VENICE MURDER TRIAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 26

VENICE MURDER TRIAL

ROME, March 27. A prison warder at Venice alleged that Countess Tarnowska offered his wife £I2OO to connive at her escape. The Countess Tarnowska is the mainspring of the Venice shooting d ama. The persons, besides the Countess, chiefly concerned are: Count Kamarowski, a wealthy Russian, a widower, and in love with the Countess Tarnowska, to whom he handed an insurance policy upon his life for £20,000. He was shot in it is alleged at theinstigation of the Countess,, and one of her lovers, a Moscow lawyer named Prilukoff, in order that they might get the insurance. Naumoff, a young Rnssian, another lover of the Countess, and the murderer of Count Kamarowski. Prilukoff, who abandoned his home to follow the Countess, and with whom s:>e is alleged to have arranged the murder plot, promising to marry him on its success. Naumoff was her dupe, and did not even know of the existence of Prilukoff, who followed him to. Venice to make sure that he should be arrested for the murder. Countess Tarnowska's confession.. to the police, made in a state of the highest excitement, is in substance as follows: She had known Prilukoff for' three years. He was her lawyer in the divorce proceed-

ings taken by her husband, and thus they fell in love "with one another. She knew that he had committed embezzlement in Moscow, and for that reason she fled with him. They went to Vienna, where both lived at the Grand Hotel under false names. Later they travelled in France, and eventually reached Berlin. They lived for some time in one of the best hotels there, and then took place their first separation. The Countess travelled to Russia, but Prilukoffi did not dare to follow, and went to Paris, whence he sent her telegram after telegram, imploring her to meet him in Vienna. She refused, for in the meantime ehe had joined Count Kamarowski, whom she had known for years. With him she went to Berlin. Prilukoff followed her immediately. There, in her hotel, they had a secret meeting, marked by violent recriminations. She was determined, she said, to marry the rich Count and to leave Prilukoff. But she was willing to pay him half the money'that he had embezzled. This, by the way, does not agree with the confession of Prilukoff, who declared that he wished to end their acquaintance, and demanded back his money in order that he might rehabilitate himself. It is certain, however, that the Countess gave him £4OOO. The same night she sent her maid with a request that he should return half that sum, but he refused. When the maid brought that answer, the Countess hastened, late at nignt as it was, to his hotel, and besought him till he promised to give her the money next day. That he disappeared, leaving a note threatening her with his vengeance. The Countess explained to Count Kamarowski Chat she had been robbed, and, believing her, he promised to give her the amount. Two days later came another telegram from Prilukoff, asking forgiveness, and making a rendezvous at Munich. Explaining that she had got a cine- to the robber, she persuaded the Count to leave tor Venice with his son and daughter, while she. hers°lf went to Munich, promising to follow the others later. The Countess and Prilukoff had a reconciliation in Munich, and when she started for Venice, three days later, he accompanied her to Verona. Later he arrrived in Venice, and at a secret meeting there 6he confessed to him that the- young Russian noble, Nikolas Naumoff. - who was madly in love with her, and whom she was also beginning to love, followed her every footstep. So Wildly jealous was Prilukoff that she had the greatest difficulty in calming him by endearments. Then came the first idea

of the murder plot, Naumoff being regarded by both as a splendid tool. She alleged that Prilukoff suggested to her the idea of using Naumoff's jealousy of Kamarowski, and of telling that the Count treated her in a shameful manner, although she was betrothed to him. This so excited 1 Naumoff that he determined to shoot the Count.

Prilukoff hastened back to Vienna after th shooting to help the Countess to get the insurance money. Both were a.rvested there. At first each blamed the other, but on hearing the news of the Count's death thev broke down and confessed. _ The Countess, a tall. fin>e-looking woman, .«' the daagnter of Colonel-Count O'Rurik (descended from the Irish . family of O Rourke), who, with his wife, was well Known as a prodigal host. Her husband, Count Tarnowska, was extremely wealthy, wi-i i y had a s P l€ndi d home in Kieff. While the Countess was seen driving every afternoon with her wo little boys and) little daughter, to whom she behaved as a most affectionate mother, there were many scandals concerning her relations with officers. In her house one evening, before her husband's eyes, she put her arms round the neck of a man, whom the Count shot dead on the spot. The jury acquitted him of the charge of murder, and he obtained: his divorce""" immediately afterwards.