The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-08
FOUR STRANGE MURDERS

A Russian Noble SIavs a Usurer,
Bulgarian Prefect ofPolice Throws
Girl Into "a River, an Italian Land
owner and British Steel Manufac-
turer Kill Women.
From the New York Sun.
An epidemic of crimes of violence by
persons well-to-do seems to be passing
over Europe four remarkable murder
cases from Russia, Bulgaria, Italy and
England being reported in single for
eign mail. In all four cases the per-
petrators were quiet, respectable per-
sons with wealth and social position to
lose, and every one of the four contains
dramatic elements enough for an old
fashioned romance.
The trial Just ended at Kherson
brought out story that throws
great deal of light on agrarian troubles
in many parts of Russia, and explains
the hatred shown there against Jewish
money lenders. NJ. Buton de Katz-
mann belonged to an old and respected
family of Bessarabian mobiles. He was
so years of age, owned a fine estate
near Goroki, had an unblemished char
acter, and the reputation of being a
kind-hearted man ana a good landlord
A succession of bad crops made 1t nee
essary for him to borrow money from
an usurer, as many other Russian land
owners are obliged to do. He applied
to a Jew named Oiser Dimant, a miser
noted for his wealth and harshness.
Though possessing many millions of
roubles Dimant had cast out his own
wife and family, who are living in
great poverty in Kherson. He had
ruined a widowed aunt of NJ. de KatZ-
mann, and obtained her estate, which
bordered on the lands of her nephew.
lie had often declared that he would
ruin and dispossess De Katzmann. The
latter, although well able to pay the
mortgage, neglected to collect the
money for the day on which it fell
due, expecting that he could obtain
extension of time as usual.
PAID THE DEBT.
Dimant, however, had a grudge
against him, and not only insisted on
foreclosing the mortgage, but wished
to do it in person, and accompanied
the commissary of police, whose duty
it was to draw up an inventory of the
estate. NJ deKatzmann, although
much excited. received him politely
and was courteous throughout the in
terview. Dimant, on the other hand,
was brutal and insulting, and ad-
dressed his debtor throughout con-
temptuously with thou" Differences
of opinion arose as to whether parts
of the estate came under the mortgage
| or not De Katzmann yielding till they
came to wagon and pair of horses,
which he wished to use to go to
neighbours funeral. He asked the Jew
to leave them out for forty y-eight hours.
Dimant refused, saying that he meant
to strip the shirt off his debtors back
Then De Katzmann turned upon him.
and, saying, Let us put an end to this
Dimant; here is a settlement of my
debt" drew a revolver an shot him.
| the ball lodging in the Jews back. AS
| he fell De KatZmann went on. And
here Is your interest in full" and put
three more bullets into the usurer's
| head, killing him outright. 1t happened
| so quickly that the commissary could
not interfere.
De Katzmann surrendered himself at
| once. He was soon prostrated with
| brain fever and placed in a private
asylum, from which he was taken to
stand his trial. The case took up eight
days, when the jury acquitted him. on
the ground that the brtftal .conduct of
his creditor had .padG him irresp9nsi-
| BILE at the moment Of shooting. AS
| soon as he was released, De Katzmann
was taken back to the asylum, as he
had not yet recovered his senses.
| WOMEN IN THE CASE.
| Tbo puIgar;ap and Italian cacac n re
alike in that in each an inconvenient
woman was gotten rid of,the popularity
| in both being the social position of the
murderers. A handsome young Hun
garian woman named Anna Simon dis
appeared suddenly from Philippopolis
| last April. She was known to be the
| mistress of Major Boitcheff, a member
of Prince Ferdinands personal staff, ,and
had a two-year-old child by him. When
she was no longer seen he was sus-
pected of having done away with her
but after a few days kilograms came
from Vienna saying that she was Wis
iting friends there and asking that hel
letters be sent to her. The Bulgarian
officials suspected the kilograms ant
asked the Viennese police to look the
matter up. They found that the sender
|
asked to send the dispatches by his son
the stationmaster at the Philippopoli
| railroad station. Following this clu,
they finally found a gendarme who con
fessed to having had a share in tn,
murder and told this extraordinary
tale:
Anna Simon had irritated her love
by asking for money. He induced he
| NJ ND 10 fa1I la,s fs.in Il
of her intention. He entered the SAM
carriage with her on the train in com
| pany with M. Novelties, prefect of po
lice at Philippopolis, and the gendarme
After they had started the gendarm
chloroformed the girl. and when tn
train reached the bridge over the Rive
Martha, the Major. the prefect, and h
lifted the body and pushed ii through
the window, letting it fall into tn
stream below. The Martha is a Will
torrent and had then overfowed it
bank, so that it was sure that the bod
would be carried away quickly, Majo
Boitcheff and Prefect Novelties are un
, der arrest, but the trial is delayed Will
search is being made for the body.
THE LAST CRIME.
Fifteen years ago Captain Igen
J Neri-Serneri of the Italian army Will
quartered at Voghera with his regl
: | ment, made the acquaintance of
: country girl named Rosa Ardizzone, on
! | result of which was the birth of a bo!
} of whom the captain was declared I
! | be the father. He expected to shak
off all responsibility, but Rosa wa
, | tenacious and followed him from on