The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-15 00:00:00

A TRAWCAL STUIII.

A letter from St. Petersburg, in the P
Lyons, gives the following details of the death of .ener.,l
Gentensweig, Military Commandant of Warsaw, which it
may be remembered took place some months ewe c_
"Three of the aidesdecamp of General Count lambert,
the Emperor's Lieutenant in Poland, hearing a loud aliens:.
tion in the cabinet of the latter between him awl G. 1,.
tensweig, entered, for the purpose of respectfully iota.
posing, but the count, without giving them the time 1.,
speak, said, Gentlemen, I have just been greedy in.
suited,' and then turning to the general, added, • Aft„
the word you have just uttered one of us must
dead to-morrow." That should be so,' replied iientrii
Gerateusweig with the greatest coolness. rind the Ores
officers, who had entered on a friendly mission,
the most singular conditions. The laws in Russia iutenliet
aed severely punish duelling, and, moreover, in the present
state of affairs in Poland, the effect would have been mo,t,
diaastrous, if any dispute were known to have arisen 1,.
tween the two highest persons in the government of thf.
kingdom. It was therefore decided that lots shouid le
drawn by the two adversaries as to which of them should
put an end to his own existence. That sail furruility
took place with the greatest coolness, fur both
generals were models of bravery, and the lot fell on General
Gerstenweig, who, turning to Count Lambert, said, in
firm voice, 'Count, there are several cutters coeuectd
with the service to be arranged, and I have also private
papers to put in order ; will it suit you if I do not execute
the sentence till to-morrow! ,It just what I should
myself have requested,' replied Count lambert. The two
bowed courteously to each other, and General Centensweig
withdrew. The three aides-decamp, pale and motionless,
remained silent, and the count, with much emotion, said to
them, • I can readily conceive, gentlemen, the helloes
which oppress you, but the fault of this deploiehlo event
does not lie with me ; and then, striking his forehead with
his hand, be added, What a fatality ! This will greatly
affect the Emperor! I should have preferred that the
tomb were opened for myself!' On the following day
General Geratenweig, standing before a lookiog.glass, dis.
charged two pistols at his hes& The ball of the Mat went
round part of the frontal bone, making, however, a deep inci-
sion on the left side of the skulL The second was mortal,
and the general fell. Two soldiers, bearing the report,
rushed into the room, and found him lying on the floor is
great agony. They placed him on his bed, when he aeon
recovered his senses. Re refused all medisal assistance, but
sent for his aide.decamp. The report of his suicide soon
became current, although every endeavour was used to
make it believed that be had been struck by apoplexy.
Count Lambert went to him, and, shaking him by
the Land, expressed his regret for what had hap.
paned, and retried bathed in teen. The general
lived for 42 hours in the greatest suffering, nod
then expired. He was sensible to the last, begging the
officers wLo were near to him to conceal the cause of
death u long u possible from his wife. 'AS to my MP:
(a young man of 17, now at St. Peteraburg), ' let him know
that I have not died like a coward, who failed in his duty,
or feared the responsibility of his acts, but to obey the pre.
scriptions of military honour. Let him know all, that he
may honour the memory of his father.'