La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1910-05-29
Is the Count
eSS TarnOv-
sky the
WiCkedeSt Woman In
the World, Bringing
Death and Disgrace to
Everyone Who Loved
Her---Or is She the PerSe-
Venice, March 80.

<rY AM the most unfortunate woman
that ever lived. l am a martyr to
my own beauty. For men to be-
hold me Is to love me, to persecuts me
with avowals of their deathless passion,
to die by their own hands from despair.
or. ineuenced by jealousy. to become as
saasins. and involve me In the conse-
quenoes sf their crimes- am innocent
yet thsy would mako ma suffer with the
guilty" s.-..s.+ +.l..a -.- zs
Thus the raAiantly beautiful Russian
Countess Tarnovsky bewails the opera
efons Of destiny which have made her the
central figure In the most celebrated mur-
der conspiracy OF the century.
"Beautys martyr" sneer the Venetian
populace. .she is more devilish than all
the Borgtas and Strozzis rolled into one.
She - Mrs. Devil herself"
And they have mobbed her as she land
Cd from the gondola which is the Vene-
sian BLACK Maria" to join her fellow
conspiraaors before the tribunal of St
Mark. where the trial is now proceeding.
They have mobbed her with cries from
snragej women:
Drown her! Throw the creature into
the canal! Drown the wretch
Yet. with only two weeks expired OF
the trial that will last probably four
months the feeling of the Venetian popu-
lace - cur1ously changing. Her wonder
full beau,y-a youthful, slender figure In
black with only a touch Of white at the
throat-and her constant protestations Of
martyrdom to that beauty, seem to be
turning pubic sympathy in her direction.
That Venice should be the scene Of this
tragic drama, with its strange echoes
from the Fifteenth Century. Is peculiarly
hitting. The scene might almost be that
of Shaksspeares most brilliant comedy.
"The Merchant Of Venice" The history
Of the Countess Tarnovsky leading up to
the murder Of one Of her passion -crazed
dupes by another. while a third dupe
helped her plan out the details Of the
crime. probably would have inspired the
pen Of tho great Nizabsthan dramattst.
Chronology Of the Tragedy.
Briefly. the chronology of this greatest
OF modern, tragedies is as follows:
August, 1s97-Count Paul Kamarovsky
insured himself in a Vienna office for
sl00. 900 in the interest of Countess Marie
Tarnovsky.
August 26-He left Vienna for Venice.
September Count Kamarovsky was
shot at five times in his villa at Venice.
September 5-Nikolas Naumoff arrested
tn the train at Verona.
September 1Coun, Kamsrovsky died
DrEr rptr.
arrested At Vienna. Prilukofr confessed
and charged the Countess with having in
cited Naumon to murder the Count.
September e-Countess Tarnsvsky con-
fessed.
September 11-Confession revised and
retracted by Countess Tarnovsky
January 10. 1S0s-Extradition from
Vienna to Venice of the Countess and
Prilukor.
novsky. Elsie Perrier Cher masd). Nikolas
Naumof and Luiz PrilukoT begins In
Venice
In spite Of the best Of proofs that the
Countess had kept him near her for the
purpose Of making an assassin OF him.
Naumofi. the young sristocrat loves the
woman with more absorbing passion
than ever. On the opening day Of tie
trial. when he was confronted with her
in court he suddenly tore himself out
Of the grasp OF his guards and flung
himself al her feet
BY far the most Interesting and SEN
sztionaI facts about Countess Tarnov-
sky-fzcts OF special valse TO students Of
erinicology-Esre her practices OF tor
turing her lovers FMS Is species Of
oeseneracy which has Distinguished
many Of the worlds famous teUta.
beauties
In her Early examination size tod o.
Tire torture vheh Nsunofr underwent at
her hsncs- He suggested. shexzys. that
sAe should burn him with cigarette snSs
en8 stab him with hz7pgls. and he found
hls Delight In suffering
They used TO stab each other with II.
PES and bsthe the wounds with szs De
Sei2.es e iaasA.s ne sA.s-