MURDER TRIAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 25

MURDER TRIAL

A VENETIAN SENSATION. ROME, March 4. A sensational trial of Naumoff (a Russian), 1 Prelukoff (a lawyer), and Countess Tarnaowska (a Russian divorcee) for the murder of Count Kamarowski at Venice in September, 1907, commences at Venice to-day. The Countess's maid, , named Perrier, is also arraigned. At the time of the crime the Countess confessed complicity, alleging that Naumoff fell desperately in love with her. She was betrothed to Count Kamarowski, and Naumoff determined to get rid of the latter, whose life was insured for £20.000 in favour of Countess Tarnaowski. Prelukoff also confessed, alleging that the Countess planned the murder to get the insurance money.

| March 7. •. The opening of the Kamarovski murder trial at Venice was marked by passionate J scenes. j The accused. Naumoff, sneaking from I an iron-caged dock, and sobbing throughout, related the full details of the crime from his first meeting with Countess : Tarnowska—how his fascination for the ; woman led him to promise to go to j Moscow and Venice, and to murder ! Kamarovski as the only means of pre- ' venting Countess Tarnowska'lt threat to go to another lover. The judge expects there will be 60 I sittings, and that 250 witnesses will be examined.

During their imprisonment the prisoners learnt the Italian language. Countess Tarnowska is the victim of the intense hostility of the populace during her daily journey in a gondola to the courthouse. She displays extraordinary passivity in court.

J It is alleged that Naumoff called at ' the residence of Kamarowski, in the Campo j Santa del Giglio, Venice, arid, despite the i efforts of a servant to prevent him doing eo, forced his way into the count's apart- ; ments and fired five times at him, with i fatal effect. Prilukoff. at one time a well- ! to-do lawyer* is said to have been a victim of the count-sss before becoming her ; accomplice. In addition to insuring his life j for £20,000 in favour of the Countess Tar- ! nowska, the late Count Kamarowski had | been induced to make the Countess the sole legatee of his .large fortune. The plan ' of Prilukoff and the Counte6s was to get rid of both Kamarowski and Naumoff byprocuring the murder, of the former and the arrest for murder of the- latter.