New Britain herald., 1918-01-15
DELIBERATE MURDER
 OF COUNTESSES
Brutal Method Employed by Rus
 Sians in Drunken Frenzy

London, Jan. 18.-(Correspondence of The Associated Press. )-A graphic story of the murder by drunken Rus
 sian soldiers of Prince Sangushko,
 Polish noble and of his two daugh-
 ters, the Countesses Rzysczcwski, is related by the Petrograd correspon~ dent of Lloyds News.
 "Before the war the tragedy lately enacted at Slavuta would have sent a thrill of horror throughout Europe" says the correspondent. "As it is. the bare fact that the venerable Prince Sangushko, 90 years old, had been murdered, has been announced. but the ghastly details of the crime have only just been revealed.
 "The castle of Slavuta, built when the district of southwestern Russia, where it stands, belonged to the king of Poland, lies on the outskirts of little manufacturing town of the same name, Owing to the unsettled state of the country, which is infested by deGeri CTS from the army, the military authorities had sent a guard of dra- goons to the castle, which contains priceless historical treasures accumu- lated by the Sangushko family in the course of the centuries
 One of these dragoons caught soldier from a neighboring village cutting down a tree in the forest sur, rounding 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 at the castle was trying to murder him. The sol dier's comrades at once seized their rifles and surrounded the castle of Prince Sangushko. They began to fire, and the dragons on guard re- turned their fire. All the time the officers and the members of the regi- mental committee were appealing to the insurgent soldiers to obey orders and to cease firing.
 Suddenly they gave way, only Stip- ulating that a deputation from the regimental committee should search the castle, as they were convinced that the old prince had stored ma- chine guns for use in the cause of the counter revolution. Of course, there were no machine guns, and all that was found was a few sporting guns and revolVerS.
 Just as suddenly as the crowd of soldiers, standing in the courtyard of the castle, had yielred to the appeal of their officers. came a new uproar, ! and, in an instant, they had over- i powered the guard. and rushed into the castle. Neither threats nor appeals had the slightest effect on them. They destroyed, in fit of naniaca1 fury, everything that they could lay hands on. Pictures, furniture, statues, dra- peries were destroyed blindly, ruth ! lessly. The venerable Polish magnate and his two nieces the young and beautiful Countesses Rzyszczcwski, . fled to one of the attics, hoping that, if their home was to be ruined at least their lives might be saved. From early in the morning, when the ma rauders began their attack, until five o'clock in the afternoon, the sacking of the castle went on. Then the sol- 1 diers retired to the court yard.
 "'What about the prince?' cried one of them.
 And the lovely countesses?' add 1 ed another.
 Back into the castle rushed band 1 of soldiers, and began to search for | the owner At last he was found, and 1 dragged into the court yard among 1 the derisive wells of the soldiers wait | ing for their victim. They decided to | take him to the village where they 1 were stationed, and dragged the old 1 man along, for he was too old to walk ] at the pace they desired. On the way they finally lost the last shred of self {, control, let the prince drop,-half | senseless, on the ground and then a score of men thrust their bayonets into his body. So died Prince Sang