The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-11 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER IN RUSSIA.

The Kovoe Viemya publishes some details of a
frightful tragedy recently committed in the parish of
Balakovo, on the left bank of the Volga, and in the
government of Saratoff. The victims are six in
number, viz., a merchant's widow named Krasillnikoff,
her two children, a seamstress, a manservant, and a
coachman. The murderous band were apparently
acting upon a full knowledge of the house and
personnel of the family. The third and youngest
child, which usually slept with the seamstress,
was given by the latter on the evening of the
murder to the cook, who slept in the
kitchen. The cook and this child, an infant at the
breast, were the only two of the household who
escaped the premeditated general butchery. All the
members of the household were asleep when the
robbers and assassins scaled the courtyard wall. With
as evident foreknowledge of the place, they proceeded
to the coachbouse, where the coachman was sleeping.
The latter appears to have made a desperate resist-
ance, but was ultimately despatched. The murderers
then ascended to the roof of the house and entered
by a skylight. Madame Krassillnikoff, the two elder
children, and the seamstress slept in separate rooms
on the upper story, and were murdered simultaneously.
In the case of the seamstress a billhook or chopper
appears to have been the weapon used. The man-
servant, who slept on the ground-floor, and the
cook with the child in the kitchen, were awakened
by the cries above. The cook, with the
infant in her arms, rushed out to arouse the
coachman, but only to find his mangled corpse, and
being too terrified either to return to the house or to
fly to the village, she concealed herself, and managed
to still the cries of the infant. The man-servant, im-
mediately following the cook's flight from the house,
was cut down on the threshold. The murderers then
made a search for the missing cook and child, but
failed to discover the place of their concealment.
After pillaging the house the murderers locked the
door and left. The terrified cook raised an alarm,
and messengers were despatched to the police, who
only arrived late the following forenoon, when, of
course, the murderers had made good their escape.

THE NILE EXPEDITION.

The following telegrams have been received through
Reuter's agency:

WADY lIALYA, Oct. 4.
Commissiariat and other stores are being sent for-
ward daily to Sarras. A hospital to contain 280 beds
is being formed here. There are at present 48 men
on the sick list, 41 of whom are soldiers, and seven
sailors. They are suffering mostly from dysentry
and enteric fever, none of the cases, however, being
very serious,

The South Staffordshire Regiment has received
orders to hold itself in readinesz to aklvance, taking
as little baggage as possible.
Sir Charles Wilson, with his first defachment of
the telegraph corps, and other troops, arrived here
to-day. _

A i:emount depot for camels and horses is being
formed here.

Sir Charles Wilson started for Dongola to-day by
camel.

Major Kitchener reports having heard that Colonel
Stewart, from Khartoum, is stuck on a rock in the
cataract of Wady Garna, and asks that the Mudir's
troops now at Bdonge be sent to the colonel's assist-
ance.

A messenger despatched from Krosko to Berber
has returned to the former place, and states that
General Gordon had bombarded Berber and returned
to Khartoum.

The Robatat tribe diEpersed on hearing of the
death of their leader at the battle of Korti.

WADY ITALFA, Oct. 5.
A full company of the Commissariat and Transport
Corps, together with a railway company of Royal
Engineers, have arrived here. The platelayers form-
ing part of the latter have gone on to Sarras to work
on the railway.

WADY ITALFA, Oct. 5. 7.30 p.m.
Lord Wolseley arrived here at 1.30 p.m. to day in
the Khedive's yacht Ferooz, and received Generals
Earle and Wood and their staff on board. Lord
Wolseley is expected to remain here for some little
time.

ASSOITAN, Oct. 5.

The Ist Battalion Royal Highlanders (Black
Watch) arrived here at noon to-day. Three hundred
and seventy horses of the Egyptian cavalry started
for Wady Haifa to-day by road for the use of the
19th Hussars.

CAIRO, Oct. 4._

Eighty rowing boats have arrived here during the
last two days, and have been despatched to Assiout,
where about 40 are daily shipped in barges, which are
then towed up the Nile.
CAIRO, Oct. 5.

The additional marines who have been ordered to
embark at Portsmouth for Egypt on the 7th int. will
replace those who have been drafted from the bat-
talion stationed at Suez and Suakim into the Camel
Corps.
The originals of General Gordon's letters, signalled
rid Massowah, has arrived.
MALTA, Oct. 4.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Deccan, having on board the heavy Cavalry and In-
fantry Division of the Camel Corps, passed here at
10.55 a.m. to-day en route for Alexandria direct.
Four I:.dy nurses have been selected to proceed to
Egypt for service with the Army Medical Depart-
ment in the expedition. They are nursing sisters E.
M. Crump, S. F. Hart, C. Ferguson, and J. M. C.
Barker. and they will sail in the steam-ship Cameo
from Woolwich Arsenal on Wednesday. The two
first-named are on the staff of the Herbert Hospital
at Shooters-hill, and have been for some time under
Miss Caulfield, lady superintendent, and the other
two come from the Guards' Hospital at Westminster.
They will be distributed among the hospitals which
are now being established by Lord Wolseley at Wady
Haifa and other stations on the Nile. A medical
officer will accompany them to Egypt, and special
arrangements have been made for their comfort on
board ship, the ladies' cabin, which is a roomy apart-
ment, being placed entirely at their service. In the
same ship will be conveyed the wives and families of
certain officers now in Egypt. The Cameo is, if
necessary, to remain at Alexandria for the use of the
medical department.

In a telegram, the correspondent of the Times,
under date Alexandria, October 7, referring to the
reported murder of Colonel Stewart, says:
Major Kitchener reports the following facts:
Colonel Stewart, after shelling Berber, sent some
steamers back to Khartoum, himself pushing on in
another with forty men. The steamer ran on a rock.
A Bedouin then came on board and offered to take
the party to Merawi, on camels. Colonel Stewart
accepted the proposal, and while en route they were
massacred to a man. Major Kitchener believes this
story to be true, from circumstantial evidence, and
also because of the trustworthy source from which he
has heard the sad news.

The French and Austrian Consuls-General are very
anxious regarding the safety of M. Herbin and Herr
llenzal, for in General Gordon's last despatch be
stated that he would send them to Berber with
Colonel Stewart. It is thought that if they were
with Colonel Stewart during the shelling of Berber
they would have remained with him instead of return-
ing in other steamers to Khartoum.
M. Barrer° lately received a long dispatch via
Massowah from M. Herbin, dated Khartoum, July
29, saying that there was a large quantity of ammuni-
tion, but that the provisions were only enough to last
till September 29, and that it had been decided to
make a sortie.

A block it is feared will occur at Assouan and
another at Wady Haifa owing to tht. increased traffic.
One engine at Assouan is badly damaged, and so are
two at Wady Haifa.