Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-08-26
MURDER OF NINE. sKoBELEFF.
Atrocfous Ingratitude and Treachery
of Young Russian Officer.

L 4
Atr0cfous 1ngrafifude and Treaehery
of a Young Russian Officer.
The London TeleqrGph gives the fol-
| lowing details of the atrocious murder
| OF Nine. Skobelef, mother of the dis
tinguished Russian general Nine.
| Skobeleff,- during her two months stay
at Bulgaria, had devoted her time,
money and energies to the development
OF benevolent institutions in different
parts of the principality, and had made
numerous excursions with that object,
refusing the escort of gendarmerie of
i tered to her by the local authorities, on
the ground that she was too well known
throughout the country to run any risk
OF molestation. During these expedi-
t1ons she was only accompanied by
young female attendant, by a faithful
| and intelligent Russian man-servant
named IVanoff, and by Captain Uzatis,
| formerly her sons personal aide-de-
| camp, who had earned great distinction
by his splendid gallantry during the
late war, and whom she was accus-
toned to address as cher SON." To
this young officer she had upon several
occasions presented considerable sums
of money for the purpose of enabling
one of his brothers, civil engineer, to
erect mill in Demendere, village
near Philippopolis, but had recently re-
fused an application on his part for q
further gift, holding out, however, hopes
that she might grant the asked-for
subsidy at some future period.
Nine. Skobeleff had set her heart upon
establishing model farm in East Rou-
melia, and started by carriage from
Philippopolis for Tchirpan, with the OBJ
ject Of purchasing piece of land suit
able to the fulillment of her project,
taking with her $4,000 rubles, which
Captain Uzatis assisted her to pack up
in valise. The money was destined to
pay for her purchase. To avoid the in
tolerable heat of the summer sun, she
commenced her journey at nine o'clock
P. NJ, accompanied by her usual attend
ants, with the exception of Uzatis, who
excused himself, alleging indisposition
and the necessity of remaining with his
brother, who was also on thee eve of de-
parture from Philippopolis. For about
half an hours drive, after quitting the
town. Nine. Skobeleff's carriage was
closely followed by vehicle containing
Nine. Smolekoff, the directress of the
'rPhilippopolis hospital, and Russian
officer naSmed Petrof; but the two car
riages separated ar- -AzcAnaR, v4Js5 80 a
stone bridge over the Martha, on the |
road to Adrianople. Nine. SkobeIef's
carriage had proceeded q few hundred
yards further, when Iyanhotf, who was
seated on the box by the coachman, ,espied
Captain Uzatis q little distance Oft by
the roadside, and, turning round toward
his mistress, who, in the me antime had
fallen into doze, awoke her with the
announcement that the captain was ap
preaching the carriage on foot. The old
lady ordered the coachman to stop, and.
leaning out of the window, was express
ing her thanks to Uzatis for the trouble
he had taken to wish her goodspeed on
her journey, when he suddenly drew his
hand-.jar and cut Ivanoff down. At the
same moment four armed men made
their appearance and fell upon the at
tendants with their yataghans. While
they were slaughtering the Bulgarian
driver and Nine. Skobeleff's maid
upon the former of whom they inflicted
fourteen wounds, and upon the latter
four terrific slashes. each of which was
sufficient to cause death-Uzatis delib
erately butchered his aged benefactress,
despite her piteous appeals for mercy
and despairing offers of all her money
and valuables if only he would spare her
life. He thrust his broad bladed cimeter
completely through her body, killing
her on the spot, and then proceeded to
plunder the corpse, while his accom-
plices broke open the trunks and rifed
them of their valuable contents. Mean
while, Ivanoff lay still, feigning death.
He had received eight severe wounds,
but, when the murderers made off with
4l.1s., -
and, after incredible eXertions, during
which lie lost SO much blood
that he repeatedly tainted, reached
the Russian consulate at Philippopolis
about midnight, when he related the
horrors of which he had been witness.
A detachment of cavalry was at once
dispatched to Demendere, whittier
Uzatis had betaken himself, having pre-
viously returned to Philippopolis for
the purpose OF changing his clothes and
concealing his weapons. He and one of
his fellow -assassins were in the mill
belonging to his brother when he per-
ceived the militia squadron approach
ing. Forthwith they took horse and
gal1oped off toward the Turkish from
tier, but found the high road occupied
by 3 section of infantry, the officer COM
manding which summoned them to
surrender. Dismounting they fed up
hillside and took refuge in narrow
glen, where they defended themselves
for some minutes with their revolvers
against the soldiers pursuing them.
Presently, however, seeing himself sur
rounded on every side, Uzatis put the
muzzle OF his pistol in his mouth and
blew out his brains. His companion
was captured alive, as were later on the
other three rufians who shared in his
atrocious enterprise. The valise con-
tanning the stolen money has not as yet
been discovered. Madam Skobeleffs 8
body, embalmed by order Of the Rus
sian consul-general, was conveyed to
st. Petersburg via Constantinople and
Odessa.