The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-01-10
BARON Won KoTTCWITZ.
Fearful Termination Of tie Life OF
Notable Russian Imperial
Guardsman.
An Exile to Siberia, a Scholar, q
kobIeman and a Soldier.

The Kansas City TmGs has the following
with regard To his fate:
A very interesting life was Terminated !
tragicaily, near the North missouri lft.suL
depot, yesterday morning \ tre!ght switch
engine on the Missouri Bacinc railroad was
bark ng RAPIDLY westward, with three freight
cars ahead of II. A brakeman stood upon the
top OF the foremost car, and the Track IN ifpht
Wa clear No one was observed either on or
near the track. Just a. the moving Train was
oppsySite the crossing or pathway leading
from the North Missouri freight Offices, a
man rushed forward and disappeared beneath
tn. cars The brakeman did not see TIE man.
and the first notification he r. crlN"d OF any
thing being wrong Was chanse ia the mo
ron of the first car, which TIE was stand
ing AT tirst the brakeman supposed that TIE
ear was on tue track and he gave the signal
IN th,. engineer 10 stop. As soon rs the train
mad passed the mangled and mutilIted form
of "A man was found lying
QUIvERING AND BLOODY
right across the rails. When taken up il wa,
found that both legs had been cut oil ana his
mead was frightfuliy cut and bruised. he uu-
fortunate man WAS recognized as rather &C.
centric foreigner, who has attracted more
than usual attention upon the streets IN this
city. His name il ID. ii. koiswitZ, and Ee -
known 10 a few in inls city "a "A Russian no.
blenan and a scholar Of some note He ar
rived in Kansas City during the month of
September, 1876, and presented himself 10
gentlemen connected with the public schools
as an applicant Tor employment III The higher
branches. He presented "a rather distinguish
l ed appearance, wore good clothing ana IVA
riably carried with him green umbrella
Not finding any employment to suit MIN IN
the public schools, he with the assistance OF
several gentlemen and ladies, opened "A class
| for the teaching IF modern anu ancient Ian
| guages. But his success IN Obtaining scholars
was very indifferent ana his habits not be-
| ing what might be termed economical, ne
became much Involved in debJ. 1t i thought
by many that IL was pecunlary distress ara
| loss OF hope Tor a pardon from the car 81
Russia which led him 10 throw himself be-
meath the train.
| HIS CAEEER
| has been a very notable one. His papers
prove him TO have been a Captain IA tie iius-
sian Imperial Guard which nc cu.sItd uGl4'rG
the Crimean war, in Is5b. IL served Win
little or no distinction at the notable u"l' ne
of Sc bastopol, and was wounded at The assault
of the British at the celebrated Russian Tor.
He was sent home to his fathers estate IN
Russia, and not far from the ancient callt.L
of Russia, Moscow. Ii was while he was there
enjoying the pleasures a young nobleman u
heir to. that he received an appointment as
staff officer to the
GRAND DUKE MICHAEL,
then In command on the Caucasus. He soon
tired of staff duty, and obtained permission
to rejoin the Imperial Guard, with which lac
served until the time OF his great crime which
blighted his future prospects and sent him
into exile.
His Colonel was arrested for some political
offrnse, convicted of high treason ana
sentenced TO the 81 berian mines for life. tie,
in company with eleven other Officers OF the
Imperial Guard, planned the escape OF the
Colonel, were betrayed, discovered, and alter
| a stout resistance 10 arrest, in which several
were killed, was captured and sent TO jail
He was sentenced To death with several
/ Others; but, on accoLn Mt OF his family, his
rank and the influence OF his grandfather,
who had done the Empire good service I'M
| der the Gar Nicholas, he was reprieytd.
His sentence OF death was commuted from
4 death to n reduction To the Tanks of a Cos
l sack regiment doing duty in Eastern Siberia,
/ and to be for life. He succeeded in ma
king mis- escape from the military prison at
| Moscow, before the sentence WAS carried into
effect and made his way 10 the city OF heTtch,
| on the Black Sea, whence he escaped in "A
fishing boat TO the Turkish dominions- Be
ing supplied With money by his family
| friends, and having received an excellent
| education at the
| HEIDELBRG USTyE RSITY
| in Germany he did not repine at his exile.
| He spent years in travel and visited most Of
| the attractive historical places IN Asia
| Northern Africa, England and France. Has
| remarka5le proficiency as "a lingulst brought
| him into Contact and the company oi VI.
/ Theirs, the late President OF the French Re
| public. IL was while he was in France that
| he made his first appeal to the Ear Tor par
| don. Instead of "A pardon IA demand VAS
made upon the French government for his
| surrender State prisoner. He barely e.
capped arrest by fleeing 10 America, aTIiN ing
| In New York in 1861 The war was Then at
| its height in this country and kottSitZ de-
termined 10 join the army lie euiSied Inc
SEVENTH NEW YORK
Volunteers and received a commission a.
Lieutenant, serving with his regiment ia iH-
Virginia campaigns until the close %! inc
war. With the return oil peace lie went 10
Rochester, New York, where he engaged in
teaching This lac did more as amusement
or pastlme than for gam, as he was receiving
a regular annuity from his gIanumoI her la
Russia of 81 90 per year. He went To EurUy-
again in $50, and took up his abode ia Rome
Here lac made second effort To obtain par
don, but was again refused. Ills grand
mother died while lac WAS al Rome. This cut
off his annuity, but gave him $4,000 in cash,
with which he returned to the United States
and caue GU. To Kansas. He met the
GRAND DUKE ALIENS
on his yisist to this country and obtained
from HIM promise to inJerCede with his
father, the Emperor Alexander ana If posi-
BILE, obtain pardon 10 that he could return
home. This third effort failed, and he re>oiV-
ed to abandon all hope of pardon for the pres
ent ana engage IN speculation. He lost AIS
entire fortune, S3butO- IN a Kansas specula-
ton and was thrown apOn his own resources
for support. From Kansas lie came
to Kansas City, arriving here as
above stated in September, ls16. Here he
has resided ever since, sometimes IN poverty
at others in comfort. He has left a large lot
of board bills ana other accounts unpaid He
has boarded in numerous places IN TINS cily
and was evidently at his wits end when lie
threw himself beneath the wheels OF the CARS.
The only papers found on his body were TWO
unpaid bills for board. His other papers had
DtNll WIFI s't NV
Public School Library, with whom lac was
very intimate. He WAS pronounced the hn-
guist in this city. He spoke
SEVEN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
with the greatest ease, and spent much of his
time in translating from one TO the other. As
an historian he is said To have been remark
able. He wrote occasionally for theNew York
Herald and other leading papers. He was
much addicted TO fits of melancholy and
GLOOM and INDUCED occasionally in liquor.
1t is Thought that while he WAS IN one Oh
these fits of blues that he killed himself. His
funeral will take place to-day from ,arlht
undertaking shops. This was indeed a sad
end for such brilliant beginning.
Our readers will well remember that the
above named individual was for a long time
in this city, and, while stopping at the
Planters, undertook to gain a livelihood by
teaching Preach, German and Spanish.