MURDER IN VENICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 758, 5 March 1910, Page 5

MURDER IN VENICE.

<> — A TANGLED WEB. , LOVE-SICK RUSSIAN SHOOTS A COUNT. A COUNTESS AND A LAWYER ALSO 1 . ■ CHAIuiED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec. March .4, 9.55 p.m.) Rome, March 4. A sensational murder trial will be commenced to-day in A r enicc. lii September, 1907, a Russian named Naumoft' presented himself at the residence of Count Kamarowski, a Russian, living in the Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, Venice. In spite of a servant's refusal to admit him, Naumoff forced his way into the apartments of Count Kamarowski, and, drawing a revolver, emptied five chambers at the Count. The victim died not long afterwards. The persons who now stand their' trial for the murder are:—. (1) Naumoff, who fired the fatal shots, and ;who is said to have' been madly in love with tho Countess Tarnowska, a Russian divorcee, who was betrothed to the deceased Count. , (2) The Countess Tarnowska, who was entitled to an insurance of .£20,000 on tho life of tho Count, and who is said to have influenced Naumoff. . (3) Prilukoff, a formerly well-to-do Moscow lawyer, who is charged with having instigated the Countess's plot, ajid who is •said to have previously embezzled money in iMoscoit in the interests of the Countess. Tho Countess's maid,' named Penier; is also arraigned.. , At the time of the crime, the. Countess Tarnowska confessed to complicity in it, alleging that Naumoft'fell desperately in love with her. ■ She was betrothed to Count Kamarowski, and Naumoff determined to get'.rid of the latter, whose life insurance of .£20,000 was in her favour. Prilukoff confessed that he and tho Countess planned the murder in order to got tie insurance money. ALLEGED PLOT BY LAWYER AND . COUNTESS. ' NAUMOFF DEEMED A TOOL. . The hypothesis constructed by the police immediately after the shooting of Count Kamarowski at Venice, that the crime Was committed at the instigation of the Russian lawyer Prilukoff and of the Countess Tarnowska, wa3 held to be confirmed by the confessions of Prilukoff and the Countess Tarnowska themselves. "Each (wrote 'The Times' correspondent) seeks to throw as much as possible of the responsibility upon the other, but neither donies connivance and complicity. It appears that, in addition to insuring his life .for £20,000 in favour of the Countess Tarnowska, the late Count j Kamarowski had been induced to make the Countess tho sole legatee of his large fortune. The plan of the two accomplices was to eliminate both Kamarowski und Naumoff by procuring the murder of the former and the arrest for murder of the latter, who, blinded by jealousy, was a willing tool in the Countess Tarnowska's hands. "Prilukoff, a formerly well-to-do Moscow lawyer, appears also to have been the, victim of the Countess Tarnowska before becoming her accomplice. In order to satisfy her financial demands upon him he had embezzled • moneys belonging to his clients and had escaped from Russia-to avoid arrest."