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RUSSIAN BARBARITY.

The attack on the house of Count Polytelo, by the Russians, has been mentioned in our columns. We are now (says the Globe) in a position to give from an authentic source, the* details of this barbarous outrage, which was entirely unprovoked on the part of the sufferers : —

Oount Leopold Polytelo, member of the Polish Council of State, after having taken his wife to Nice for her health, Wtsnt to live on his estate of Woyslawrice, in the government of Lublin, with his two young sons, intending to await, events. The insurrection broke out, and he continued to hold the opinion he had always expressed, that this movement could only have the effect or bringing down measures of repression upon the country. None of his servants took part in the insurrection,: and no conflict took place in his territory. On the )2th of February he assembled, to do honor to the sth birthday of his eldest son, his brother-in-law, M. Titus Woyciechowski, a former colonel of-gre-nadiers in the Polish guard, and a former major in the Polish army. These gentlemen, over their coffee and cigars, discussed the events of the day, when, at half-past three ill the afternoon the steward of the estate, S.ilkewski, came to tell them that a detachment of Uusssian troops, consisting of three companies of infantry, a squadron of lancers, with two guns, and some Cossacks, had made a domiciliary visit to the chateau lloloupy, belonging to the Count Aurele Polytelo, that they were marching on Woyslawice, and that they would arrive in half an hour.

The gentleman considered what they had better do. They could easily have avoided a meeting with the troops, as the time more then sufficed, but the two old soldiers recommended that they should remain quiet, seeing that it was not a Tarter horde that was coming down upon them, but a detachment of regular troops, commanded by civilised chiefs and men of honor who would make the domicflary visit, and, finding nothing, quit the place. Soon after there Were heard in the distance two reports of cannon, fired in the little village of Woyslawice, situate about a quarter of a league from the chateau. These shots killed four inoffensive . men and wounded other.

Then there were seen from the windows several Cossacks, who approached at a gallop along 'the road and shortly afterwards tirailleurs were seen to extend and inarch upon the chateau, where their balls already began to break the windows. Behind them were the masses of- infantry. The guns were' put in position at 150 paces, and at this distance the officers remained whilethe infantry approached the chateau and began to break the windows. Count Polytelo wished^ to go out and" parley with the commander of the ex-" pedition, in order to save the inhabitants of the chateau and his guests from, the danger which menaced them, but he was prevented by his brother-in-law^ who pointed put that.the/e was rio one with whom he could treat, as too officer, not even a subaltern; 'appeared among the-soldiers. ;

Then began '& 'horrible slaughter. The soldiers, having broken: the wint dowsi Began to fire, ; without, ?up to that j time, Having ; wounded,any, one ;> but as i soon as they came into the vjes'tibule they' begaii to ; mdssacre'the servants withjthe bayonet. ; Colin t I?ply telo seem £ ;- thisy and convinced tfiatijiis future life was to be counted in minutes, bade, fare well «lo his brother-in-law and his guests, and, s.ayingj.,tjbat;|t > jiiras,_his duty to-^ie" with his childiren^ he went to his sons* whom he foundrwith their auut, Aldiie| Dunin, arict ftlireß-" female ■ servants|^Q:r ;their>kneesj^pe -ibllowed their exanap|^ and for^^|c«ira^d a^haU; during vj^ff|

the t carnage -lasted j heTpa^^^^^^^^^^^H praying and awaiting deat^^^^^^^^^^^f his children, and the woo^^^^^^^^^^^^J with them, were saved as since the *door~pf the ro^^^^^^^^^^^H they -were was riddled W^^^^^^^^^^^H all around-them soldiers about ht random, and br^dJ^^^^^^^^^^H door. Towards ;sUfc>o'clock in the firing ceased, and the C(^^^^^^^^^^H .bis i etreat, .learned, v w,hat W«yfciechowski and his aon^^^^^^^^^H withdrawn into the cabii^^^^^^^^^H count ; and when mi(raille d^^^^^^^^^H the missiles which -came t^^^^^^^^^H windows killed the young^^^^^^^^^J : Wo u tided his^Jatlieipf |Major/^^^^^^^^^| Colonel Dunin awaited the separate rooms. Major 4^^^^^^^^| attached with' the bayonet arf^^^^^^^^H himself with his hands. Afu^^^^^^^^H lost two fingers from a bullet,^^^^^^^^H received .several bayonet Jtjro^^^^^^^H numerous' blows on the s j lo^^^^^^^^! victonoua soldiers took him^^^^^^^^| and led him before an officer. ]^^^^^^^^H he asked %r medical aid, *^^^^^^H!S weak from loss of blood, Dufc^^^^^^H^ replied that he had surgeons *^^^^^^BH hut that their' services werjs^^^^^^^^ Russian soldiers and not for the^^^^^^B| o£*Russia., i He ended by givin^^^^^HJ blow on the face with his sabr^^^^^^^K^ ~, Colonel. Dunin (-70 years P^^^^^^H^l calmly uponja sofa in jne drawij|^^^^^^R| awaiting the attack, when the.w^^^^^^lj| Opened, and four soldiers nr 4<^^^^^^H him simultaneously; •* He was %^^^^^^| in several places. Then the in^^^^^^T set; upon , him,, and he ~vvas, wottn^^^^^^p the hand, pushing back the tiaj^^^^^^B He wished to check the fury I*^^^^^H assassins, and compelled them V^^^^^H note that they ought to deal witl^^^^^J as a commander, and .veteran bo^^^^^^J For reply he received wounds and then the soldiers, supporting him^^^^^H cause he grew-weak with the grea^^^^^H of blood, conducted him to the c^^^^H commanding the detachment,^ %v^^^^^^| maiaed impassable beside the gW^^^^H the midst of this scene of carti^^^^H Colonel- Biihia addressed the-Majd^^^^B follows: — "You are a soldier, aridJ^^^^H you are not ashamed of thus killihg^^^^H unarmed crowd, unable to defejid th^^^^H selves." The rria|orTreplied\ that i^^^H shots hud been fired from the chatej^^^^^ and lie had , then caused it to be attaj^^^H cd. Colonel Duuin "replied, 'V^^^^^H infamous lie. lam an ancient colq|^^^^| of the grenadier guards, aide-de-campi^^^H the General of Division Zymirski. decorated — nay, I swear to you by grey hairs, I give you the wordof ho.nJ^^^H of a soldier, that since, the disurbanm^^H arose there has not" been a single V^^H surgent in the chateau, and that ' ae |j^^^| has not been a singled weapon in thj^^H building — neither musket, nor revolvefj^^H nor sabre ; Jn a word, not a thingJ^^H Befides, I am in your hands; let &^^J domiciliary visit be. made, and if yott^^| find any other articles but some pen-^B knives and table-knives, let me be shat.'*^H The major replied. "But what to do you tell me, .when I have seen some and on the court aim at myself at 20 paces?^-^H Colonel Dunin replied, u How dare you|^B tell such a lie? But, good; heavens ?|H iwhat kind of leader are you? and how ; jM have you not seised that man in aoourt filled with soldiers?" The Russian major perceived he had told a^h, was'S silent, and at a given; signal: the firing ■ ceased. At a second signal the soldiers ■ resumed their rankd. Thus it is not by - ■ the fury of insubordinate soldiers, but ■ in fact by the order-of the leaders that ■ the crime has been committed. At last I the major ordered the mayor of the I villagj to be called, and placed tho I wounded under his ca|e, after which ho 1 told the soldiers that "lney had behaved | courageously; — like heroes. He went about a quarter of a league from iko placfi, and.next.mor.qing returned from his* glorious-expedition to Krasuystaw. There, are six killed-— four at the town of Woysiywiee, and two at the chateau, M. Joseph "Woyciechowski and a servant;- there are besides atj the chateau nine wounded, who have- been eleven hours without being atterided to, since there were no doctors' or jother assist-, ance to fetch to them in these places. The sack of the- mansion has been complete. The ground "floor ,has been covered with wreck ; furniture, glasses, china, everything has been broken ; the linen was given to the flames. They carried 'off the jewels of : the countesa and abstracted 1 2,000 florins from the chest of Colonel Duping They, have also taken from a maidservant the sum of 3,000 florins of saving*, and from Controller Gorshonski I^,ooo florins, whibh constitute his all-Hhe fruit of sayings during a long|series of year 3, We have riot yet succeeded in learning the name of the Ttussian major who commanded this company, but we are able to give the nanie of ' the colonel .(Baumgartnef) military '\ commandant of .the district of Erasneysteen, who, to engage a band -!of 2,000 insurgents four leagues 'distant from that ; place, at Dabrenka, co'nt^nted himself .with sending; a moveable column to JWoyslawice to murder a| councillor of Estate and his guests, inoffensive and men 1 . ; \.. ,

I^btton Row/is thought to be a corruption of fiotite au ro»,^the king's road. Stranpfeas it niay seem, is it not a good ide| to hottl^J3ass;alein-^asi9^ vi 01 5;,?, . ;,. ,,,. , A witness in ihe boXi^uesiibne^bysA lawyer "as^ to ttte" of another witness; waHrlsk^^wb*i^r>Jthe;;^.;. individual was not > '•• .is wha^l-^lfc^^iiiwßßfl^p^i on the rbad, a travellbi; said; ifriYoji-bay© nißssa" aonearora distahi*B^ '■' • <■■ • ! -«-;««The. law,"-' said.: ■Jud^e;^^BW^' m;^::^ I iiarge^«:»:open^ja^gp^^»

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18630828.2.29

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 85, 28 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,480

RUSSIAN BARBARITY. Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 85, 28 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

RUSSIAN BARBARITY. Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 85, 28 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

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