The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-22
FOR A WoMAN'S WRONG.
A Dying Mans Confession of an
Oath and Its Relentless Fulfill
ment, The Story Confirmed by
a Skeleton.

skeleton.
Alexander Semiloff, a Pole, aged
about "a years. died few days since
at Reeds station, near Philadelphia.
He had only been there a short
time, and was regarded by his
countrymen with considerable awe.
He came of a noble family, and
was an able linguist, speaking flu
emily the English, French, Russian
and Polish languages and was a |
highly educated man. He was very |
reticent, rarely speaking to any
person, and always wore a down
cast look, as if haunted by some
terrible secret. On Tuesday hewas
taken i'll. A priest and physician
was summoned. Upon being told
that he could not live until morn
ing he said he desired to free
his mind by making a con
fession. Two other gentlemen came
in afterwards, and IN the presence
of the four he told the following
story: in 1853 L lived with my
father in the Polish town of Iltomer,
on the Russian frontier. l was
then only child. My mother had
died some three years before. We
lived in the town quietly until in
the fall of year, when my fathers
sister, a gay, handsome young
woman, whose husband was serving
in the Russian army in rurkestan,
came to the place to live. By some
means she became unduly intimate
with a Captain RomanoR, son of
the project of the village and the
captain of a Cossack regiment. AT
last he induced her to fly fIom her
husband. Ina short time she ended
her wretched career in Baden-Baden
in one of the worst resorts.
GAS soon as my father heard Of
her betrayal he took nae upon his
knee and made me swear to avenge
the wrong by killing off the accurSed
family. Soon after the prefer was
found lying dead by the roadside.
My father had killed him and left
his pistol lying by his side so as to
give an idea of suicide, and it was
generally thought that the project
had destroyed himself. Soon my
father placed me in an academy at
Warsaw, and joining the Russian
army in the Crimea followed out his
plan of revenge. The betlayer and
his brother were officers IN the army,
and were by some chance assigned
to the regiment in which my father
served. One night they were found
dead In their tents, knife still
sticking in the heart of each.
Fearing detection, for it was
father who had committed the
deed, he deserted the army and
for years l saw nothing of him.
Occasionally he wrote me from
various points, all his letters breath
ing the same spirit of Venge ance.
One night he appeared at the uni
Verslty in disguise and requested
me to follow him. Next morning
we left for Italy and in a short time
arrived at Milan. From there we
went to Floreuce, where my father
said our work of vengeance was to
be done. A brother of Romaneff,
the project. was an atache of the
Russian legation at the court of
Victor Emanuel and We determined
to slay him.
"For days we followed him, but
could never find a change to
safely accomplish our purpose.
One night we saw him walking
On the river bank, accompanied
by another gentleman, and
determined to kill him that
night. Trusting to the cover of our
masks, my father Sprang at the
throat Of Romanoff's companion
and throwing him, while l spraDg
upon Romanoff and stabbed him to
the heart twice. Binding his COM
panion. we then threw the dead
body into the Arno, with the knife
still sticking in it. We left his
friend lying there helpless and re-
| turned to the city. Next morning
my father was arrested while
sitting in the church, on a charge of
murder. Hearing of it, l escaped
on the mountains. My fathers
disguise had not been perfect, and
Romanotf's companion gave such
description Of him that he was iden-
titled. Shortly afterWard he was
tried, convicted and hanged
81 joined a band of brigands IN
Ger the command Of Spizzia, who
was recently captured in New Or
leans, and for some time the wild
life satisfied me. Soon [ returned
to Poland and found that the Ro-
manoffs had been scattered. A
number had been exiled to Siberia
for treason while three had gone to
America.
81 Immediately determined to 1Ol-
low them, and after searching from
1876 to 1881 [ found them at this
place, but before my vengeance
could overtake them two of the
three had died from disease, and but
one, Albert Loboski. was left. l
then secured work here and plotted
his destruction. One night he dis
appeared. Nothing was thought
of it, as mysterious disappearance
are common among our class. l
killed him, and would have gone
back to Russia to finish my work
had it not been for this sickness
The listeners were appalled, by
4 I. I