SENTENCED TO DEATH

» MURDER OF COUNT POTOCZKI. RECOMMENDATION OF .MERCY. PrtS3 Association-By Telegrapa-CopytigK VIENNA, July 2. bziczynskt, the murderer of Count Potoczki, lias been sentenced' to death, /*'i_a recommendatiQii to meicy. Count Potoczki, the Governor of Gaiicia was murdered on April 12 in his palace a ' Lemberg by a Kuthenian student of philosophy at tho university named Miroslav Sziczynski. Tho student had petitioned for an audience on the ground that be wanted a professorship at.agarramar school. When bis turn came ho entered tho audience ball, and to the Governor's question what he wanted Sziczynski replied by drawing a revolver and firing two shots, one striking the Governor near the eye and the other 1 in the neighbourhood of his heart. The .Governor fell mortally wounded. Hearing tho shots, tho servants hurried into the room, wkoroupon Sziczynski fired a bullet at them,'' but missed. He also tired at hifl pursuers while endavouring to escape, but he was overpowered and handed to the police. "he'news of tho Governor's assassina tion spread like wildfire, and doctors and Count Potoczki's wifo and eight children were summoned. Medical aid, however, was unavailing, the Count dying within an hour. His last words were: "Tell the Emperor I served him truly." Sziczynski during his examination by the. police gloried in his deed. He is the Kin . of a Ruthenian deputy of the Galioian Diet, and took, a prominent part in ' tho Ruthenian students' agitation for the recognition of the Ruthenian language in the Lemberg University last year,. which led to savage measures of repression by tho Polish authorities. Ho was largely responsible for tho starvation tactics 'of tie imprisoned students, Sziozynski being one '. of these who nearly starved to death before ho was released. He declared to the police. that Count Potoczki deserved to dio for his oppression of tho Ruthenian nation, just as much as tho Russian Govomor of Warsaw did, 'whom the Poles assassinated. The Governor's conduct during the recent election, when the Ruthenian inhabitants wore prevented from voting and a number wore massacred at Koropec, particularly called for vengeance. He had long had the in- ■. tontion of killing Count Potaozki when" driing in'hie carriage, but he had chosen the other plan as the mare' certain.. Sziczynski concluded hi* examination., by shouting: "So perish all the enemies of the Ruthenians." On hearing; of the Governor's assassination Sziezyski's brofehor, who is also a student, committed suicide. The Ruthenians form nearly half the population of the province' of Galioia, which is governed by the Polish nobility, and the Ruthenian deputies recently thado . a passionate protest in line Imperial Parliament against Polish oppression. A violent polomio recently waged in the Vienna press between Herr Boernson Boernson on behalf of the Ruthenians and Herr Szientievicz for the PoUs. The assiasination made a profound impression throoghemt Austria, as jt was the first political murder since the revolution of 1848. It was generally believed that it would add fresh fuel to the bitter enmity between the Poles and the Rntheniaos. The fearing that they might lose the sympathy of tho Germans, represented the murder as the act of a fanatio, but the authorities were inclined to believe that it was the outcome of a revolutionary conspiracy on the Russian model. The Btudents loudly cheered the assawi'! when he was taken to prison by the police. The three sisters of Sziczynski end his mother were arrested. Tho latter gloried in the deed, ajid declared that she suggested the assassination 'to her son to liberate Rutheniane from the Polish yoke. At a meeting on April 13 the Polish students praised Count Potoczki as » national martyr and resolved to boycott their Ruthenian colleagues ajid prevent them entering the university again. After 1 tho meeting an immense crowd smashed the windows of several Rntbenian publio buildings, but ultimately they' were dispersed by the police. Count Potoczki was one of the wealthiest landowners in Austria; and left property worth 10 million pounds. The Emperor ordered his desk and study to be locked and sealed till the contents, had; been examined by a special imperial delegate. The assassin made this significant remark: "If tilings do not improve, another Ruthenian student will kill Count Potoczki's successor."