THE BLACK BAND IN RUSSIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1170, 1 August 1884, Page 3

THE BLACK BAND IN RUSSIA.

A trial is now taking place at, St. Petersburg (says the correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald) which causes a great sensation, that of the so-called “ Black Band,” a group of clever thieves and adventurers, which grows with alarming rapidity, and extends its ramifications all over Russia. Pour of these people now stand before the bar of their country, by means of “chantage.” They have ruined numerous persons, and even driven to suicide the son of a noble family. “ Chantage,” or the unlawful extortion of monev, trading on secrets, etc, has no name in the Russian language, and has preserved the French appellation. Though this crime flourishes in Paris, it has been hut lately successfully practised in Russia, and the present trial is the first that has shown the public the abyss of baseness and corruption into which have descended some of the most respected Russian citizens, for among the accused are editors of newspapers, advocates, and other hitherto respected members of cultivated society. The principal lt : 3 r o of this affair is a certain ehetalier d'industrie called Doabetsky j and there is no mean and cruel action of which this personage has not been guilty; he has bathed in rand and blood up to the very eyes. Cheating at cards, driving unhappy women to madness by trading in their secrets, setting people to fight duels, ruining young girls -he has done all this, and would no doubt have gone on ad infinitum, had not the suicide of one of his victims led the police to the discovery of the aeciefc organisitiou of the “Black Band,” and to the arrest of four of its members. Donhetsky, who is an old man, and in person reminds one of the Jew in Oliver Twist, has got off with two years’ imarjsonmeut. which, considering the height of his offence, is simply an insult to justice, as are threequarters of the Russian verdicts. He and his daughter took care to make a little diversion in Court. On hearing his sence read, Doubetsky caught up a waterbottle, and assuming a tragical at itnde, to break bis head with it. He received a souce, ho no hurt, for his head proved too hard to be so easily broken. Then the daughter (dressed elegantly in black) as suddenly shot herself with a little toy pistol, and just grazed her arm. But the report caused, of course, a great panic and. turmoil in court, and the lady was carried out to have her wounds looked to. Her scratch having been declared nothing at all, and her worthy father havin'* had bis venerable white head wiped with a jack-towel, the proceedings were resumed. HoubetaUy preserved a dignified hearing throughout ail this long rial that lasted five days and nights. It s worthy of remark that even he found a ophist to defend his honour, for he was pictured by his advocate, in fane of mountains of evidence, and as a mist ill treated anil calumniated person, a sort of unacknowledged benefactor of humanity. One hardly knew whether to laugh at this clever knave or to bo enraged at him. There are plenty of those dirty personages here who will defend anything and anybody if well paid, but the impudence of this fellow really exceeded ail propriety. It was simply a burlesque The general opinion is that the punishment c.£ all four scoundrels is much too light, and that their companions who escaped will see therein but an encouragement to carry on their nefarious trade.