DETAILS OF THE CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19658, 9 June 1927, Page 11

DETAILS OF THE CRIME.

EIGHT BULLETS PIE ED. DUEL ON THE PLATFORM. MURDERER'S SAVAGE DEED. POLAND EXPRESSES REGRET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrisht. (Received June 8, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun. WARSAW. June 7. The attack made yesterday upon the Soviet's plenipotentiary representative in Poland, Mr. Peter Voikoff, resulted in his death. The assassin, who was arrested, is a Russian student, Boris Kowerda, aged 19. He fired eight shots from a revolver at Mr. Voikoff as the latter was about to enter a train with Mr. Rosengoltz, the ex-Soviet Charge d'Affaires in London. Mr. Rosengoltz %vas on his way to Moscow and Mr. Voikoff had gone to the station to meet him.- The two men paced up and down the platform for some time chatting. Thee Mr. Rosengoltz entered the train. Mr. Voikoff was about to follow him T.hen Kowerda shot him in the back. Mr. Voikoff whirled round, drew a revolver and fired at Kowerda, but his shots missed the assassin. Onlookers state that he fired blindly about the station. That was the real cause of his death, as it prevented his friends from intervening and enabled Kowerda to empty his revolver into Mr. ,Voikoff's body unmolested. Murder a Crime of Revenge. As Mr. Voikoff fell doubled up on the platform his assailant stood over him and poured into his recumbent body the remaining bullets from his revolver. The affair was over in a few seconds. Onlookers then seized Kowerda, who did not attempt to escape, and Mr. Voikoff was taken to hospital, suffering from eight wounds. He died within an hour. On the way to the police station Kowerda said: " I acted from idealistic motives. I wanted to kill Voikoff in order to secure revenge for the Soviet reign of terror against the Russian monarchists." Tho Polish Foreign Minister, Mr. Zaleski, on hearing of the crime rushed to the hospital and apologised to Mr. Voikoff before the latter died. Mr. Zaleski also telegraphed to the Polish Minister at Moscow instructing him promptly to express the Government's regrets to the Soviet. Delicate Situation with Russia. Mr. Voikoff's body will be buried at Moscow in the Kremlin, alongside the tombs of Lenin and Vorovsky, the Soviet representative who was assassinated at Lausan.ie, Switzerland, in 1923. Warsaw is seething with excitement. The police are specially guarding, the Soviet Legation building and the head- ] quarters of the Russian trade mission. The assassination has created a delicate j situation between Russia and Poland, as it recalls the murder of Mr. Vorovsky. Kowerda is a Tsarist refugee, not a Pole, but the Poles generally sympathise with him. As the assassin is not of age he cannot be executed. Peter Voikoff succeeded Prince Obolensky as Soviet Minister to Poland in August, 1924. In 1917 ho went to Russia from Switzerland with Lenin and Trotzky after the revolution. It was stated that he later dgried the death sentence of the Russian Imperial Family and supervised the executions. This report led to objections in Poland to his appointment, but the reports were denied by the Soviet Government, and the denial was apparently accepted by the Polish Government, which, in September, 192'?, agreed to receive M. Voikoff. On July 16, 1919, the Red Guards at Ekaterinburg held a meeting, arid it was decided to put to death the Tsar and his faimiy. All the members of the Extraordinary Commission signed the order, and Yurofski and Belobdoroff went to the house at Ekaterinburg where the Tsar and his family were, and told them of tiieir fate. Tho scene when the family learned of their doom was most sad and distressing. r lhe Red Guards shot them down one by one; it was reported that Yurofski shot the Tsar. Their bodies were taken away and buried in a seciet place, which later reports said was discovered not long after. Later on other members of the Royjl Family were murdered at Ekaterinburg. j A lull and detailed report of the i murders was made in 1919 by M. Soko- I ioff, a high judicial official at Omsk, who made exhaustive inquiries on the spot. The Ekaterinburg Soviet carried out die 1 murders, but the Moscow Soviet ' was aware that they were going to be carried , out. "j