Page:John Feoktist Dudikoff - Beasts in Cassocks (1924).djvu/102

 knows that Alexander Nemolovsky was the chief instigator of the murder of Father A. Kedrovsky and is responsible for the untimely death of Father Filipovsky. Platon told me how you had been tortured in the Ukraine and when I heard him bragging about it, I could hardly refrain from throttling him. Don't be afraid, sign the paper. Go now, and may God be with you. To-morrow, we will together call on these two 'hermits.

I took the rough draft, went home, and began to copy it. I paid no attention to the protests of my wife and Priest Vassily Ptashchuk. My "confession" was finally copied. Together with Ptashchuk I went to Joseph Podlensny, a notary public, who verified my signature. The next day, Father Richlov and I went to see the Bishops. I asked Priest Ptashchuk to follow us, which he did, unobserved by Father Richlov. H [sic] witnessed quite a number of things. I have his written testimony to that effect. Richlov asked me to wait for him on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 97th Street, and went to Platon and Alexander himself. A few minutes later, he emerged from the Consistory with a radiant face and approached me, carrying a small book in his hands. Coming close, he said: "Metropolitan Platon can by no means receive you at present. He is busy with Ambassador Bakhmetyev and General Semionov. They are discussing very important affairs, requiring immediate attention. I spoke to Platon and to Bishop Alexander. They send you their blessing and this holy Evangel." Richlov put the book into my hands. I took it, opened it, and not finding any money in it, asked Father Richlov whether he was making fun of me. "Where is my money?" I asked. I insisted that Richlov obtain my money for me, as he promised under oath. He went back to the Consistory, and re-appeared in about fifteen minutes. He took me to an ice-cream parlor on the corner of 96th Street. There, deducting $20.00 "for his trouble" he gave me $180.00, reassuring me at the same time that h had not succeeded in obtaining all the money, because "Alexander and the Metropolitan were very busy with the Ambassador and Semionov. They promisd to repay the remaining $7,600.00 in full." Of course, I asked Father Richlov whether he had given them my written confession. He assured me that it was still in his possession. "To-morrow Platon will receive the Church Fund from the Ambassador," he said. “Before sailing for France, Bakhmetyev leaves his affairs with Uguet and he is also going to give Platon more than $1,000,000. This means that you will