TWO FAMILIES MASSACRED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 47, 14 February 1908, Page 4

TWO FAMILIES MASSACRED

MUIMCJIT DI'.ATII SIU'COLIC WITH A liAN'l) OF IJOISBEHS. Two faini'de* were jir.icii<'aHy exterminated on I i)f November .'SOlii at a lt'iit'ly farm on tin- Steppes Jie-ir (l!us-iai by a band of robbers, who de-patehed even tile hou-:-(told eat iiml dog. Tlk' names of I lie killed ave llondareitko, Ji wile, his tun Xikita, liis four-teen-year old daughter Xenia, and a young niait named i.iniorenkoi; unci of tin' oilier family Gretehenko, his wife, Ins brother, and ins two young ehildro'i. Three little liny- of the Botultireiiko fiiniiiy liid from "the murderers and escaped. it appear- tint Ihr i~mdarcnko family had ju.-t retireo for the night when Ih. door wan burst in and three strangers entered, lirandishing revolver, tliey eomninnded everyone to eonte out. Dazed with -leep. the family obeyed, and saw several other men with ropes and revolver* outside the door. ISonilarenlio ordered Io hand over all the money lie had. lie replied that lie possessed only Mi-, to whieh the robber retorled that thai would give life men just i'.ii eaeli.

At this point The girl Xenia fell into hyslcric.-. A robber threw a eloth over lier head and brained her with a ha I - ehet. The boy Nikita and the young nntn r.iioorenkoi were ne?ct seized and killed ill the -anic manner, iiondarenko anil his wife were then loeked up in eupl'oard. whenre they heard the robIm'l- enicr tlie adjoining building where The fTi'etehenkn- -lept. Shrieks and groan* aro-e a- llie whole (Jvotrhcn'-.n family weiv o\<>r|)u\v<''iv<| and nnmiem I. Cr<'l<'ln'uUo*S Wilt' WMH wilh a piece of n»]"'.

\<wl. tin' rnU.ets retunii'tl. «lra£ii"<l Mrth nitnfJiirriiku ami his wi)V ;in>i them. Tin- three H-iMren o-«'ii|icil tho nmnlems' noli.;' and wi'iv left ulniic with the ile;ul. A 1 P'-iwant visiting tlio farm discovered lar am? •rescued the children ii'-xt 'lay. T!ic h'die- wrro found in <|il)V»Yiii ;.!an<«. ~!h.winu licit I In' virfinu had 111,1 V v.iin aHi'in;«t- a! flight, ut i ]i•' i;i !i.»d t l?f i[ li;i nll ■=• In'hiii'l iin ':' ; liar!:-. Oji tlu' aiil Xonia -ha I Umv<| fa:-;-' | tracr-; r.t' still visible. I