New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-07
EFFORTS TO CONVICT
De LASSY OF MURDER
Conflicting Testimony in Trial
of the Count and Dr..
PantChenkO.
TYPEWRITER IN COURT
Accused Physician Gives Ex-
PLANTATION of Mysterious
Letter - Relations
with Durnovo.

ST Petersburg. Feb. 6.-Count Patrick
O'Brien de Lassy. who, with Dr.. Pant
chenko. is being tried for the poisoning
Of Count Nassili Bouturlin. occupied the
centre of the stage at the proceedings to-
dsy. The prosecution is endeavoring TO
establish that Count de Lassy wrote
letter 10 Or. Pantchenko relating to the
plan 70 poison both Count Bouturlin and
his son. The letter, which was typewrit-
ten. was found among Or. Pantchenko's
papers at the time OF his arrest The en-
velope was missing and Pantchenko ex-
planned that he had thrown 1t away. The
authorship OF the letter has been attrib-
uted by Pantchenko 10 De Lassy. who
stoutly denies this.
As test De Lassv was instructed TO
recopv a portion OF the letter on his own
machine, which was brought into court
to-day. Surrounded by gendarmes and
typewriting experts. he wrote two lines
with great difficulty and then said that
his eyes were tired. An examination of
the lines showed that he had made one
gross error.
The experts were about evenly divided.
The government expert testified that the
letter had been written on De Lassy's
machine, another that IL was written on
a machine of a certain make, but that IL
was impossible 10 say whether II was De
Lassy's or somebody elses The expert
for the defence said that the letter had
not been written on De Lassy's machine.
Others took the ground that it was i'm
possible 10 form any conclusion.
The Interpretation Of the letter is also
presenting difficulties. II bears no date.
and reads as follows.
Dear Doctor.
Received your letter. bur could not see
you, as I was not alone. Could do moth
ing here. as the weather vas too cold FOR
iodine, but commence in short while
Shall soon come. In expectation. study
Well technical side Of the question. Your
patient will arrive on the 18th Accept
best greetings for New Years. TIL We
meet soon. Go 70 the ministry.
In his confession DR.. Pantchenko ex-
planned that iodine" referred 70 the plan
10 poison General Bouturlin and that
the words technical side" referred to
the plan 70 poison young Bouturlin. In
his testimony yesterday, however. Or.
said that technical side
Z bly, referred 70 q plan 70 open a sana-
torium at wilma or a laboratory or other
business project which he had discussed
with De Lassy. The question Of poison
irz General Bouturlin is not concerned
in the present case. and DR. Pantchenko
allowed himself greater latitude regard
ing the Interpretation Of the passage re-
ferring 70 iodine"
He explained that iodine" did net re-
fer 70 a scheme TO murder General Bou-
the tablets OF iodine which General
Bouturlin was in the habit OF taking
The plan was 10 bore q hole in the tab
let and drop a poisonous powder therein,
sealing the tablet up again. Pantchenko
said that he gave Count de Lassy a
quantity OF sulphuric magnesia for this
purpose
DR.. Pantchenko made no objection %
the remark OF the medical experts that
this compound was harmless, as his plan
Of defence seems 70 be 10 show that De
Lassy proposed the poisoning and that
he himself pretended to agree 10 the
carrying cut OF the plot for the sake Of
the money, but that he did not employ
49,, ,Nactix-n means m this end ard thar
Count Vassili Bouturlins death was
purely accidental
Count de Lassy's attitude apparently |
IS that he has been made the victim Of
blackmal.
The testimony in the evening threw |
light on the mysterious schemes OF Or. |
Fantchenko and Count de Lassy long |
before the death Of Count Vassili 4 |
telegram from Pantchenko addressed to |
De Lassy and dated March Is. 1909. read |
ing. Remit 300; will arrange affair" |
was presented in evidence. Pantchenko |
explained that this referred 70 the sale |
of De Lassy's home at wilma, but the |
established the point that De /
L.assy acquired the house in July. 1903 /
Further testimony showed that the two /
men met in the Ct Petersburg house Of |
VI. Durnovo, a high railway official,
where De Lassy was staying. The lat
ters financial entanglements. which /
we're gone into extensively by the prose
,utor. indicated that his troubles began
a bout the time the Ministry OF Marine