AN AMERICAN IN RUSSIA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5335, 3 May 1878, Page 3

AN AMERICAN IN RUSSIA.

(From the Nev> Torh Times.) Mr. Charles Traitteur, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who is boarding in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, has -been- an American citizen about fifteen years, served as a captain in the Fourth Regiment of Wisconsin Cavalry during the war, and subsequently held a commission as captain in the Second Cavalry, United States army, up to the reduction of the army iu 1871, when he was mustered out of the service.. About two years ago he went to Eussia, and entered upon a series of peculiarly lively experiences, which he narrates as follows :

I went to Kischaneff to marry a Eussian lady of that place. . We were married according to the rite of the Eussian Church, and thecertificate of our marriage was, as you see, put upon my passport and signed by the American Consul in Odessa. I was then possessed of sufficient means to enable me to live in comfortable elegance for the rest of my life, possessing valuable property in Nebraska and also having large investments in Eussian real estate. My wife’s extravagance, however, almost ruined me. In about a year and a half she managed to dissipate two-thirds of my means. Something over three months ago business called me to St. Petersburg and thence to Germany, my native country. While in Germany I received from Kischaneff a letter informing mo of the existence of a criminal intimacy between my wife and a Mr. Mitaky, son of the proprietor of the Commercial Bank in Kischaneff. Shocked by the perfidy of the woman, who, not content with financially ruining me, must also dishonor me, I at once returned to Kischaneff to satisfy myself of the truth of the allegations that had been made. I did not go to my home, but to a hotel, and there, after a few days, became satisfied beyond a doubt of her guilt, and was told that she was about to elope with Mr. Mitaky. I was told what train they would take. I reported the facts at once to the Chief of Police. Tho first question he asked mb was :

“ Are you a Eussian ?” I answered, “ No." Then ho asked mo, “ What religion do you profess ? ” I told him, “ Catholic.” “ Well,” he said, “ I don’t know what I can do, but I will see.” I earnestly requested him to put a stop to tho elopement, and supposed, having put him in possession of all the facts, that he would do so. But on the evening fixed for the flight I saw iny wife enter tho depot and go into a carriage of tho train, accompanied by her para} niour, and the police did nothing. I myself entered the oar in which the couple were, and my wife cried out for the police. She is known as tho daughter of a very influential gentleman of Kischaneff. At her call the police officer appeared promptly, but instead- of interfering in her elopement they arrested mo. They tore my clothing, hurled me out of the carriage, and dragged mo off to prison.and into a subterranean cell, without any light, and without any bed or other furniture. X had to Uo on tho wet, slippery floor,'subject to constant invasion by the rats. The food given

me was coarse and filthy. I asked to he permitted to communicate with friends, and was refused. I called for paper that I might write to the American Ambassador, and that was denied me. Finally I obtained some by bribing my jailor. I wrote to the American Ambassador in St. Petersburg, Geo. E. Boker, an ex-Methodist minister, appointed, I believe, by President Grant. Here is his reply : Legation of tho United States, St. Petersburg, Dec. 25, 1877.

Charles Traitleur.—Sir : Your case -seems to mo to ho a very hard one, but I fear that you cannot obtain redress through a diplomatic channel, unless you can influence the Department of State at Washington to take up your affair. : Without instructions from ray Goverment I cannot address the Eussian Minister of Foreign Affairs on the subject, for he would at once refer me for my remedy to tho Eussian Courts of Law—to those very Courts, through the corruptions of which, as you allege, you have already suffered. This probable reference to the Courts by the Minister would close my mouth, because by our treaties with Kussia, Americans residing in the empire are bound to submit themselves to the laws thereof, and to the channels through which those laws are administered, whether they be good or bad, well or corruptly exercised. A Eussian residing in America in your unfortunate position, would have no other redress for his grievances than an appeal to our Courts of Law, with tho action of which our Secretary of State would refuse to interfere, even were he ' appealed to by the Eussian Minister at Washington, and even were that appeal supported by instructions from the Eussian Minister of Foreign Affairs. AU civilised Governments refuse to interfere with tho independence of Courts of Law, and if you cannot obta’n justice through the Eussian Courts I cannot suggest to you in what way you may obtain it in this country. I herewith return you the letters of Mrs. Traitteuv. I am, sir, your obedient servant. George H. Boker.

I was, subsequently set at liberty after seven days and nights of confinement in that dark and loathsome dudgeon, without any judicial proceedings and without ally explanation whatever. By that time my unfaithful wife and her paramour were far away. I then sought to sue for a divorce, but was informed that as I did not belong to the Greek Church, the Eussian Courts could do nothing. • Mr. Traitteur tells an amusing war story as follows :

Mr. Stanley, the English consul at Odessa, has a fine house fronting the harbor, on which there is a broad balcony. He found himself constantly watched by two men. They dogged his steps whenever he went abroad, posted themselves so.as to command a view of his door whenever he was at home, never relinquishing their watch upon him. After about three weeks of this it became monotonous. He got tired of it, and knowing them to be in the employ of the Government, went to the GovernorGeneral to complain of it. That official heard him and replied, “ Well, if you wish me to tell the truth, I will explain it, and I hope you will not be offended. It is a fact that you have been watched, and there have been very grave reasons for it, as we have been informed that every night when you come home, which is sometimes very late, especially when you have been to your club, Mr. Stanley, you take a dark lantern and go out on your balcony, and there, by moving and flashing your light, make signals in the direction of the sea, whence we fear an attack from the Turkish fleet.” Mr. Stanley laughed immoderately, to the very great surprise of the Governor General, and when ho could speak, said : “Yes, it is true that I go out on my balcony at night with a lantern, and I will explain to you why. Every English consul abroad has instructions from the Home Office to take meteorological observations three times each day for forwarding them to tho Home Office, The last daily observation I make is when I go home at night. My thermometer hangs on the balcony, and as I am near-sighted, I have to hold the lantern up close to. examine its indications.”