Terrible Tragedy In St. Petersburg.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 21, 13 November 1879, Page 3

Terrible Tragedy In St. Petersburg.

A St Petersburg correspondent writes : A terrible tragedy—a double murder by a young officer—has deeply excited the public mind here. An old gentleman, Valssoff, a retired councillor, had during t'.e last six years shown great kindness- to a young man, by name Charles Landaberj.', who in the first instance, lodging at his house, had been assisted by Valssoff with funds for outfit when he passed his examination for entering the corps of Sappers of the Guards, and on other occasions. Those loans eventually amounted to 5,000 roubles, for which the officer gave his bill of exchange, and which became due June Cth. This amount the young officer said he would be able to pay, as he was about to marry into a family of distinction—the newspapers say ho was engaged to one of the many daughters of an eminent General. On the evening of that day Landsberg cal’ed on M. Va’ssoff at 10 o’clock. The fi mar being deadly pale, M. Valssoff arked him if he were ill. “Yes,” replud Landsberg, “send for some seltzer water for me.” M. Valssoff sent the servant for some lemonade (instead of seltzer water), and immediately the servant left the house Landsberg at-

tacked and killed the old man with a hunting knife. He then waited the return of the servant, and before she had time to place on the table the ten copecks change, he attacked and killed her by a stab in the temple with the same huntingknife. Landsberg then abstracted the bill for 5,000 roubles, and a large package of securities, and after washing his hand took the key of the front door, locked it after him, and escaped. The murder was discovered accidentally by a plasterer engaged on the exterior of the house looking through the window and seeing the corpses on the floor. The murderer was seen to enter the house late on the evening above mentioned, and suspicion therefore fell upon him, and he was arrested. At first denying his guilt, he at length made a full confession.