AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 681, 7 May 1875, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

A trial, which represents the administration of justice in Bulgaria in a curious aspect, has taken place at Missiviia, terminating, contrary to public expectation, in the acquittal of the prisoners, two brothers, who wore uc aiscd of the murder of their uncle, a rich Odessa merchant. The old man having retired from active life, and wound up his business, returned from Odessa some yearn ago and settled down in Missivria his native town, Here ho gave much in charity to the poor, and behaved handsomely to his nephews, with whom ho lived, and whom he helped out of poverty into a re-p’clablo position in local trade. Th eo years ago the old man suddenly disa] p iared. No serious inquiry, however was made to ascertain what had bpoomo of him. - His n plmws n a le liberal donations to the churches and inherited the old man’s wealth. One day in lire early part of this year’, an o l d w( mm asked for i n audience of the cadi, and on being admitted to him made a dep sition as follows-: —lt was a dark, stormy night,” she said, “ thewiudhad several times blown in my wind w sash, putting out my lamp, and causing the embers of my fire to fly about my room. Suddenly, amidst the howling of the storm, I heard a shriek, then a moan. Strange sounds followed, which seemed to come from the honse of my neighbor, the Odessa merchant. I crossed myself, and drank a little raki to keep up my courage, and then I remembered that there was a crack in the wall of my closet through which I could see into the house of my neighbor, the merchant, Thither I went, and applied my eye to the crevice in the mud wall, and this is what I saw. Two men were pressing down a pillow upon the face of another man, whom they kept prostrate, and a woman was holding a light—The old man—l recognised him—was very strong, for he overthrew his nephews, although his throat was cut, and blood gushing from the wound. He would have escaped, but the woman struck him in his face with a chair. His head was bent backwards, as though he could not keep it in its place on account of the ga-di across his throat. Still his eyes flashed fire. He staggered towards the window ; but there he was again struck down by his nephews. Then they sawed away at his throat till the head was separated from the trunk.” The accuser went on to say that she threatened the murderers with a disclosure of the crime which she had witnessed, but that they promised her “ hush money,” that as she was poor, she agreed to hold her tongue, and that she washed the blood from the floor of the room where the old man had been put to death. The “ hush money ” had not been paid, and, as she was starving, she determined to make known her story. The story was told in March or April, but no proceedings were taken until August. Tl e accused parties were then arrested, and confined in the Zapieth “Oda.” The old woman,ton, was put in prison, and was flogged, and half-smothered Between mattvasscs night after night, until the trial ended, and the persons whom the vox populi still stigmatises as murderers were declared innocent.