HIGH U.S. OFFICIAL BRUTALLY MURDERED

Grey River Argus, 2 November 1948, Page 5

HIGH U.S. OFFICIAL BRUTALLY MURDERED

VIENNA, October 31.

The United States and Austrian authorities reported that four Russian soldiers “most brutally murdered” Mr Irving Ross, an American official o the European Economic Co-operation Administration, in Vienna. Mr Ross held the third position below the chief of the European Economic Co-operation Administration. Unofficial reports said that Mr Ross was sitting in a car with a girl outside the south railway station in Vienna when four uniformed Russians broke into the car and forced him at the pistol point to drive towards the Russian sector. The girl, Anna Sutkena, who apparently jumped from or was thrown out of the car, is in hospital with a skull, fracture. She told the police that two of the four Russians beat Ross over the head with rifle butts, and also beat her. Austrian police found her lying on the road. An Austrian labourer going to work found Mr Ross’s car in a field with the wheels removed and all the wires cut.

SMASHED AND BAYONETTED

The Austrian police said that Mr Ross’ skull had been crushed by blows from rifle butts, and there were wounds indicating that he had also been bayonetted. Mr Ross’ wife and three children, living in Vermont, United States, were due to join him at Vienna early in November.

The Austrian police said Ross was so brutally hit that his body was hardly recognisable. Anna Stukena’s condition is serious, but she is expected to live.

Allied military police and United States investigators were permitted to visit the scene of the crime after the Russians first attempted to prevent an investigation. Russian troops cordoned off the field where the car was found and allowed no one to approach.