Page:John Feoktist Dudikoff - Beasts in Cassocks (1924).djvu/70

  the defense of the innocently accused Beiliss. Plevako together with Karabchevsky and other eminent members of the Russian legal profession, undertook the case. Beiliss was acquitted, and Silberman committed suicide on the spot. Vera Cheberiak was sentenced to hard labor and on the way to Siberia also committed suicide.

It was only on the fourth day I succeeded in seeing Platon and that too, owing to the solicitation of Mr. Popov, Procurator of the Tiflis Synod office. To my request to refund my money, Platon replied: "I'll let you know in a week. I'll probably pay you in dollars, but first I must make inquiries." This was the only time I saw him in Tiflis.

Finally, about six weeks later, I made up my mind to go to Petrograd where, as I learned, Platon had proceded me. There, I was received by Platon in the Kiev Hostelry. He pleaded fatigue, and asked me to call the next day. As I was leaving, I met Angelina at the door. She must have come to Petrograd together with Platon. The next day, I called on Platon at the Hostelry. This was in June, 1917. He received me and gave me for the time being 5,600 rubles in 500-ruble notes, for which I gave him a receipt. He promised, after having made inqiries, [sic] to pay me in dollars because the rate of Russian paper money was so low that one could purchase nothing for it. I demanded to be paid in gold, and Bishop Platon asked me to wait. I waited, but by the time I called at the Kiev Hostelry, I learned that Platon had left for Moscow. I went to Moscow and at the Church Conclave submitted a petition to the Holy Patriarch. He stated that the matter was personal and not under his jurisdiction, but that he would nevertheless try to help me meet Platon in order to settle the affair amicably. He gave me Platon's address, and I located him.