No. 261.
Mr. Hoffman to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
St. Petersburg, January 9, 1882. (Received February 2.)
Sir: Referring to the correspondence between the Department and this legation upon the subject of American Jews in Russia, I have the honor to report the following curious case:
About three weeks ago I was called upon by a man of the name of James G. Moses, who produced his United States passport, and stated that he was a Jew; that he was employed in the Ceniselli circus in this city as stable director, and that he had been ordered out of the city as a Jew. He added that he was not “one of those Talmud Jews”; that he belonged to the American Reformed Church, known in Russia as the Karaim Jews.
* * * I asked the consul-general, who is in relations with the municipal authorities, to apply to General Kosloff, prefect of police, on Mr. Moses’s behalf.
As soon as General Kosloff understood that Moses was a Karaim Jew, he told the consul-general to send the man to him the next morning accompanied by his employer.
The next moning they went accordingly, and the result of the interview was that Mr. Moses was informed that General Kosloff would recommend that permission be given him to remain, and in the mean time to give himself no uneasiness. I understand that he has since received the necessary permission.
It appears that the Karaim or Reformed Jews are of a superior class, and have never given the Russian Government any trouble or been found enrolled among the Nihilists.
Mr. Moses is a resident of New York, born in Germany, but taken to the United States when a young child.
I am, sir, &c.,