A ROYAL CRIME.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XL, Issue 5777, 4 March 1912, Page 6

A ROYAL CRIME.

J?I"SSIAN riiINCK TbOTS A

MTKDLOK

Following a terrible tragedy inj the Caucasus, L'rince J.iuviil L'adiani, I who belongs to the old family from which ilu' C/ars of It.ussia «r----iginally sprang, a-iid is well-known m Court circles in St. Petorsburgy has been sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, with hird labour, for instigating the murder of I'rinoe Dadesehkeieni, with whoso beautiful v jt'c fie was in love. I'rince i'adiani was a Heuveria.nl oi thoCuards, and a great favourite in Society. He livul part of ".he \ear in the Uussian capital, but spent the summer months in his n;i.'. iv«; wil-ls in the Caucasus. Prince am I'rincess Dadeschk'Mcni lived on their estate in the country, soitK'timos eoiii-.njn to the city of Kulias (Transcaucasia). The marriage was a very happy one until the 1 i-iiicess, on one of her visits to the city met Prince I uliiini. Although she is the mother -fa flourishing family, and has alrendy reached the ag-e of forty, sup appears to have attracted \\u IT nice by h,M' extraordinary beamy. Her husband was shortly <M:iip(TH'd to return to his lonely e-stsif 1. ?>m* the Princess insisted on remaining in the city on some pretext.

ITeariny: that his wife >.v;.s seen everywhere with the Handsome lieutenant, Prince Ua'tleschlojieni left his important duties, and returned to the city, where he gently but iirnily insisted that the lieutenant) should cease visiting his wife. This enraged Prince Hadiani, who 'hired ruffians to murder the husband of the lady.

Moanu-hilo. to a.void her lover's perslstancc, the .I'rinccss had g-one to a fashionable hospital. Her husband and a lady cousin came to visit her one day and as they left the place, in the full daylight they were nttackod by .two rullians, who fired at. the Prince, killing him on the spot.

'lte . cousin. l >riiaee«s> Cristow. c-^;----capeti unhurt, alt-hough; several ljullets passeil close to 'her ear, rJ'he body of the Prince was carried into the hospital wherein his wife lay, and placed beside her sick-bed.

The assassination had been undertaken (by the men for ,£SO. They have been sentenced to hard labour for twelve and ten years respectively. About 200 witnesses were summoned to appear at the,trial, including a bandit who was originally one oi' the conspirators. At the last moment ha refused lii.s; aid and betrayed the iirsi, plii-n. to J.'rinee JJadcschkeieni, who appeared to have. paW no heed to it.