The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-14
DRUNKEN RUSSIAN
SOLDIERS RAN AMUCK
Murdered Aged Polish Prince and His
Two Daughters-The CHASTITY De-
tails Are lust Revealed.


Associated Pressl.-A graphic story {
the murder by drunken Russian soldier
of Prince Sangushko, a Polish noble, an
of his two daughters, the Countesse
Rzyszczwski, is related by the Petrogra
correspondent of Lloyd's News.
Before the war the tragedy lately en-
acted at Slavuta would have sent thril
of horror throughout Europe" says tn
i. correspondent "As it is, the bare fac
that the venerable Prince Sangushko, o
years old, had been murdered, has beer
announced, but the CHASTITY details o
the crime have only just been revealed
"The castle of Slayuta built when th,
district of southwestern Russia, where il
stands, belonged to the king of Poland
lies on the outskirts of a little manufac
turing town of the same name. Owing I,
the unsettled state of the country, which
is infested by deserters from the army
the military authorities had sent guarC
of dragons to the castle, which contain:
priceless historical treasures accumulat.
ed by the Sangushko family in the course
of the centuries.
"One of these dragons caught sol
dier from neighboring village cutting
down tree in the forest surrounding the
castle and tackled him. The thief was
| slightly wounded, but not severely
enough to prevent his running to the
neighboring village, where his regiment
was stationed, shrieking that the guard
stl Ia 10 rda inn
The soldiers comrades at once seized
their rifles and surrounded the castle of
Prince Sangushko. They began to fire,
and the dragons on guard returned
their fire. All the time the officers and
members of the regimental committee
were appealing to the insurgent soldiers
to obey orders and to cease firing.
Suddenly they gave way, only stipu-
lating that deputation from the regi-
mental committee should search the cas-
tie, as they were convinced that the old
prince had stored machine-guns for use
in the cause of the counter revolution.
OF course there were no machine guns,
and all that was found were a few
sporting guns and revolvers.
"Just as suddenly as the crowd of sol
diers, standing in the courtyard of the
castle, had yielded to the appeal of their
officers, came a new uproar, and, in an
instant, they had oserpowered the guard
and rushed into the castle. Neither
threats nor appeals had the slightest ef
feet on them. They destroyed. in fit OF
fury, everything that they
could lay hands on. Pictures, furniture,
statues, draperies were destroyed blind |
IL a. L. ~
nate and his two nieces, the young and |
beautiful Countesses Rzyszczwski, fled to
one of the attics, hoping that, if their
home was to be ruined at least their
ives might be saved. From early in the |
morning when the marauders began their /
lttack, until 5 O'Clock in the afternoon,
he sacking of the castle went on. Then
he soldiers retired to the courtyard,
"'What about the prince?' cried one
# them.
"tsAnd the lovely countesses? added
mother.
"Back into the castle rushed band of
oldiers, and began to search for the
wner. At last he was found and dragged
nto the courtyard among the derisive
ellis of the soldiers waiting for their
ictim. They decided TO take him to the
illage where they were stationed and
ragged the old man along, for he was
90 old to walk at the pace they de
ired. On the way they finally lost the
lst shred of self-coptrol, let the prince
rop half senseless on the ground, and !.
hen a score of men thrust their bay !
nets through his body. So died Prince
angushko. His murderers, like savage .
casts, tore his body in pieces. i.
1.-THE fate of his nieces, the two Count
sses RzysZczwski, was more terrible
nan that of the prince. They had man
ged to escape by back way and had $
OF to the market place of the town !
here they were recognized, and soldiers 7
once seized them. These two youthful !
'untesses, whose exquisite loveliness
Id made them the center of all eyes in :
lie salons of the palaces of Warsaw, and 7
hose goodness and sweetness had made !,
lem beloved by the people of Slavuta, !
ere defended for time by the Catholic =
lest of Slavuta, who had know them
ON childhood and prepared them for g
st communion. But the soldiers re- =
sed to be deprived of their victims and !,
covered blows with the butt-ends of VI
cir rifles on the courageous priest, who
II and was beaten TO death. 1t is per
ps well that the sufferings of the two
untesses ended in death. \,
"The day ended with the soldiers run Y
ng amuck in the town, numbering and
peaceful inhabitants, while -
e scene was lit up by the flames of the y
azing castle of the Sangushko."