ILL-STARRED LOVERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 7

ILL-STARRED LOVERS.

GREEK ROMEO AND JULIET. TALE OF TWO REFUGEES. . Australian . ana N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 4.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 22. A poignant love romance which has moved all Greece, is related by the Athens correspondent of the Daily Express. ' The, central figures, are two refugees from Smyrna. Aristide Vassilacopoulos was found un- < conscious in a home-made coffin with a bottle of poison by his side, and was taken to hospital. An hour later a girl, Athena ' Tantailides "as found unconscious in the same coffin. It has since been revealed that when the Turkish troops appeared at Smyrna, Aristide was preparing for his' wedding. He ran to Athena's house and found her in her wedding dress. Ho hurried her to the water front and as he was unable to find a place on a ship, ho plunged with his sweetheart into the sea, and swam for half an hour until a ship took them aboard. ■ The couple reached Athens penniless. Weeks of privation followed until Athena found work as a weaver. Aristide broken in spirit, could not find employment, and Athena paid the rent of his room as well as her own. Aristide began drinking heavily, and became very jealous. One night he tried to break the door ot Athena's room. Next day she left the lodgings, leaving a letter for Aristide saying that she still loved him, but only if he honoured and respected her and himself. Aristide, brooding on his troubles, conceived an idea of punishing the girl. He made . a coffin, decorating'it with carving. He then traced the girl to her new homo,took the coffin there when she was away at work, lay down in it and drank bichloride of mercury. When Athena returned, she found her lover. Her cries brought neighbours, and Aristide was taken to hospital. Athena, left alone, lay down in the coffin, apparently believing Aristide was dead and expected her to follow him, and that she would die broken-hearted. When her friends returned she was unconscious. Both, are now in hospital, but the doctors hope that they will recover. Thousands of "Athenian's are praying daily for their recovery, when efforts will be made to enable the lovers to get back ■ their lost happiness. -