A Servian Tragedy.

Manawatu Herald, 9 March 1899, Page 3

A Servian Tragedy.

■■ ■ ♦ At a Servian village near Prokuplje (writes the Vienna corres pnndenc rf the Daily Mail) a Greek priest named Ilic Jevrem was recently murdered, His Wife and her lover were condemned to death by shooting for the crime. The hour of the execution arrived, and the two criminals were placed before the firing party, in fall view of thousands of spectator?, who were kept back by troops. The man broke down and howled for mercy, but the woman was coolly cynical, and remarked, " How famous we are ! If I had died a simple priest's wife, not ten people would have followed my cofljn to the grave." The firing party had raised their rifles, and were awaiting the final order to shook, when a messenger on horseback burst through the crowd and banded the commanding officer a sealed letter. The condemned man and woman embraced each other, shed tears of joy at their supposed reprieve, but it soon transpired that only the man was pardoned, while the woman had to undergo the extreme penalty. As her lover was led away the woman clung to him, bpggiog for one more look, and one more word from him. but he repulsed her pitilessly. Aftsr this affecting scpno the death sentence was oarried out-. j