Beasts in Cassocks: The Crimes of the Heads of the Russian Greek Catholic Orthodox Church in America/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV.
I Pay for the Father's Dinner.
As far back as January I took back from Platon the money I had given him for safekeeping. In April I spent a few months in Philadelphia, assisting Father Alexis Gromstev with his parochial work. After that 1 returned to New York. Early in May Father Ivan Slunin came to me and after greeting me, told me that he was in great trouble. To my question as to the cause of his distress, he replied that the Andrei Church in Philadelphia was to be sold in a few days. "Too bad," he continued, "we have a bank of our own, lend out money on mortgages to strangers, and now this is happening to our own property and … we are helpless. It's a sure sign of war when people carry their money in purses or put it in Sheeny banks instead of depositing it in their own Greek Orthodox Bank. You, too, Ivan Feoktitstowich, whom we may call our own Brother, a member of our Consistory family—where do you keep your money, eh? With the Sheenies … You have money and we have a Mission Bank, but we must have cash. What we need is a new deposit. Give us your money and we will give you a regular bank book. We have none on hand now—they are being reprinted because we have used up the old ones. Until then we will give you as security shares in the Oil Field Co. (one of the richest of Companies) which has its naptha wells between the Caspian and Azov Seas. These shares were issued at $5,000.00, but their present value is $42,000. Please take them but only as security. Don't sell them to anyone and return them to us. You will receive interest on your money and you may have it back whenever you please, even at one o'clock at night."
As I had once given my money to Archbishop Platon for safe-keeping in his Mission Bank and received it back on demand, but without interest, because as I was told, one is entitled to interest only after a deposit has been in the bank for a year, I went to Max Kobre's Bank, drew $3,000.00, brought it with me, but was very reluctant to part with it. Father Slunin began to persuade me, in Platon's presence, to deposit my money in the Mission Bank, because, he said, all American banks are Sheeny banks and fail continually. I counted out $2,800.00 and handed it over to Father Slunin, the Treasurer of the Bank, in the presence of Platon and another witness, Carol Sochko. Two days later I took from Mr. Khudobenko my $5,000.00 which he kept in the safe and, in the presence of the above mentioned persons, deposited it in the Mission Bank. Archbishop Platon counted the money and told me that I had nothing to fear because the Mission Bank was stronger than the Rock of Gibraltar. "You will get money back as soon as you demand it. Meanwhile take these shares and later on you will get your pass book." I was handed two papers with ten shares of the Oil Field Co. in each, and Archbishop Platon added: "In our bank your money will be safer than in any American bank. I stake my head on that."
I had $300.00 left with me. In token of gratitude, Father Slunin and Father John Chepelev, his assistant, invited me to take dinner with them. We went to Little Hungary, one of the richest hotel-restaurants, and Father Slunin ordered a most elaborate dinner with champagne, etc. At the dinner the Fathers told me that Platon was so good-natured and liked me so much that he expressed his wish to have me near his person as Vice-Bishop. I refused this honor flatly. We were handed a bill for the dinner. The Fathers began to squirm in their chairs, search in their pockets, in their socks, and finally told me that they had forgotten to take money along. They asked me to help them out in this difficult situation by footing the bill. I hesitated . . . . The fathers then told me that they had thousands of dollars at home and would refund the money, and as a friend I was under obligation to get Father Slunin, who ordered the dinner, out of a scrape. "Next week," they coaxed me, "we'll treat you to an even better supper, at which there will be the most beautiful women of New York."
There was nothing else left for me to do but pay $115.00 for the dinner for three. At the Father's request, I gave the waiter a $5.00 tip. On leaving the hotel the Fathers began to feel uneasy about having spent so much time with me, while in the Consistory both Alexander and Platon himself must have asked for them more than once. They implored me to send them home in an automobile. I offered to go with them, but they did not want it known that they had been out with me. "If someone squeals about our spree at the wrong time, we shall be severely reprimanded," they objected. Father Chepelev went for a taxi, and Father Slunin asked me for a personal loan of $50.00 until the next day. Since he had borrowed from me before this and returned the.money, I gave him $50.00 for himself and $10.00 for the machine. Father Slunin kept his word and returned the $50.00 the very next day. The Fathers left in a closed car. I surmised that they went not to the Consistory, but to a "conference" with the fair sex. This they did not wish me to know on witness.