Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
LURED MEN TO DEATH
BY HER WONDROUS BEAUTY

and marriage might prove an obstacle
rather than an aid to its complete pos
session. She got the count to insure his
life in her favo- for 100000. Prilukofr So
lected the company in which II was taken
out. The countess told him TO make sure
that in case the count was killed thena
could be no question OF disputing the pay
ment. Her next step To induce the
count to execute Il will In her favor by
which. in the event OF his death. the whole
of his great fortune would be hers. The
count so madly in love with her that
he was willing to accede to her every re-
quest.
The one thing remaining to he done to
make her an enormously wealthy woman
was to get rid of the count. She asked
Prukoff 10 do the job for her promising
TO reward him by marrying him and shar-
ing the counts fortune with him. Whether
she ever had any intention of redeeming
that pledge is doubtful.
Prilukoff took lessons in shooting and
studied other methods of assassination. Ac-
cordng TO the confession of the countess
the plan originally arranged was that Prilu-
koff should take the same train by which
the count was to travel from Vienna TO
Venice, by some preteXt get Into the COM
partment which the count would have re
served for himself. engage him in CONVEX
satiOn offer him uarcotised cigarette.
and. when ii had rendered him unconscious.
shoot him
1t was risky scheme and as the time
drew nigh for putting it in execution Pr.lu-
koff's nerve failed him.
But with PrIukofr baking IT became
necessary to employ a more daring tool to
get the count out Of the way. The count
ess summoned Prince Naumofr to Vienna.
The prince was only twenty five hot-blaod-
ed and impetuous. and madly jealous OF
any one who stood between him and tho
countess He had already sent Count
hamarovsky a letter threatening to kill him
II he cut him out. She told the prince
Ghn hoA ipta fNnI 70 f,ars hsar
than a Irritation with the count. but that
his prosecutions had rendered him detest-
able to her She assured the prince that
he was the only man she had ever really
loved. and offered him the same terms as
she had offered Priukoff and the more
Yenturesome prince eagerly accepted them.
1t was plot within plot. by which It
was to be made to appear that the count
ess and Prllukoff had striven to save the
count from the vengeance of his Jealous
rival. The prince was to XII the count at
his villa in Venice. tourneying from Vienna
for that purpose. Prilukof preceded him
thither with couple OF detectives and
posted them about the villa That would
substantiate the story he to tell-and
did tell when first arrested-that the count
ess had dispatched him to Venice to take
precautions to insure Count Kamarovsky's
safety. because she had heard the jealous
prince utter threats against the count's
life. And that he had really threatened
the counts life the letter to the count
would prove. AS to any charge that she
was n party to the plot to murder The
count they were to be met-as they were
at firstly her indignant and scornful de-
malls. The pair calculated that, as they
had planned things. 1t would be impossible
to prove. whatever the prince might say.
that they had any share in the counts
sassination.
1t was part OF the scheme that the de-
tectives were to capture the prince he
left the villa. That they didn't do. Prilu-
koff with his two men were actually in
front of the counts villa when the prince
entered 1t. But he d.d not tell the 6e-
tectives that the prince was going there to
shoot the count. That would have prevent
ed the murder. and the prevention OF the
murder would. Of course. prevent the count
ess from getting possession of the counts
fortune. That was the first point that
caused the police to doubt the genuineness
koff that all their efforts had been aimed
at saving the count from the danger that
threatened him.
The only order Prilukoff gave to the de-
tectives was to seize anybody who rushed
out Of the house. They bounced on a man
who ran out to give the alarm. and the
prince escaped them. only to be arrested
by the Italian police later. .,s .si .-
The count fingered for some days after
he was shot. The countess and Prilukoff
were arrested in Vienna Just after they
had collected the insurance money on the
counts life. Their trial and thai of tho
prince win take place in Venice, where the
crime was committed.