A QUEER STORY OF COUNT SCHOUVALOFF.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3419, 6 December 1879, Page 1

A QUEER STORY OF COUNT SCHOUVALOFF.

. The following story is told of Count Schouvaloff, the welikno^rn Bußaian Ambassador, who at one time filled a. high position in the Imperial Detejctive Police. In 1864 Count Sehouvaloff held the same position as that now occupied by General Dreatein, whose assassination was at* tempted by the Nihilist agents. la that post he bad, at certain period? of the Tear large drafts of money granted! tc him from the Imperial Treasury with Which to pay ! the secret and other police under his ! orders. These drafts, when received, he wtas in the habit of talcing to the house of the famous banker, Baron Sticglitz, to be cashed. Upon one of these occasions he had received thy regular draft, the amount being 240,000 roubles, which sum was to be disbursed among his men in various amounts. As the amounts to be paid away varied very much, it was necessary to obtain the payment of the draft in notes of both large and small amounts. To collect the required amount the banker requested the Count to call in a short period* when the money would be sorted and ready for bis receipt. On this particular occasion it was agreed that Count Sehouvaloff. should call at or shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon. These visits'!of? the chief of the detective police to the rich banker's had long been regarded by; the .light fingered bretkern of St. Petersburg with eyes of envy, as it was well known to them that on these visits large suns «f money changed hands. The arrangement which had been made between the Count and the banker had been overheard by an attentive accomplice and they determined to make a bold stroke for the money. Shortly before the appointed time of the transfer the bank doors opened and in walked a gentleman, to all appearance Count Sehouvaloff, wearing an official uniform

—ia walk, manner and voice the cxatt eotnterpart of the chief of police. The required notes had been carefully counted and arranged, and directly on application of the supposed Count Schonvaloff they were handed over with the utmost confidence, and the receipt tendered by the pseudo Count. The bank clerk who attended him to the door, and handed to his official custody the precious package, saw a carriage—in every point the counterpart of the well known official equipage. Tho servant, the horcei, even the fittings, were well known to him as those of the chief of the police, and not one iota of suspicion entered tbe head of the bank authorities, as with a graceful bow the supposed august perlonage took his departure. Some twenty minutes after the departure of the supposed official, the bank doors again swung open, but this time to admit the real Count SchouvalofF, who at once advanced to the -bureaux to demand money for the Treasury draft. On the application being made, both banker and clerks were dumfounded. • The money, your Excellency! Why you received it but half an hour ago, and here is your receipt!' Count Schouvaloff gaw at once he had keen robbed, and cleverly robbed too, and his acute'intellect told him that not a moment was to be lost. Assuming a thoughtful attitade for a few seconds, he : replied, in a quiet and composed; manner ~' Ah! yes, how thoughtless of me; I quite forgot it,' and with some short apologies he left the bank. Among the Russian police, both public and private, it is a standing order to note every movement of the chief of the department, in order that, should he !be required, he can at any moment be found. Leaving the bank, Count Schouvafoff accosted the first of his men, and inquired : ' Bid you see me pass this way half an hour ago ?' The man, who had, like the banker and clerks, been deceit id by the pseudo Count, replied at one, (Yes; you left the bank, and drove to the right." A second man gave further.aid* and so a third and fourth, until at last the Count learnt that he (in duplicate) had been seen to enter an hotel in a side ■treet, and Bead away his carriage. Entering the hotel the Count accosted the landlord with some ordinary question of the day, and, while thus engaged, one •f the waiters entered and stared aghast ■'i to see the Count talking to his master. thy do you sUlirt?' asked Count Sohouvaloff. Beplied the waiter, 'I have only just left your Excellency at dinner in No. X., and here I find you talking to i Monsieur!' . . i ■;.; ,-.-'• ; -

SchouYaloff hadnow the required infer* nation* and he at once entered the apartment indicated by the waiter, and was brought face to face with his duplicate, who, with his assistant, were just refreshing themselves prior to a journey to lands far distant. On the side table wai a black bag containing the nicely-sorted notes, ana the wardrobes of these wouldbe officials. The Count saluted his double with a hearty welcome, allowed him: to finish the meal which he had so ably earned, and then both he aid his friend were provided, at Government expense, with tourist tickets to /Siberia. Their friends hare ceased to expect their return. i .■,■■. ■ ■. • ! f Hohjqway'B Piils.—Mind and body are \ co closely entertwined that for the former, to bo vigorous the latter must be healthful. The (irat step towards the maintenance of health is to secure perfect digestion, which is zeadily obtaiued by tbis noted medicine, the naoit competent effectually to restrain every adverse influence -which can mar, impair, or vexvtiously modify tbis all-important process. HiSt student, merchant, man of pleasure, and k«Biblej*fc laborer intiy each in turn derive Tigor, ease, and strength from occasional doses, or a longer course of Hollo way's purifying Pills. However wavering the mind, or unstrung the nerves, this Sue medicine will trick the derangement to ite source, where it . will overthrow it, and establish order »nd frarity iv its pJace.