GHASTLY MURDERS BY SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9991, 30 November 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

GHASTLY MURDERS BY SOLDIERS.

A np.iuoFur, murder i* reported from the Rosso-German' frontier. In tho Prussian village of Polanowo, a widow named j Wawrzyn Riewicz, has for many years kept an inn, living with a daughter, a servant girl, and a I*2 year-old granddaughter. Opposite her house lived one of her sons. At a late hour in the evening three Russian frontier sentries' appeared at th-i inn and demanded beer and brandy. Tin widow and her granddaughter were abed, but the daughter and the servant wqro still up. While the daughter was in a back room fetching drink she heard the report of two shots proceed from tho bedroom. Frightened, she was hurrying there, when ono of the soldiers met and shot tier through the (high, so that she dropped down. When the ruffian saw that she waq not killed be beat hor with the butt enjl of his rifle till lie thought she was dead. In tho meanwhilo one of tho other soldiers had gono to the kitchen, where the servant was shot down, while the third had shot the widow dead in her bed. His second shot was aimed at tlio little girl, who slept in another bed. Sho was not hit, and when the murderer saw that tho coverlid moved, ho throttled her till she was unconscious. The three bandits then sot to work to plunder the house. When they had searched everything they tore up the bedding, took bottles in which they supposed there was mothylated spirit, and poured the contents over the bed, and then sot fire to it. Luckily tho bottles contained only gin, and tho flaijies did not spread. The granddaughter regained consciousness and wont to fetch the son, who arrived in timo to put out the firo and to carry his mortally-woundod sister out of tho house, as well as the bodies of his mother and the servant. All the poldiors stationed there wore brought before the wounded girl and her niece, and the latter recognised two of them as tho murderers.