MAD INFATUATION

Southland Times, Issue 19656, 5 October 1922, Page 7

MAD INFATUATION

WAR TRAGEDY OF PASSION. HUSBAND LURED TO DEATH. BERLIN, August 12. The German account of the crime for which Baron Nikoli von Gagern and Prince zu Stollberg have just been condemned to death by a Belgian court is published here to-day. It is one of the most hideo ; us tales of the war. Between December, 1914, and March, 1915, Baron von Gagern, together with other officers of the staff of his regiment, lived in the chateau of Baron d’ Udekem d’Aooz, near Bruges. Baron von Gagern fell madly in love with the Baroness d’Udekem. He sought an excuse for putting her husband out of the way, in the hope that he might persuade her tn marry him. He,decided to pick a quarrel with the husband and challenge him to a duel. He found an excuse in the fact that the Belgian had told him that there were, no arms in the chateau, whereas arms were afterwards discovered there. He took Prince zu Stollberg into his confidence, and together they went to a retired part of the forest surrounding the chateau, where he had asked the owner to meet him. Baron d’Udekem kept the appointment, and his German rival offered him a revolver, and, according to the statement of his German rival, he was told that they must fight a duel until one of them Was killed. Baron d’Udekem, who was a Catholic, refused. Prince zu Stollberg retired and left the two together. The Belgian continued to refuse to fight,, until at last the German said, “I will count 1,2, 3. If you have not fired at 3, I shall fire at you.” The Belgian did not fire, andthe German shot him dead. He and his friend took a spade which they had brought in their motor car and dug a grave, in which they placed Baron d’Udekem. This was afterwards discovered and Baron von Gagern was condemned by a German military court to expulsion from the army and 15 years’ penal servitud The prince was condemned to six months imprisonment in a fortress. Both of them regained their liberty by an amnesty. The prince is dead and Baron von Gagern is living abroad.