ASTONISHING CRIMES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10628, 3 December 1910, Page 1

ASTONISHING CRIMES.

In. the famous chnroli of Czenstochau, in/ Russian Poland, to which thousands of pilgrims annually resort, a sensational tli eft lias occurred (says the Vienna correspondent of tlie Daily Telegraph). A picture of the Madonna, alleged to be endowed, with miraculous gifts, lias.been stripped of its jewels. Two da.vs ago, at Cracow, a monk named Damapz Maczocli was arrested in connection with the. theft and suspected murder. Although- no jewels were-found tipon hiih, 'it was alleged that lie had killed his brother, who was his accomplice in the*theft. Later,; sithe Brother, struck with remorse, determined to confess to the authorities, to prevent which, it is asserted, the monk, with the cognisance of his brother's wife, murdered him, after giving him ■ .absolution. ; After inviting him to his cell, the monk made his brother drunk, and then despatched him with blows 011 the head, put the body in the well of an old sofa, and sank .it in a neighboring pond, making the driver of the droschky swear never to betray him. •As fears,' however, haunted him, he fled oyer the frontier.. Tn a long examination before, the Cracow authorities, he confessed, that the real stones of the famous picture had long been" replaced bv false ones, that the presents from pilgrims were appropriated by the monks at Czenstochau church, and that ■lis himself had kept back 10,000 roubles in three years. .In consequence of these Cracow revelations the Russian authorities have despatched a commission to the famous- .church, an infantry regiment forms "a cordon round the "church •and monastery, which no person is ali lowed -to - leave, the monies being con--1 fined to their cells. From the correspondence it- is supposed, that r much treasure ; is hidden ill the place.