The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-03-25
A COUNTESS'S MURDER PLOT
Russias "Red Widow" Planned the
Death Of Her Fiance.

pretty near all Europe is talking of the
Tarnowska murder trial The Count.
ess Tarnowska, a maddenng beauty
without a heart is accused of conspir-
used her sensuous hypnotic powers in
murder third She is said to have
used her sensuous hypnotic powers in
getting one of these admirers to shoot
in his bed an aged nobleman to whom
she was betrothed, the purpose being
to obtain 100000, for which amount
the fiance had insured himself in her
favor The lovely Countess Marie
lTarnowska her maid, Marie Perler,
and her two sweethearts, brilliant
Moscow lawyer named Prilukoff and a
young Russian weakling named Naum-
off, are on trial for the killing of the
countess senile tiance, old Count
Kamarowski, in order that they might
all continue a life of ease on their vic
TINS life insurance money.
Three times since the trial began
fortnight ago Countess Tarnowski has
collapsed when the market
women of Venice mobbed the gondola
that was bearing her from the prison
to the court, and would have drowned
her in the canal but for the chain
which bound her feet to the gend-
armes ;once when Prilukoff, the older
accomplice accused her of being CO.
lcaine fiend and devotee of cruel prac-
tees upon her admirers, and once
when she herself retracting the con-
fession she had made, sought to put the
whole burden of the crime upon the
other prisoners. This last happened
night before last. 1t was marked by
an outburst of hysterical protestation
that excited the entire audience and
changed it over night from hostile
crowd eager to insult and threaten her
into a silent, sympathetic assemblage
ready to cheer for her.
The countess testimony this morn
ling was an amplitication of what she
has already told-how Prilukoff sug-
gested the killing of her aged admirer
and continued to argue that the crime
was absolutely necessary to their safe
ty, until she surrendered and allowed
Prilukoff to devise the plot by means
of which Naumoff was induced to shoot
Count Kamarowski.
AS against this story stands the
statement of the two men that they
were completely under the domination
of the red haired Russian charmer;
THAT to please her they did the most
ridiculous things; that they submitted
themselves to the ingenious forms of
torture which she originated, such as
the burning of their hands with a Gig
arctic and the tattooing of their lips
with her hatpins, and that she from
the beginning to the end was the
prime mover and arch conspirator in
the murder scheme.
Despite her evident guilt, the wom-
ans beauty and her dauntless bearing
are winning the populace to her side.
She makes an effective picture as she
Is in the cage-like dock with the 9th
er three. Her dull ivory skin, great
gray-green lustrous eyes and wavy,
coppery hair are set off by a huge
black hat and plain black gown. On
her long ,shapely hands are gray suede
gloves. But for the iron bars that wall
her in and pair of small handouts
that are kept constantly locked upon
her wrists, she might pass for some
grand lady come to see the trial.
A favorite trick with the countess is
to clasp her slender gloved hands to.
gether in an attitude of prayer and to
send forth silent entreaties from her
wonderfully expressive eyes. Doing
this, she takes care, always, that the
links at her chained wrists shall clank
effectively, and at the rattle of the
steel little SILVER of sympathy in
variably runs through the packed and
suffocating chamber.
But the judges are unmoved, even
though the people have succumbed
and inch by inch the prosecutor goes
on building up the evidence which will
doubtless send the countess and the
, wo men to Italys famous dumb prison
| there to wear their lives out in silent
= solitary confinement more horrible
, than any quick death could be.
For the favor of Countess Marie al
; least six men have ruined themselves
and she is still young. Two were
murdered on her account, one tried tC
commit suicide and two are confessed
murderers and will end their lives as
r felons. OF the six, four deserted wives
! and children to follow her. Daughter
? of Count O'Rurik, descendant of al
: Irish soldier of fortune who emigrateC
= to Russia, Countess Tarnowska was
! born in Kieff in 1879. AS a schoolgirl
2 of II she eloped with Count Tarnowska
5 Quarrelng with her husband in thei
g home at Keiff, she intrigued with ont
Y of the counts friends, and desiring t.
punish her husband, kissed the man il
S his presence and before company o
] guests. The count shot his betraye
K dead on the spot. He was tried ant
S acquitted Divorce proceedings follow
e ed. The case was carried to Moscow
t THE countess's solicitor was Prilukoh