KILLING OF POTOCKI.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 5

KILLING OF POTOCKI.

RUTHENE DISCONTENT. MURDERER RECOMMENDED TO MERCY. ■ ' (DT TBLEQBAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) . Vionna, July 2. Sziczinski, the Ruthene student who murdered Count Potocki, Governor of Galicia, on April 12, has been sentenced to death, with a recommendation to mercy. POLITICAL AND RACIAL FEUD, . The crimo appears to bo an act of. revenge •for Count Potocki's .alleged oppressive policy towards the. Ruthenes,. who have recently endeavoured to acquire at Lemberg .University a position of equality with that of tho Poles,' The assassin,' wuoso elder brother, a -lawyer's clerk, recently committed suicido after embezzling a considerable sum, declares that one of his motives was a desire to rehabilitate the family name by a "palriotio" deed. He said:

"My resolve to kill Count Potocki ripened slowly. The immediate causa was the killing of the Ruthene peasant Kallaniec on February 9 by the Gendarmerie during the elections to the Diet. In spite of the Constitution, the Kutheno- people in Galicia is deprived of its rights, and is gradually losing faith in tlie officacy of normal political action. The Ruthene Press and Deputies have repeatedly warned the central Government that unless legal and constitutional conditions of , life wero introduced in Galicia a Russian state of affairs might grow up. The new Parliament of universal suffrago provided no remedy, and the promises of tho Premier wero ;not fulfilled, because Count Potocki neutralised tho good intentions of tho central Government. This was seen during tho elections to the Diet. Tho Government promised eleotoral purity, the Governor even* issued a formal ordinance to tho same effect, and yet undor his patronago there occurred- tho worst electoral abuses. The assassination ought finally to warn the governing classes of Austria not to leave tho Ruthenes at the mercy of the Poles." .

This deposition (says " The Times" correspondent) fairly represents the view of the outrage prevailing among • the Rutliene Radicals. Yet evon'thoy oannot deny that, of all tlio representatives of the undoubtedly bad and often oppressive social and administrative system in Galicia, Count Potocki had dono most to merit their confidence and respeot.His last administrative act was to appoint a Euthene Radical Doputy to be Vice-Marshal of Galicia. Tlio assassin himself liad profited by Count Potocki's clemenoy.