OFFICERS’ LOVE DUEL

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11620, 10 September 1923, Page 8

OFFICERS’ LOVE DUEL

ONE FATALLY SHOT GIRL WITNESSES FIGHT. A revolver duel between twe Red Army officers. fought at dawn in the centre of a thickly wooded park at Moscow, had a dramatic sequel, when the trial opened before the Supremy Military Tribunal of two persona who art* accused oJ nmrch'. They are Tertoff, the victor in the in* counter, a popular officer of artillery, and Nina Mocherilli, a. beautiful young tlr.v. n iitic ,sl udent. who witnessed the affray, and for whom both men were pro part'd to die. Roth officers were members of tho Staff College in the Military Academy, and wore many decorations for active seivieo in the Tied Army. Thov decided a month before on a duel, as was customary in the oh! Tsarist days*. Thev selected a spot in the outskirts of Moscow, and there met at dawn in dri;*/.1 insy rain, and in the presence of the girl. The duellists kissed each oilier on tho cheeks in the Russian fashion, and proceeded to take their distance. At Hie fust **hot from TerlofTs pistol his old friend and fellow-officer, Dyokonoff. fell mortally wounded. Nina Morhovifli rushed forward and gripped the dying man in her arms, while Tertoff ran to seek an ambulance. Ryokonoff died, however, in a few moments. Intense interest, has been aroused in the trial, since all throe figures in t lie tragedy wore prominently known, and it whs Hie first duel of the kind that had occurred for many years. Tho court lipids that the officers cannot be held to be true Communist soldiers. since the method of their duel wns preoistelv (hut pursued in Tsarist times. Tertoff was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, am! the girl was discharged, notwithstanding the prosecution’s demand for the extreme pennlty on the ground of the increasing tendency in Russia to re-ort to the duel for the settlement of disputes.