Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-07
Release Countess
From TRAM Prison
BY Henry Wood.

IudllClcS were DGSuH IOI securing CIiG
conditional release from the prisons
at Trani of Countess Maria TarnoT-
ska. In all probability she will be
released on parole the latter part of
the month.
The beautiful Russian countess was
sentenced in 1910 to eight years i'm
prisonment for having melted 4
youthful lover, Nicholas Namoff, to
murder another of her sweetheartS,
Count Kamarowsky, that she might
collect the 100000 life insurance
which he had taken out in her name.
Of these eight years the countess has
already served the two required in
solitary confinement and an additional
year in the prisons at Trani. Her
department in that time has not only
been so exemplary, but in many re-
spects so extraordinary, that little
doubt is felt she will be given the
conditional liberty which the Italian
law now makes possible.
When the United Press correspond
ent called at the prisons at Trani
with a special permit to see the coun-
tess, the prison authorities were
deeply laudatory of their prisoner.
"She will leave US an entirely differ
ent woman" they said "She will
leave US a woman of God" In the
three years which the countess has
now been in prison she is declared to
have given herself entirely over 70
religion with fervor only equalled
by that which she is declared to have
formerly manifested in making men
fall madly in love with .her and then
pitting them against each other till
they destroyed themselves. When
young Nicholas Namoff fell victim to
her charms she is declared to have
embraced repeatedly in his presence
Count Kamarowsky until her promp3a-
ings and his own jealous fury led him
to come from Vienna to this city ani
kill the count.
SO fervidly, however, has the couu-
tess since given herself to religion
that the prison officials today declar-
ed that it was this alone that en-
abled her to survive the two terrible
years of solitary confinement which
so often proves fatal to Italian pris-
oners. Almost every waking mo-
ment Of those two years, the officials
stated today, spent in cell barely
large enough for her to lie down IN
and under conditions which exist per
haps in no other prison In the world
today, was spent in prayer, religious
chants and religious contemplation.
When at last the two years were
passed and the countess was placed
in contact with her fellow prisoners
there was no relaxing from her re-
! ligious practices. Her room at Trani,
which is large and sunny, is shared
with three other prisoners. They are
not religious but the countess prays
and reads the Bible in their presence
just the same. She attends all the
religious services in the chapel, re-
peating all the prayers and singing
all the chants. When from time 20
time she is allowed to play on the
chapel organ, it is only sacred music
which she plays, instead of the intox-
icating Russian ballet airs that were
formerly her passion.
When in February of last year she
began her new period of Imprisonment
in contact with her fellow prisoners
she was also placed at work with
them. For the first few months the
countess was put in the knitting and
weaving room, where she worked on
the manufacture of the coarsest knit
underwear. Uncomplaining, hard
working and ever religious she won
the favor of the prison chaplain. He
was interested in her behalf and had
her transferred to outside work, that
of gardening. 1t necessitated one more
hard change for the former elegant,
exquisite Russian beauty. She was
obliged to don the prison gardeners
uniform, costume of the coarsesr,
meanest, ugliest description. She did
so, however, took her hoe in hand and
began her outdoor work.
1t was while doing this that she
was seen by the United Press corre-
spondent. There was no mistaking
the evident change that has come in
to her life. The few months that the
countess has now been doing garden
work have evidently served to restore
her fully to her former health and
there was still evident III her hands
and face and carriage all of the old
feminine charm and bewtchery which
has led so many men to their ruin.