TORTURED INTO CRIME.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 17

TORTURED INTO CRIME.

EXTRAOBDINABY RUSSIAN STOBY. The St. Petersburg correspondent of the London "Daily Citizen" sends the following: St. Petersburg Is In a ferment over a mysterious crime. A few days ago a bricklayer presented himself to the police, and announced that quite against his will he was made an instrument of a horrible crime. On returning from his work a man of superior position called at his lodgings, and said he had some urgent repairs to make in his house, and asked if he would undertake to do them. The workman consented, and ' the two went away in a motor car. After they had passed several streets, his companion suddenly produced a revolver and told the stupefied workman that his eyes would be bandaged, and that if he attempted to shout he would be shot. They again proceeded on their way, and afetr a time they stopped before a house and the workman was led inside, apparently to the second floor, as he counted 40 steps on the stairs. When the bandage was removed from his eyes he found himself in a room with four other men and a lady. AU the men were masked, and held revolvers, but his employer was not among them. At the revolver's point two of the men • took the lady from the chair Iv which she was sitting, and placed her in a niche in the room. Whereupon the other two pointed their revolvers at the workman and compelled him to brick up the opening. At first he declined, but the men overpowered him, put a handkerchief iv his mouth, bound his hands, and began to torture him. The workman has actually shown to the police some of the marks of the torture to which he was subjected, including a number ot burns on his feet. Finding that he was unable to endure the torture any longer, the bricklayer decided to proceed with his unwelcome task. Wheu the gruesome work was finished and the lady bricked up alive, the men offered him £10 in gold, which he refused. The handkerchief was then taken from j his mouth, and as he -was on the point of fainting the men gave him some drink, after which he became uucouscious. In the early mornlng he awoke on the threshold of his own house. The police at first thought the man was mad and that the whole story was an invention, bnt the terrible burns on his feet and the circumstance that he is a total abstainer led the authorities to put him under medical examination. The doctor's report was that the workman's mental cond.tion was normal. It is now known that about a week ago a Mile. JitingofE disappeared from her home in Dorpat, and has not been heard of since. The police are making strenuous eftorts to clear up the mystery.