The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-27
Estate of 10000 Acres, with Yearly
Rent Roll of 5000, the Prize for
Which She Strived.
MOTLEY THR0NG OF WITNESSES
READY TO TESTIFY TO BOTH SIDES
OF THE NOVEL CASE.
Hundreds Of Polish Peasants, Some
Women with Babes i'm Arms, in
Court at Berlin.

BERLIN, Oct. 26.-The trial of Countess
Isabella Wascersha Kwilecki. belonging to
a rich and aristocratic Polish family, on
the charge of pretending to have borne a
son over six years ago and presenting him
as the heir to an estate at Wroblewe, prov
ince of Posen, consisting of 10000 acres and
having a yearly rental roll totaling $4,000,
began here to-day. Count Kwilecki appears
at the trial. charged with being an access
sorry to the crime. The countess was ar
rested Jan. % of the present year. and the
count was taken into custody Aug. 5. One
midwife and the women servants also were
placed in the box as accessories
The morning train from Posen brought
about $50 witnesses. mostly Polish peasants,
who made a motley crowd in the courtroom
owing to the variegated colors of their
dresses and headgear and the crying babies
in the arms of many of them.
Countess Kwilech is defended by several
leading Polish lawyers. Very great interest
is manifested in the case as the accused
count and countess are well known in the
higher aristocratic circles of Berlin She
was born in March of 1876. married the count
in 1854 and bore him three children the last
in 1879 Then. the count and countess claim
the latter gave birth TO the SON who is the
cause of the present proceedings. This son
| is said to have been born Jan. II, 1897. The
prosecution claims that the latter is the son
of peasant girl of Parcze, in Austrian ST.
lesia, who is present as a witness and as
claimant for the child.
The session of the court to-day was
wholly occupied with detailing the testi-
mony OF the countess, who is of aristo-
cratic appearance. She stood erect, holding
| lor9nette in her right hand and gesticuat-
ing excitedly with her left hand while an
swering questions put to her by the pre-
siding judge. The countess pleaded mot
guilty" and sweepingly denied all completely
| in any criminal act. But the countess was
| frequently cornered by the Judge. She was
| unable to give satisfactory explanations of
many suspicious circumstances and some
| damaging facts were brought out includ-
| ing that when the countess came to Ber-
| lin to await her ACCOMPLISHMENT She said
she did so because she could get better
medical attention here, but she did not
call in a physician and employed an obscure
midwife. The countess, it was also shown
| by the testimony, intended going abroad
| for the ACCOMPLISHMENT and only desisted
from so doing upon representations being
made to her that the collateral heirs of the
| estate would suspect her. Another point
brought out to-day was that the countess
| refused to see the family physician when
he came from Posen to Berlin in order to
| attend her and that she also declined to
| permit him to see the childs umbilicial
| cord. The trial is expected to last long
/ time.
Count Misjislaw Kwilecki, member of
the Prussian House of Lords and his son,
Count Hector KwilecH, a member of the
| Reichstag, contested, as next of kin, the
| legitimacy of the countess's son about two
| years previous to her arrest, but after a
sensational trial at Posen she was acquitted
| and the countess and the count, her hus-
| band continued to live quietly on the Polish
| estate spending the winters in fashionable
Berlin society. The prosecuting attorney
| however. continued his Investigations and
| 1t is said, obtained fresh testimony through
| a police examination Of woman who bore
| a child at the time the son OF Countess
| kwilecki Is said to have been born and the
rearreSt of the countess followed 1t is
| alleged that the countess had women OF
high rank as accomplices. These whose
| names have not been disclosed, are said tic
have procured the illegitimate son of the
daughter of railroad watchmen in Austria
| and at the proper moment to have brought
the baby to the countess's apartments In
| Berlin.