GREAT FORGERY TRIAL

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 155, 1 July 1911, Page 17

GREAT FORGERY TRIAL

CHARGE AGAINST THE CZAR'S MASTER OF THE HORSE. A trial of the most sensational nature began iv the St. Petersburg courts on May 10. Colonel Vladimi, Vonljarljarsky, who belongs to the Guards and was until his arrest Master of the Horse at the Imperial 'Court, and his adopted eon, Staff Captain Dmitri Vonljarljarsky, are the two chief accused. They are charged with forging a will with the object of obtaining for the latter the title and immense fortune of Prince Bocdan Oginsky. The Oglnsky family is one of the most ancient of the Lithuanian nobility. Its last representatives were two childless brothers, Prince Michael and Prince Bogdan Oginsky. They agreed to adopt as their Uelr Count Joseph Zalussky, and intended to obtain the Czar's sanction to enable that nobleman to bear the arms, name, and title of the Oginskys. Both the Oginskys died before the adoption had been completed. Prince Bogdan's widow received almost immediately after his death a call from Captain Vonljarljarsky. He Informed the countess that he had twice been shown, by a person whose name ho could not divulge, the draft of a will made by Prince Bogdau appointing as the sole heir of his estates his distant relative. General Nikolai Vonljarljarsky, aud authorising him to obtain the Imperial authority enabling him to bear the Oglnsky name. Should Genera. Nikolai predecease the testator, then Captain Dmitri Vonljiirljarsky was to be sole heir.

Captain Vonljarljarsky next appeared in d St. Petersburg, -ivuere through a. proper oi legal channel lie propounded a will to the f: effect stated above, and at the same time t< produced proof of the death of Genera! jtl Nikolai, who had been killed in 1000. Thus 't! he himself was the sole heir. Without I c waiting to prove the will, Captain Dmitri I s secured the Czar's permission to use the p title ol Prince Ogiusky. c Tile Semite, however, on a petition from \\ the Princess Oglnskj , , refused to sanction n the use of the prince's name pending proof j o of the will. The police raided the house of Captain Vonljarljarsky, and claim In their j. inquiry into the case to have unearthed a a great conspiracy of fraud and forgery. No B fewer than twelve persona will appear for j j ( trial. Among them aye two noblemen, aI g lieutenant, a Roman Catholic priest, und t four lawyers. a —— f ~ ' 1