The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-13
A PRINCE OF CRIMINALS.
Ferdinand or Bulgaria Again Appears NJ tn
Protector or Court Assassinn.

Protector or Court Assassinn.
The trial of Capt. Boitcheff. the Bulgarian
courtier who murdered his sweetheart. Anna
Simon, on the outskirts Of Philippopolis, revealed
more intimate association between the criminal
and tho ~reigning Prince than had been sus-
pected. Prince Ferdinand of Coburg himself
had impressed upon Boitcheff the necessity Of
removing the girl from Bulgaria. He did not
wish to have his future Adjutant open to the
reproaches which Boitcheff's unusual perfdy
would provoke as long as the girl remained in
the country. Therefore he gave the Captain
$4,000 with which to bride the girl to depart and
leave the court in peace.
Boitcheff spent the money in a series Of de-
bauches, and Anna Simon did not receive even
the offer of a sou of it. Prince Ferdinand knew
this, yet he retained Boitcheff as his bosom
friend, persisting in gazetting him for the place
of Princes Adjutant, kept him in his army
commission without even q reprimand. and
invited him repeatedly to state dinners,
though aware that his guest had been
privy to a plot to kill Anna Simon in
sense Of tragic irony, therefore. that Boitcheff
selected the river bank. within sight of
Ferdinand's summer palace. as the fitting place
at which to chloroform and strip his sweetheart,
rope her to a stone. and sink her in the stream.
Boitcheff knew his man. knew him as the one
who aided and abetted the murderers of Stam-
buloff, and SO did not fear the shock which the
tragedy might cause the Prince. He, in fact,
took full pains to bring tho murder as near
the court as he could. in every respect, thus
giving Ferdinand every reason to suppress in
vestigation of the crime.
Tho correctness of Boitchefr 8 calculations was
shown after the murder was discovered. Tho
evidence poin ted to Boitcheff as the murderer.
1t was common talk in Sofia and Philippopolis
that Boitchef was the guilty man; SO also in
Budapest, where Anna Simon's father had d-
rected the Governments attention to the case.
Boitchef was Q marked man. yet all Bulgaria
importanoe-predicted that no effort would be
made to bring him to justice. Nor was any such
effort made until the Austro, Hungarian Gov.
ernment became too importunate to be put Off
longer. go. despite Prince Ferdinand's protect
ing arm. Boitcheff was arrested.
and at PRINCE Ferdinand's table, to which ne had
been In yited after the fact OF his guilt had been
could be established outside OF a court OF law.
The Prince had hoped to staye OFF exposure. It is
Ssid; and he'd ;Sin no h idea that b nt the police would act
Austrian Consul refused to cnuntenance delay.
and saw that the officers of the law did their
duty. even within the precincts OF the court.
When the policeman with the order OF arrest
entered S,;do the I'd. dining room: Boitehsff vas vas sitting
rose at once and, white 70 his ear tips. listened
20 the reading. Of the order. He required that
Inc hCC OIL arrest DC Ueterreu until no could leave
in twenty.four hours. ,Boltchefr could Be de-
tained there and be taken away Immediately
Ferdlnsgnd intendeed d't to '5 help pr Bo leihefI TO TO e escape
or not In the mean time can only be guessed. Tho
rather against the Prince, for that ofiicisi insist.
ed that.i Boitcheff were not taken away at once,a
palace to hold him fast, The palace was sur
rounded by the military and Prince Ferdinand
was able to depart without seeing his friend.
The murQer6r, under guard. Princess Clpnan-
tine. Ferdinand's mother, who has supplied all
the money and most OF the sagacity needed 10
compromising himself, and telegraphed to him:
This rascal BoitGhef must receive the full
penalty aiiowed By BqlE1rian lazy; otherwise. !
This telegram stirred Ferdinand 10 action. and
he had Boitchetf's uniforms and decorations
ever, showed that court influences never ceased
to work for the murderer. The evidence Of
mend him to mercy. "Extenuating cream.
stances were urged upon me trial court, and
with imprisonment for life. In tho case of n
courtier In Bulgaria Of course this sentence
" is also significant OF tho course Of Justice
under Prince Ferdinand that, while BoitchcR
court without tho slightest danger of his being
attacked, Anna Simon's father. who went to
BULGARIA. as a witness, was in constant peril.
Two Budapest detectives and ten Bulgarian
police were needed 10 protect him from the as
sassins known 70 be in the service OF Boitchef's
friends. Even his daughters little child thai he
took with him from Budapest was menaced by
poisoners until h eplaced her under the protection
Sfan English I'm family, ne wrs escorted to the train
detectives accompanied him to his home In The
Hungarian capital. II is almost needless TO say
the part OF the Bulgarian authorities. They
were demanded BY the Anstro,H hungarian Gov,
his incriminated friends better than docs any
other Government in Europe.