The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-03 00:00:00

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

(From the Times' Special Correspondent.)
CRACOW, March 28.
The telegraph informed you nearly a fortnight
ago that an Englishman named Finkenstein, in
crossing the frontier between Cracow and Miechow,
had been attacked and badly wounded by Cossacks.
The Cossacks have plently to answer for, but they
are not worse tha❑ any other troops in the Russian
service. In their own country they enjoy a greater
reputation as thieves than as assassins, and they
had nothing whatever to do with the murderous
assault made upon Mr. Finkenstein. I called upon
this gentleman a few days ago to inquire after his
health, and certainly not to trouble him about his
adventures. But he was sufficiently recovered to
be able to tell me the whole story of his mishaps,
and the details are sufficiently interesting and suffi-
ciently important to justify me in communicating
them to you at length.
On Saturday, the 14th of March, Mr. Finkenstein
left Cracow in a " troika" or carriage, drawn by three
horses. A lady accompanied him. He was the bearer
of a Foreign-office passport which had been vise by
the Russian Minister at Berlin ; and he took nothing
with him in the carriage but ordinary luggage.
His passport was copied into the ordinary register
at the Austrian frontier, and duly stamped. It
was again examined and signed by the officer on
duty at the Russian frontier. The carriage, coo,
was searched, when neither arms, nor ammunition,
nor provisions, nor any article of a suspicious nature
could be found.
Mr. Finkenstein had not driven far when he
was stopped by a picket of Russian infantry. He
exhibited his passport, and requested permission to
proceed, bat was told that he must be taken to the
officer commanding the battalion, who was stationed
at the camp before Miechow.
The major received the English traveller very
politely, offered him cigars and other refreshment,
assured him that he was in perfect safety, but at
the same time expressed his regret that he could not
let him continue his journey until he had commu-
nicated with the General of the district. At night
Mr. Finkenstein retired to his travelling carriage
to sleep, and four sentinels were placed around him
" to prevent the other soldiers from insulting him,"
as the officer said..;
On Sunday morning the battalion left the camp,
and, after marching some distance in search of in-
surgents, halted. The Major again placed sentinels
round Mr. Finkenstein's carriage, and, not content
with this, told a junker (1. e., cadet performing pre-
liminary service in the ranks) to stand by, and, if
any one attempted to molest him, shoot the offen-
der on the spot.
In the meanwhile, the soldiers having met with
no insurgents, and being in a part of the country
where there were apparently no gentlemen's houses
to plunder, began to grow impatient. At a little
village, so poor that the peasants were not worth
robbing, they met with an unhappy wretch, who
for six Polish florins (about 35.) agreed to take them
to a place where they would find some Poles.
They were in fact led to a house where four Polish
gentlemen were quietly taking breakfast. The
soldiers seized them, dragged them close to the car-
riage in which Mr. Finkenstein was sitting, and
were about to murder them when two officers came
up with revolvers in their hands, and by force of
threats succeeded in releasing the prisoners.
The savages, however, were not to be cheated of
the prey for which they had paid six Polish florins.
Some little time afterwards, the officers having left
the prisoners in charge of the junker, a sudden rush
was made at the four Polish gentlemen. The junker
attempted to stop it, but was thrust violently on
one side, and the peaceable, unarmed, unresisting
Poles were hurled to the ground, and pierced
through and through with bayonets. Three were
slaughtered then and there. The other was left for
dead. All four were stripped to the skin.
" Why not kill the Englishman ?" some one now
exclaimed, The suggestion was at once approved
and acted upon. Mr. Finkenstein was seized by
the hair, pulled out of his carriage on to the ground
and in a few seconds had received some 20 bayonet
wounds. The murderers then tore his clothes off
and left hiin bleeding in the snow with nothing on
but his shirt and drawers. They had forgotten,
however, to steal his ring, and returned for it.
" Don't bother about it ; cut off the finger," said

one of the band to another, who was pulling at the
ring and seemed to find it rather a tight fit. Fortu-
nately the ring came off and the finger was allowed
to remain. Besides jewelry and clothes, Mr. Fin-
kenstein was of course robbed of all his papers,
including his passport, and Russian tank-notes to
the amount of 5,800 roubles.
The assassins went away for a time. When they
came back they noticed with astonishment, and
with something like indignation, that Mr. Finken-
stein was still alive.
" What a tough man that Englishman is !" one
them cried out, "confound him, he is not yet dead !
We must give it him with the butt-end."
They then gave it him with the butt-end; in

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conducted the expedition which effected the capture. one can hardly help sharing the astonishment of
(from the Richmond Enquirer, March 18. and altogether so torn and
) the barbarians who thought his first wounds ought
The municipal election took place to-day in Frede• to have proved mortal, and who certainly had not
ricksburg, though under the guns of Gen. Hooker. the slightest doubt but that they had finished him
Mr. Slaughter was chosen mayor.
with the second attack. The second attack di,
d
The conscript officers have been quite busy for a indeed, render him insensible. While he was in
few days hereabouts, hauling in the nice young men, that state, the peasants of the village came to
The premium for gold at Richmond on the 17th him, washed his face, placed straw beneath him
was 4 dols 25c ; the brokers were paying 4 dols. that he might not be lying on the cold snow, and
Silver was selling at 4 dols to 4 dole 10c ; bank threw some sort of covering over him.
notes, 90 per cent. prem. ; North Carolina Bonds, The next thing Mr. Finkenstein remembers is the
6's, available for the purposes of Northern exchange,
the cowards who had gslaughtetlwthhaesier
appearance of Gen. Lan iew' au,
have advanced, with sales at 165. We quote Vir-
ginia 6's, registered, at 108; North Carolina B's at
118 and interest ; Farmers' Bank stock, at 111; would naturally have taken to flight. The general'
Exchange Bank, 108; Richmond Fire Assurance, finding five bleeding bodies on the ground, asked
35. I the villagers for an explanation, and having heard
prisonersapproach
Notwithstanding the quotations of gold in the the story from beginning to end, ordered the spe-