Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-20
HAD HER HEART PIERCED.

Countess Nina Won. JeWeitska ISL
dieka died in the Grady Hospital, at
Atlanta, Ga, Wednesday night. Ac-
cording to her dying command her
heart was pierced with steel needle
TO make sure of her death. In hearse
drawn by six white horses her body
was borne out to West View Cemetery
at dusk Thursday evening, and there
The gravs-was closed over her.
Twelve years ago there arrived in
Atlanta fragile and remarkable WON
an, then sixty eight years old. She
had traversed this continent in search
of ii lost son, who bad married beneath
his station. AT this poiut her increas-
ing years would not permit her to travel
farther, and she settled down, awaiting
the end.
The story she told was romantic end
the proofs she possessed of its truth
were beyond question. Countess Zel-
lieka was born 10 st. Petersburg in
1917 Of a German ducal family, which
had attached itself to the Russian
Court. At the age Of sixteen she was
married to the Count Zeldieka. Gar
Nicholas I, furnished her dowry and
gave her husband place upon the i'm.
perinl staff For years fortune smiled
npon the couple until the death of the
old Emperor.
Zeldeika offended Car Alexander,
osing his place at court. For years af-
terward he consorted with dangerous
companions, and in 1865. when Kara
llozov attempted the life of Alexander,
it was deemed prudent for Count Zei-
dieka to seek safety in fight. Ger
many and England refused him refuge,
so he journeyed to New York,
where, with his wife and younger mem.
oer5 of his family, ne sought to live
without Russian espionage. Drink
finally drove him to suicide, and death
deprived the countess of all her child
ren save one, bright boy in whom her
hopes were conferred.
In 1878 he shocked his mother by
marrying a ancing girl. he refused to
meet her new dsughter-ln.law, aud
bade her son quit her presence forever.
The lapse OF few days, however, soft
eued her heart, and she sought her son.
70 Phiiadelpbia, Chicago, Cincinnati,
ST. Louis aud across to San Francisco
and back she travelled, but all 10 vain.
1t was as if the earth had swallowed
him up. The years passed on and all
hope seemed gone. Weary, the old
woman gave up the search, but always
exclaimed "He will seek me yet"
In Atlanta the countess took rooms
in retired part of the city. She
furnished them elaborately, but had
no intimates save Attorney Kontz,
who looked after her interests and is
now in possession of her will, to settle
which he will 90 to ST. Petersburg in
few days. The countess prepared a
number of written requests and these
she ordered pinned under pictures or
the wall. One of them was "When |
die, have the doctor pierce my heart
with needle that death may be as
,ured before my burial"
Another request was that her shroud
be of white satin. She wished neither
flowers nor tombstone over her
grave, but insisted that the hearse
drawing her to her last sleep be drawn
by six white horses according to the
old German custom.
1t is understood that in her will she
left large sum of money to thu hos
pital in which she died. She steadily
refused religious consolation, though
she belonged 10 the Greek faith.