A TERRIBLE REVENGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6823, 29 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TERRIBLE REVENGE.

A CORIOOB ease, involving all the features of the Corsican vendetta, has come to 'light through the deith-bed confession of Alcxanri der Semiloff, a young Pole, who -died lately. For some time past Semiloff,:. who was on educated man, but considered morose, misanthropical and cynical by his countrymen, was noticed tci.i.bV failing in health, and recently a physician was summoned at his - request. Beinsj.told that he could not live until daylight, ■:he. desired those present to listen to the follow?., icg confession :—ln 1853, when he was a boy of about seven yeara, he resided with his, father in the Polish village of Sitomir,;oh the Russian frontier. Hia father's sister, a young married woman, lived in the same town. Her hueband was in the army at the time and she resided with her maids. Iu the fall of the year a young man named Roman-., off, son of the prefect of the district and cap-, tain of a company of Cossacks, came home on.. a furlough, aud during bis stay became intimate with the Semiloffs, and finally betrayed the woman. She, as a result, ended- her career at Baden Baden in a noted resort!.'. Upon hearing the news oE her betrajali, Semiloff;! took his young son upon bis,-knee. and made bim swear to avenge the wrong by: killing the entire Romanoff family, i<Soph, after, the village prefect was found .lying" dead by tho roadside, but in such a manner. as to give the conviction that he committed suicide. Semiloff's father had shot IHomarioff and laid tho pistol by his side. Soon after young Seiniloff left Sitomir and the father enlisted and went to tho scene of the Crimean war. Two of Romanoff's sons were officers in the RuEsia-j army, and one night both wera discovered murdered in their tents. No clue could' be found to the murderers. Soon after the elder Semiloff deserted, and was unheard of for some time. During bis absenco in the Crimea and elsewhere the son was pursuing a course of study in the Cracow University. For a period of ten years he never saw his father, until one night tbo latter appeared and requested that he follow' him next morning. They started for Italy aud went to Florenea. There a brother of Rjinauoff waa an attache , of the lius'ian Legation, and the father and son determined to slay him. One night as thuy were walking along the Arno they espied the object of their search, accompanied by another gentleman. Following in pursuit, they noon deliberately murdered him iu sight of his companion, whom old Semiloff held iu his ijrasp. They trusted to the masks they wore to hide I their features, and went bao-k boldly to tho city next morning. Old Ser.iiloff WivS aubsoquently arr> sted for the crime. He was in church at the time, and could make no resistance. He was sentenced to death, and executed a few weeks after. Young Semiloff escaped, and joined a brigand bann, which he soon left; and, going back to Poland, found that all the Romanoff family had left. Some being exiled to Siberia for treason ; they soon died from tho hardships of that rigorous clime, Th balance went to America, and thither young Semiloff removed. After searching a few years,' he founj they had gone to tho mining region, where all but one had died, thus escaping his vengeance. This one l<e found near here, living alone. Disguising himself, Semiloff took quarters there, and soon p jrfected his plans. One night Loboski, the last of the Fiomanoff tribe, disappeared. No notice was taken of it by his neighbours, sudden disappearances beiDg common. SemiJo/r then wout to Philadelphia. His vengeance satisfied, be became a gloomy, morose man, and took up quarters with the rest of his countrymen. He gave a description of the spot n hero he had buried Loboski t.vo years ago, ami following the account, a party went to the place,, and dug up the skeleton of a mar, with a large knife still sticking in his body. Tho curious story has caused a good dell of excitement, and there is no doubt of. its authenticity. The eingular manner .of "the man, together with bis remarkable education, proved that Somiloff was more than an ordinary labourer.