The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-03
st. Petersburg Startled by Kill
ing of Man Prominent in
Court Circles.
DEATH DUE TO INJECTION
OF CHOLERA ANTI-T0XIN
Another Mysterious Killing Is
Traced to Court With Finan-
cial Interest at Stake.
BY GEORGE FRASER.

Special Cable to The Tribune.
ST. PETERSBURG, July 2.-It has
been n long time since st. Petersburg
society has been so shocked rs 1T has
been by the poisoning Of Vasii Butur-
lin, only son the General Buturlin,
member of noble fumily which has
been prominent in court circles since
the time Of Peter The Great. The ar-
rest and subsequent confession OF DR..
Pantchenko, a man Of 70 years, has
added TO the sensation
Young Vassili Buturlin was 26 years
of age and an officer in the famous
Preobrajenski regiment Of guards. A
couple of years ago he fell in love with
n German music hall singer named Ma
rie Siecke, and resigned his commis-
sion in order TO marry. her. lie sub
seduently obtained a position IN the
ministry of tho interior, and although
he owned a large property IN the prov
Iince in Wilma. as well as house IN St.
Petersburg, besides being tho heir to
great fortune, he lived retired life,
On MAY 24 last Vassih Buturlln be-
came seriously i'll aud died the next
day. after the doctor who was attend
iug him had administered several sub
cutnneous injections. General Buturnn
permitted post mortem to be held,
the result Of which was 10 estahllsh
the fact that the young man had been
poisoned Suspicion fell upon DIR, Pant
chcnko.
Panchenko, under police pressure,
confessed that he willfully poisoned
young Buturlin by injecting cholera
anti.toxin obtained from the Constadt
! laboratory. The dose was calculated
to insure death within few days. He
declared he was instigated by O'Brien
| de Lassy, the brother-in-law of the
dead man, who, however, protests his
innocence.
General Buturlin at first resented the
"mesalliaucc' of his son, but eventual
| " became reconciled TO the marriage
and is now on affectionate terms with
| his daugb ter.iulaw. The general . only
other child is q daughter married to
| O'Brien de Lassy, n Wilma land owner
and a descendant of the famous French
Marshal de Lassy.
The police theory is that O'Brien
dc Lassy procured the poisoning so
that he through his wife would secure
! S5,000,00O.
A Curious Coincidence.
The poisoning of Buturin occurred
almost simultaneously with a similar
wealthy Polish land owner named
Krianowsky had been murdered in
some furnished rooms which he occa-
sioually freQuented. BY most extra
ordinary coincidence his brother in-law,
Count Roniker. who has been arrested
on suspicion of having instig ed the
crime is distant conncctioy of NJ
! o 'Bricn De LasSv. who is now in Jail
in connection with the Buturlin case.
Young KrianowSky. who was only II
years old. was apparently killed with q
blunt instrument after desperate
struggle, The doors and walls of the
room in which the body was found were
bespattered with blood As the result
of the police investigation, suspicion
fell on the owner of the furnished
rooms and his nephew, and they were
both arrested Further inquiry con
vuced the police that whoever might
be the actual murderer, there was some"
one else who had prompted the crime
One of the newspapers mentioned
Count Roniker's name in connection
with the affair, and the count, who was
married TO the victims sister, went OF
his own accord TO the detective depart
mcnt, and asked that an explanation
should be demanded from the editor Of
the paper The chief of the secret po-
lice confronted Count Roniker with the
two men under arrest. and they ideuti-
fled the count rs the person who had
rented the rooms.
Count Roniker was forthwith ar
rested Marks of scratches were found
on his throat A school fellow of
Krianowsky testified that he had
seen the count copversing with tho vic
tim very shortly before the murder.
Count Ronikcr is described as being
of engaging personality, He enjoyed
great popularity in Polish society and
is the author of several novels and
successful plays.
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