GREAT FORGERY TRIAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 5 July 1911, Page 8

GREAT FORGERY TRIAL.

OCHARGE AGAINST THE CZAR’S MASTER OF THE HORSE. A trial of the most sensational nature began in the St. Petersburg Courts on May 16. Colonel Vladimi, Vonljarljarsky, who belongs to the G uards, and was until his arrest Master of the Horse at the Imperial Court, and his adopted son, Staff Captain Oimitri Vonljarljarsky, are the two chief accused. They are charged with forging a will with the object of obtaining for the latter the title and immense fortune of Prince Bokdan Oginsky. ■The Oginsky family is one of the most ancient of the Lithuanian nobility. Its last representatives were two childless brothers, Prince Michael and Prince Bogdan Oginsky. They agreed to adopt as their heir Count Joseph Zalnssky, and intended to obtain the Czar’s sanction to enable that nobleman to bear the arms, name, and title of the Oginskys. Both tire Oginskys died before the adoption had been completed. Prince Bogdan’s widow received almost immediately after Ids death a call from Captain Vonljarljarsky. He informed the countess that ho had twice been shown, by a person whose name ho could not 'divulge, the draft of a will made’ by Prince Bogdan appointing as the sole heir cf his estates his distant relative. General Nikolai Vonjarljarsky, and authorising him to obtain the imperial authority enabling him to bear tiic Oginsky name. Should General Nikolai predecease the testator, then Captain Dimitri Vonljarljarsky was to be sole heir. Captain Vonljarlsky next appeared in St. Petersburg, where, through a proper legal channel lie propounded a will to the effect stated above, and at the same time produced proof, of the death of General Nikolai, who had been killed in 1906. Thus he himself was the sole heir. Without waiting to prove the will, Captain Dimitri secured the Czar’s por mission to use the title of Prince Oginsky. The Senate, however, on a petition from the Princess Oginsky, refused to sanction the use of the prince’s r,amo pending proof of the will. The police raided the house of Captain Vonljarljarsky, and claim in their enquiry into the case to have unearthed a great conspiracy of fraud and forgery. No fewer than twelve persons will appear for trial. Among them are two noblemen, a lieutenant, a Roman Catholic priest, and four lawyers.