The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-06-22 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

MURDER IN THE CAUCASUS.  Mr. Alex. Sutherland, lierefo;l: -"fri;;;" following narrative in the Times .7—ln June, 1870, Mr. Robert Sutherland, the unfortunate subject of this short bet sad narrative, *gentleman belonging to Aberdeen, of some thirty years' experience in the execution of railway work and the superintendence of large bodies of workmen, reeeived from the Caucasus the offer of nfl appointment on the railway between Tiflis and the town of Yeti, situate on the eastern extremity of the Euxine. It was accepted, and, the necessary preliminaries having been speedily settled by telegraph, he left Aberdeen for London on the 22nd of that month in charge of a number of men. In a month from this date Mr. Sutherland commenced his duties, which, up to the t:mc of his decease, consisted in superintending the native workmen on various sections of the line between Rutais and Tiflis. A man of steady and most energetic habits, and possessed of great bodily strength, he was peculiarly qualified to endure the hardships of the Circassian life be had generally to lead, and thought little of being twelve hours a day in the saddle. For some short time before his death he wan atationed within 28 miles of Tiflis—the nearest poet-office—and his regular letters to his friends in this country tenured them that all was well. Suddenly, on the 28th of April last, a telegram was received by the company in London acquainting them with the painful news that Mr. Sutherland had been murdered on the Previous night (Saturday). The details are an follow z  "It appears he had left the village of Dregsi, where he had been paying native workmen, at about half-past eight on the evening of the 27th of April, and that when within some 300 yards of the guardbonne where he lived, with two other Englishmen, two, or more likely three, men attacked him. They had evidently been lying in wait for him at the top of some spoil bank, as there are traces of one man no. fling down upon hint near the spot where he was found, as well as the marks of another behind him. They must have beaten him about the head with two heavy sticks, which were picked up near the place where he was found. Ho was sn knocked about the head SA to be quite unrecognisable. About half -past ten Curtis, one of the Englishmen living with him, on returning home, maw something lying near the path, and heard a groan. He approached, and found it woo poor Sutherland. He ran to the guard-house for Annand, the other Englishman, and the two with great difficulty carried him home. Ho was still living, and struggled hard with his friends, evidently thinking in his delirium he was still with his assassins. On being taken into the home he became insensible, and died in half an hour. As soon as it was daylight Curtis and Annand went to the spot where he was found and picked up the sticks with which he is supposed to have been murdered. They also found the little dog by which he was always accompanied. The little thing must have stuck to its master during the struggle, for it had been struck on the head and side. It is still living, and in Annand's possession. As is usually the °Jae here, money wee the object. Mr. Sutherland was said to carry a belt. This was missing, although his watch and a few old roubles in his pocket remained. All necessary steps are being taken by the police, but they are very tardy in their movements here."  That the natives always shelter each other ham the law is a fact so well known throughout the Caucasus as to preclutle any hope of the criminals being brought to justice.