POLISH TRAGEDY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 12120, 23 December 1913, Page 5

POLISH TRAGEDY.

THE RED COUNT'S REVENGE. I By Elect mo Telegraph—Copvp.ight.] (Per Press Association.) Berlin, December 21. Count Meil'czynski, suspecting his wife's relations -with- his nephew',.; Count Alfred, found the latter in his wife's room at a. castle near Graetz, and shot both dead. The parties moved in the highest Polish circles.

Berlin, December 22. - Meiltazynski, returning from his club, went to his town bedroom, and hearing noises, which he attributed to burglars, -to'ok a : giln-and went downstairs. A tragedy followed, his wife and a la.dy companion being seriously woundeds the latter rushing between the husband and wife. The husband roused the servants and retired to his own room, where lie wrote a report of the murder, and then informed the authorities. Meile/,ynski was formerly dubbed the Red Counfc because of his fierce opposition to Prussian rule. Later he joined the moderate right wing of the party; Although fined in 1909 for an incendiary speech in accusing the Germans of treating Poles like wild beasts, a crowd at Posen in 1913 mobbed him for attending a banquet in honor of the Kaiser. His carriage was bombarded with stones, and the occupants drenched with water.

Received December 23, nt 10.0 a.m. ! Berlin, December' 22." Meilczynski.in 1895 was suitor for the hand of Count „ Potocki's beautiful daughter and shot- himself in the breast because the Count, opposed the marriage. He never entirely recovered from the effect of the wound. Moved by the shooting incident Count l'otoeki yield-" ed. The marriage was for some time happy, and two daughters and a. son were born. Subsequently Meilczynski confided: in his friends that his wife was under an undesirable influence, and he subsequently sold the estate and took the Countess and family to Dresden. Tlie Countess and her soil quitted' the new home and stayed with relatives of her husband, who had. absorbing passions lor politics and landscape painting. He divided his time between the Reichstag and his studio, living alone in his Berlin residence, which was a i)ei\fect museum of . paintings and art objects collected in various countries. His wife, who received' from her husband a regular income, succeeded in 1912 to her brother's large fortune arid also to' D.akowymokre Castle, the scene of'the tragedy. Her relatives, fearing that she would fall under former influences, effected a reconciliation, and the Count joined her at Dakowymokrc. The renewed union was soon clouded, however, and the Countess, then 38, formed a friendship with the 2-1-vear-old Count. Mianczynski, whose mother was her half-sister.