DARLING RIVER MURDER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1084, 24 March 1911, Page 5

DARLING RIVER MURDER.

LIGHT ON A MYSTERY. RUSSIAN STUDENTS IN A STRANGE• ■ LAND. SENKOVITCH'S STORY. By Tolecra.ph—Press Association—Oopyrielit , (Rec. March 23, 11.10 p.m.) Sydnoy, March 23. The trial of the seventeen-year-old Russian, Boris Scnkovitch, was oontinued today., Scnkovitch is charged with having murdered his companion, Alexander Eismond, at Bourke, in September last. Tho two were Russian studonts oil a tour of tho world, and they had arrived in Australia only a few weeks before going lo . Bourke. Eismond's mutilated body, bound in canvas, was discovered floating in tho Darling River. Senkovitch, who had been with him a few days previously, had disappeared, and was arrested later in Melbourne. Ho had *£504 in cash on him when taken into custody. In tho preliminary stages the defenco of insanity was raised. Senkovitch to-day entered tho box and gave his version of the killing of Eismond. Ho said that up to tho timo they camped at Bourke they were good friends. On the night of the tragedy be was awakened to find Eismond attneking him. Eismond held him round tho neck, nearly . choking him, and ho (Scnkovitch) then reized an axe and swung it blindly at Eismond several limes till he fell. Senkovitch stales that he ran away, and when he came back he found Eismond dead. Ho wrapped the body in a tent, in which they had been camping, and flung it into the river. He then went back to Bourke. Ho denied killing his companion for tho money he possessed. Ho took tho money because it partly belonged to him, and because ho wanted to get back to Russia. Tile money was of no use to a dead man. He was frightened to tell the police his story, as lie thought that this being an English country no one would help him. Ho thought this because of the ill-feeling between Russia and England.