Page:John Feoktist Dudikoff - Beasts in Cassocks (1924).djvu/54

 priests, psalm-readers and hangers-on from the various offices which sold steamship tickets, exchanged currency, etc. The chief occupation of these, however, was to supply white slaves to the East 97th Street "establishment." They served the powers to be on East 97th Street, as well as the monks who came there from all over the country. Very often the victims of these dealers in "recreation" for the Holy Prelates disappeared mysteriously. Agents, disguised as American offifficials [sic] from various departments, would be sent to the numerous towns and cities of the United States, South America and Canada for roping in and exploiting Russian immigrants.



The methods used by these agents were many and varied: naive and ignorant "countrymen" would be intimidated, or promised lucrative positions, or the advantage of being ordained as priests, etc.—all with the object of making them part with their bank books. These they were asked to hand over "for safekeeping" to the Holy Fathers and their minions. Whenever their savings were withdrawn from the bank, they were, as a rule, turned over to his Holy Eminence, the Righ Reverend Master and Archbishop of the Russian Greek-Orthodox Mission of North America, Canada and Alaska, Metro-