remarks applied to Basilovltch and Strogonoff. They were both married and family men and to all appearances in comfortable circumstances. Briazga was unmarried, but he was regarded as a very steady, well-to-do young fellow, and was known to be the main support of his father, moth-

er, and an only Bister, named Olga. She was younger than her brother, and owing to an injury of the spine received when a child, had been an invalid all her life.

The detective’s researches convinced him that the robbery had been committed while the money was in transit between the two towns. Also it was perfectly clear that careful arrangements had been-made beforehand by the thieves, because the facsimile boxes had been prepared in advance; the cord used to bind the false boxes was government cord, and the government seal was so cleverly Imitated that the forgery could only be detected after close inspection. All of which proved conclusively that there was a traitor in the camp. ' Prom the moment that he had gathered up the details of the affair he had set a watch upon the movements of the eight men who had traveled with the treasure from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The gendarmes belonged to Moscow, and had returned, and though watdhed carefully had done nothing to arouse suspicion. The four government officials were also watched, but no sign came from them.

Five weeks after the robbery a female peddler left St Petersburg by the Moscow train. She did not book to Moscow, however, but to a place called Vishni Volotchok, about midway between the cities. She bore with her a big basket, containing a stock of slippers, boots, shoes and sabots. In due course she reached her destination and proceeded to the residence of a landed proprietor named Ivan Golovnin. It was almost dark when the old woman reached the house where she tried to sell some of her wtores to the servants, but was not successful. Then she pleaded illness, and with true Russion hospitality the servants took her into the great kitchen and made her up a bed by the stove. As she had not recovered her health the following morning she was allowed to remain, and stayed for three days, at the end pf which she returned to St. Petersburg. Another fortnight slipped away and as Danevitch had not given any sign to the chief that he was making progress, that official grew impatient, and visited the minister of finance.

“I regret, your excellency,’’ he said, “that we have made no discovery regarding the treasury robbery. Danevitch does not appear to have accomplished anything, and I am of the opinion that the case should be placed in other hands.’’

The minister shook his head. “No,” he Bald curtly; “I am opposed to any change being made. I have full confidence in Danevitch. And, by the way, on next Thursday there is to be a wedding in the Church of St. Sophia. A daughter of one of my subordinates is to marry Peter-Golovnin, the son of a wealthy landed proprietor. Curiously enough, I met Danevitch last night and he asked me if I was going to the wedding. I told him no, that I had no invitation; whereupon he expressed surprise that my subordinate had not paid me the compliment of inviting me. At the moment I did not attach any importance to the remark, but on pondering over it I fancy that Danevitch had a deep motive in what he said. At all events, I shall go to the wedding on the chance that something strange may occur.”

The marriage in question was rather a grand affair. Peter Golovnin, the bridegroom, was a good-looking young man of about six and twenty. The bride was two years younger, with pretty features, but suffering from, some affection of the spine which had cruelly distorted her figure. Her name was Olga, and she was the only sister of Briazga, the government clerk in the finance department, who was present during the ceremony. The minister of finance was also in evidence, but nothing unusual r occurred. Suddenly Briazga, espying the minister, approached him and said:

“You honor us, sir, by gracing the ceremony with your presence. We are comparatively poor people, and I felt that it was too humble an affair to ask you to come to it But now that you are here, I trust you will Join the luncheon party pt my house?” The minister excused himself on the score of business engagements; but five minutes later, when Briazga had left him, and he was going out of the church, Djanevltch came up to him. “I saW you talking to Briazga,” remarked the detective. "Did you 1 Where were you? Idfdn't notice you in the church." “Perhaps not. but I wasn’t far away. Briazga ms Invited you to the luncheon, as I thought hd would. As you were present your subordinate couldn't very well avoid asking you. Nevertheless, he doesn’t really desire your presence. I, however, would like you to go. A little drama may be enacted in which you can play a part.” Knowing Danevitch as he did, the minister realized that he must have some good reason for making this' simple request, and without* asking further questions he sent a note to Briazga, stating that he had changed his mind and would be present at the

■assay* ’ft'**;/;;.,-, p-; r •• wedding feast Soon after the wedding party arrived at the house an old woman, a professional fortune-teller, presented herself and begged to be admitted. As the Russians are a superstitious people, they encourage these fortune-tellers, and the bridegroom, who was hilarious with vodka and wine, was the first applicant to have his fortune told.

The seer into the future produced a pack of cards, Jumbled them up together, then repacked them and told the bridegroom to cut them four times, and the bride three. That done, the fortune-teller laid the cards out in five rows and said: “There is Borne evil influence obstructing the charm. Can you, sir" — addressing the bridegroom— “place, on the table 6,000 rouble notes? That perhaps will break the spell." It was a common thing for fortunetellers to request that small sums of money be produced, but this was an unusually large amount, and there was a general murmur of surprise, while Briazga appeared to be particularly uneasy rand troubled. But Peter Golovnin, with a boastful air and a drunken leer on his face, brought forth a leather wallet stuffed full of notes. With unsteady hand he counted out five notes of the value of 1,000 roubles each, and laid them on the table. The fortune-teller took them up, and turning to the minister of finance, who was standing close beside her, thrust the notes into his hand, exclaiming: "You are an officer of the state, sir. These notes are forged. Ask the bridegroom, your excellency, why he carries false money, in his purse.’’ ' The minister raised his hand to

command silence. When the commotion caused by the fortune-teller’s unexpected action had subsided he addressed the assembled guests. “The woman is right,” he said. “These notes are not genuine. I must ask Mr. Golovnin to allow me to examine the other notes in hiß wallet” At the request Golovnin produced bis pocketbook, without the slightest hesitation, and pulling out a packet of notes handed them, with a thoroughly confident air, to the minister, who at once pronounced them to be forgeries also. Briazga, pallid and trembling, then came forward and having examined the notes, wrung hie hands despairingly.

“Sir, 1 am forced to confess that every note there is false,” he said nervously. “Jlut I believe that my brother-in-law is the victim of some knavish trick. Is it not possible that "the hag of a fortune-teller has brought this about by her devilish art?”

At this remark all eyes were turned to the spot where the old woman had stood, but she had disappeared. In the hubbub and confusion consequent on the discovery that the notes were forged she bad managed to slip away unperceived. “The matter must be fully investigated,” said the minister sternly. “I shall have to carry these notes away 1 and consult with the authorities. I have a duty to perform, however unpleasant the consequences may be.

The origin of the notes must be traced.** With a dignified how to the dumbfounded company he passed out of the room and left the house, carrying the nates with him. On reaching his official residence he found a letter awaiting him. It was from Danevltch, and read as follows: 7', ■ -y'

“Your Excellency: I am suddenly called away from St Petersburg, but shall be back in three days’ time. I am happy to say that I can restore the whole of the stolen notes to the treasury. I hope your excellency enjoyed yourself at the house of Briazga on the occasion of the wedding feast.” True to his promise, Dahevltch returned In three days’ time, and to the amazement of all concerned, he duly delivered to the treasury the whole of the missing million roubles, and was enabled to lay such information before the authorities that Briazga and Ivan and Peter Golovnin were immediately arrested. Ivan Golovnin lived at Vishnl Volotchok, where he owned some property. He was an old man and had been married twice. By his second wife he had one son, Peter. This young fellow had been a managing clerk in a fur store in St. Petersburg and had known Brlazga’s family some years. Olga Briazga had fallen desperately in love with him, but her deformity prevented him reciprocating her passion. Between Olga and her brother an extraordinary affection existed, and when he saw that she was breaking her heart about Peter, he told the latter that he would enrich him if he would marry her. From this a conspiracy was hatched In which Briazga, Peter and Peter’s father Joined. It

wag prearranged that when Briazga wag next engaged in the duty of conveying treasure from Moscow to St. Petersburg an attempt shpuld be made to purloin gome of it. Finally the opportunity came; Briazga 'knew a week beforehand that he would be employed on the duty, and he also knew what money would be removed. Peter at once set to work to prepare two facsimile boxes, and to fill them with paper, the whole being the exact weight of the government boxes when filled with a million’s worth of rouble notes. The government cord and the forged seal were supplied by Briazga. The train conveying the treasure stopped for a long time at Vishni Volotchok. that being a buffet station where passengers usually dlndd or supped. On arriving at Vishni Volotchok, the treasure escort went four at a time to the buffet to eat and drink. Briazga was included in the first four. When they had finished they relieved the other four; but the night being sultry, Briazga’s party sauntered about the platform smoking, the doOr of the treasure carriage being locked. On the plea of getting some tobacco Briazga returned to the carriage; he was not absent more than ten minutes, but during that time he was able to open the offside door with a secret key, and to band the two boxes out to Peter, who was lying in wait with the dummies. When Danevitch took the matter

up, he came to the conclusion that the robbery had taken place at Vishnl Volotchok. It was obvious that one or more of toe eight persons forming the escort must have had some hand in the ‘robbery. He soon determined in his own mind that the gendarmes were guiltless. This reduced the su* pects to the four government officials. Now, assuming that the deduction was correct, it was no less clear that there must have been a confederate at Vishnl Volotchok; so Danevltch set to work to learn which of the officials had any connection with that placed and he Boon ascertained that the Briazgaa and Golovnins were acquainted. Disguised as an old woman, therefore, he penetrated Into the Golovnin home. He found, by close watching, that Peter made frequent Journeys to and fro between the house and a small plantation of firs, about a quarter of a mile away. As there was no apparent reason why the young man should go to the plantation so often, the detective was induced to search it, with the result that he found the two stolen boxes artfully concealed, in an old quarry, which was almost entirely hidden by creepers and brambles. The boxes had been opened, but the contents were intact. It then became necessary that he should spread a net that would capture all the culprits, and he carried this out with singular ingenuity. That one, or both, of the Golovnins had a hand in the robbery was . evident, but others were concerned, and they might escape if caution was not observed. When he ascertained*that Peter Golovnin and Olga Briazga were on the eve of marriage, the plot seemed to make itself clear to him.

and when he gained entrance to toe marriage feast in the role of fortuneteller, his triumph was complete. In .the boxes hidden in the woods he placed a large number of cleverly imitated notes, taking the genuine ones away. The imitations had been lying at one of the police bureaus for a long time, having been seized on the premises of a notorious forger. Danevitch was sure that Peter Golovnin, the bridegroom, would supply himself liberally with money from the boxes for his marriage, and if the forged notes were found in his possession the evidence would be overwhelming. It remains to say that the guilt was brought home to all concerned. The prisoners were condemned to death, as they had committed a crime against the state, but the sentence was commuted to banishment for life to Siberia.

“ C AN YOU PLACE ON THE TABLE FIVE THOUSAND ROUBLE NOTES? “