Page:John Feoktist Dudikoff - Beasts in Cassocks (1924).djvu/15

 Prelate," himself, vouched for its return, with his head, conscience and the salvation of his "turbulent" soul.

I had $300.00 left with me. Father Slunin and Father Chepelev, his assistant, invited me, in token of gratitude for having done the will of His Grace, the Archbishop, Father Platon, to have dinner with champagne, etc., etc., at one of the most expensive New York restaurants. But—I, myself, had to pay for the dinner because when the bill was handed to us both Fathers, after a vain search through their pockets, declared that they had forgotten to take along money. After this dinner, I landed at the Bellevue Hospital where I spent a very long time. On my discharge from the hospital I went to the Consistory on East 97th Street to get my receipt, guarantee, etc., etc., as I was promised. Imagine my astonishment and anger, when I was told in reply to my demand that Archbishop Platon and Archpresbyter Slunin, his right hand, had disappeared, no one knew where. I went to Archpresbyter, Father Peter Kokhannik, for advice, but he told me he could not give me any counsel. …

I then left in quest of "His Grace" Archbishop Platon and of Archpresbyter John Slunin. I found both in Russia, in all their glory and greatness. I am not going to tell in detail here how I had repeatedly made my lawful demand for the repayment of my money. It will make very interesting reading and I will describe it another time. I will only say that in September, 1918, I made my demand to Platon at the Moscow Church Conclave and had witnesses in the person of Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd, the Bishops Constantine, Mitrophan and many others; and also in the apartment of Patriarch Tikhon. Platon promised me in the Patriarch's presence to pay me everything, to a cent, "to-morrow." When I came to see Platon "to-morrow," it turned out that he had vanished like smoke. "God's servant" was no longer in Moscow.

Upon inquiry, I learned that the Archbishop escaped by express train to Kiev. I could do nothing else but go after him. I did find Platon in Kiev. but the preacher of Kingdom Come had prepared such a trap for me that I shall not forget it to my dying day. Platon turned out to be an intimate friend and confidential daviser [sic] of the creature of the Germans, Hetman Skoropadsky who, in consideration of "special services" which Platon had rendered him during his negotiations with the Germans, promised him the Patriarchate of Kiev and of all of Little and Great Ukraine. At the instigation of the Archbishop and at the order of the Autocrat Hetman Skoropadsky and the "saintly Pre-