Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-02-07
POISONED R
COPIES LETTER
IN COURT
TYPEWRITER MAKES BUT
ONE SERIOUS ERROR
Odd MiSSive Figures in Alleged
Plot to Cause Death of Prom
inent RusSiansi Experts Are
About Evenly Divided,
my Mornlns Journal Special Leased Wire,

my Morning Journal Special Leased wirel
st. Petersburg, Feb. 6.--Count Pat
rick o'Brien de Lassy, who wit9 Or.
Pantchenko, is being tried for the
poisoning of Count Bouturlin, oceu-
pied the center of the stage at the
proceedings today. The prosecution
Is endeayorng to establish that de
Lassy wrote letter to Pantchenko
relating TO the plan to poison both
General Bouturlin and his son.
The typewriter letter was found
among Pantchenko's papers at the
time Of his arrest. The envelope was
missing, and Pantchenko explained he
had thrown 1t away. The authorship
has been attributed by Patohenko to
de Lassy who stoutly denies this.
As a test de Lassy was requested to
recopy a portion of the letter on his
own typewriter, which was brought
into court today
Surrounded by gendarmes and type
writing experts he wrote two lines
with great difficulty and then claimed
eye fatigue. An examination of the
lines showed he had made one gross
error.
The experts were about evenly di-
yided. One government expert said
the letter had been written on de
Lassy's machine; another that II was
written on union machine but Il
was impossible to say whether 1t was
de Lassy's or somebody elses. One
expert for the defense declared defi-
nitely the letter had not been written
on de Lassys machine. Others took
the ground that the data was not suf-
ncient to warrant any conclusion.
The Interpretation Of the letter also
ls presenting difficulties. The letter
bears no date, and reads:
Dear doctor Received your let
ter but could not see you as was
not alone could do nothing. here,
as the weather was too cold for
iodine, but Will commence in short
while. Shall soon come. In expec-
tation. study we'll technical side ol
the question. Your patient Will ar
rive on the twelfth. Accept best
greetings for new year till we meet
soon. Go to the Ministry"
In his confession Pantchenko ex-
plained that Iodine referred to the
plan 10 poison General Bouturlin and
that the words " technical sde'' refer
red to the plan to poison young Bou-
turlin.
In his testimony yesterday, how
ever, Pantchenko said that I" techni-
cal side" made no reference to Bou-
turlin but probably referred to plan
to open sanltorium at wilma. or a
laboratory or other business projects
which he had discussed with de Lassy.
The question of poisoning General
Bouturlln Is not concerned In the
present case. and Pantchenko allowed
himself greater latitude regarding the
Interpretation of the passage referring
to iodine"
He explained that iodine does
not refer to scheme to dispose OF
General Bouturlin. but to the pre-
paration OF one of the tablets of To-
dine which General Bouturlin was In
the habit OF taking. The plan was
to bore hole in the tablet and drop
a poisonous powder therein, sealing
the tablet up again. Pantchenko said
he gave de Lassy quantity OF sui
phuric magnesia for this purpose.
Pantchenko made no objection to
the remark of the medical experts
that this compound was harmless as
his plan OF defense seems to be to
show that de Lassy proposed the
poisoning and that he himself pre-
tended to agree to the carrying out OF
the plot for the sake Of the money,
but that he did not employ any eifee-
tive means to this end and that Count
vassllu said Bourturlln's death was
purely accidental.
Count de Lassy's attitude apparently
is that he has been made the victim
of blackmaii.
The testimony In the evening threw
light on the mysterious schemes OF
Pantchenko and de Lassy long before
the death of Count Vassillu, A tele-
gram from Pantchenko addressed to
de Lassy dated March is, 1903, read
ing
Remit 900, will arrange affair,
was presented In evidence.
Pantenchenko explained this REFER
red to the sale OF de fassys house al