AN EXTRAORDINARY CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 1 April 1911, Page 9

AN EXTRAORDINARY CRIME.

USING MICROBES AS POISON. A most extraordinary trial was proceeding at St. Petersburg when the last mail left London for Australia. Patrick Sasimir O'Brien de Lacy, a Russian, of Irish descent, and Panchenko, a doctor, were accused of murdering a civil servant named Buturlin. de Laey's brother-in-law, by inoculating him with deadly microbes, which wen; procured and injected by the doctor. The motive was to secure for de Lncy's wife part of a fortune which was coining to Buturlin, her brother, through the death of their mother. Panchenko (says the Daily Telegraph's correspondent) is a needy and untidy practitioner of 01), dominated by a unique care—how to make money for his mistress, a widow, whom he worshipped. O'Brien oll'ered' him, it is said, '20,000 roubles for the death of his brother-in-law, Kld.ltOO roubles for the disappearance of his father-in-law, and 500,000 roubles if he put a speedy end to the career of his mother-in-law, who was the richest of them all.

Last year young Buturlin died at St. Petersburg, iifter a week's illness. lie | was an employee of the Ministry of the Interior. No symptoms during the sickness, no tokens after death, suggested foil I play, yet General Buturlin, on arriving from Vilna, vetoed the interment of his sou's body, and demanded a post mortem. Investigation elicited blood poisoning as tlie cause of death. On the very same day BobrofT, a book-keeper, called upon the chief of the secret police, and announced that a comrade of bis, named Petropavlov.sky, possessed proofs that young Buturlin's death was caused by Dr. Pachenko. Petropavlovsky next revealed what be had learned through spying mi the doctor at the house of the widow. Madame Muraviova, his own landlady. "The door and walls being thin. 1 heard snatches of conversation, which T have pieced together, and [ find they point lo Dr. Piinchenko as the iu-.-tniiuent of voting liutiirlin's death, and O'lbieu dc Lacy as the employer of that in.sfnuuent. The penniless Dr. Panchenko often journeyed to Vilna, where O'Brien de Uey resides, and always relumed with a fat purse and high hopes. Madame Muraviova, too. blabbed about her improving prospects, saying she was shortly coming into 300,000 roubles. '"One day ill April Dr. Pancheiiko left for Cronsladt, where plague-stricken dogs are -iudied. and after his iviiirn he talked of litlle else. Soon afterwards yotni;: Biitiirlin, Pancheiiko and O'Brien de Lacy went on the 'spree' together. The next thing I noticed was that Pancheiiko was weeping and sobbing. I entered the common sitting-room, and found his paramour burning heaps of papers. She spoke first, saying that she had been scolding him for visiting a diphtheria patient without disinfecting himself. 'ln a remark to Dr. Pancheiiko. she asked. -|)id you do it properly?' He replied. 'Well. I gave him two ordinary i!o-es. although one would have been enough.''

Ocncral liutiiiliu had a son ami daughter and a divorced wife, who had re'inarricd. ami resided in I'ark Her property, estimated at I.OOO.fHHi roubles, would mi her death pas sto Ihe two surviving children of her first marriage. The son. having wedded, served in the Ministry of the Interior. The daughter had taken as life partner a cousin, named r.nturlin, but she fell in love with O'Brien lie Lacy, who represented himself as possessor of a wharf at Pinsk. As generally happens in Russia in such cases, the higher ciergy were cajoled inlo granting a divorce, and Madame Bulnrlin became Madame O'Brien de Lacy, bill I,'eneral Bnturlin disapproved of the match. It was understood that the general, in a will made eight years ago. had lie'[iifalhe.l a million roubles to bis son and only -11)0,000 to his daughter. This is \ V | ml the authorities got out ol Panehenko by interrogating him in prison:—

"Patient-, were brought to mo occasionally bv a friend named RalVoll'. who acted as a tout, receiving a share of the profits. One day lie introduced me to O'lirien de Lacy. We adjourned to a private room in a rcMaurant. where t>T>rien, in Ran'olFs presence. a>kod me il I would perform a. certain illegal operation for l.illi) roubles. OTirien dc Lacy seemed Jilcii~c<l. ami gave me 100 rouble,. I a-ked him i„ visit me in mi own study r was a physician of the St. IVlor.-hur« district of the Xoriliern Railway. "Subsequently O'lirien intimated that he would prefer to talk with me without J 1 ", lh "" s - 1 •"•'luicsced. lie told me he "ii'l ,I'isf become ii bridegroom, and the operation he really wanted uas to have his luture brother-in-law made awav «-ith. For this service he would ~,,'y In ■ ,,|, " '■"" , 'l<"'. Aft.-r that ii wouM he necessary to remove the fat her-indaw I'or that riddance I would be paid otl.ltllll rouble-, and. lastly, the old man's divorced wife must, be launched into eternity. I'Vir this J,,!, he would not '•"iiblcs. He advised nie to benin with young r.iilui'liii, to whom he proposed [ should adniinisfer cholera norm- on hread. buttered anil coycrcd with caviar. Death li.v cholera, lie explained, would woke no surpri-e at, a moment when that epidemic was making havoc in St. Petersburg, and informed mo that young Until rl in was using anti-cholera' subcutaneous injections. "Bv this time T had extracted 2000 roubles from O'Brien. He introduced me to Dutnrliii on the ground thai we wcro

interested, in founding a sanatorium, but I was to whet his curiosity about a certain drug, and get him as a patient, and then, instead of the drug. I was to inject some poi.son or other, and. having done the job, to abstain, sedulously from writing or telegraphing, as a kinsman of his, Count Roniker, who had been charged with murder in Warsaw, h:>( been tripped up by a. telegram. 'Hie plan was successful; L treated young Hnfurl'm, substituting diphtheria toxin for Hie oilier drug.

'•1 received the germs from a chemist., wlio believed my story that if was required for experiments' on rabbits. I injected two large doses into the victim's thigh. Later, 1. learned, lie was very ill, and, being conscie- llC e smitten. I wired for O'Brien de L lley , w ], o was f ul . iou3 that fb/; , n |cgi'am should have been sent, lie exclaimed, 'You may a.s well "ive yourself up now.' T visited youncr TSulur!in after this, and learned from his own lips that he had had high fever and sharp pains, but. was now much better. The other physician who was called did not diagnose (he malady. Then I read of Buturliii's death in. the papers. rt occurred exactly as had been calculated, seven days after the injection." ' O'Brien de Lacy is a member- of the Hereditary Nobility of the province of Grodno, lie is a man of middle height, fair-haired, with a reddish beard, and fitful, nervous gestures.

At the opening of the trial the patriarchal Pachenko carried himself with inimitable dignity, except when gazing with loving eyes upon the female form beside him, whose face was hidden by a thick veil. -Outside the hall of justice, in the great corridor before the holy image, with which all public buildings in Russia are provided, another female form knelt, and prayed with the fervor of (ire kindled by despair. She iraj attired in deep mourning . "It's Madame O'Brien de Lacy," people whispered. General ISuturlin, in giving evidence, said he had endless misgivings when he first made O'Brien de Laey's acquaintance, but "intercourse with him dispelled them all. His gift of tongue is unparalleled. He can persuade people against their better judgment. "I met him in 1905, when I was commanding a regiment of infantry. My daughter, who was paying me'a visit, became acquainted with him. She was married. Shortly afterwards she talked of divorcing her husband, and marrying O'Brien. 1 endeavored to dissuade 'hei* because his antecedents were shady. His estates were all technically owned by men of straw, so that the bailiff's could not touch him.

'People told me that he was endowed with exuberant fancy, and could weave plans that eclipsed fairy tales, and in his efforts to realise them, recoiled before nobody or nothing; my dantrhl.cr was 31 and followed her own bent." They were married in the Russian Church in Paris. Afterwards I changed my opinion of O Bricn, owing to his eloquence and magnetic influence. None the lessg, I warned my son not to go hunting with him, or for walks in the forest.

in 1 !)(>!) my son spoke to me about I anchenko, describing him as a fascinating person, and a splendid doctor, and strongly advising me to consult him He assured me that Panchenko could make me ten years younger. 'Although I take great pleasure in medical treatment' I replied, -J would not employ such a physician.' whereas my son, who haled physicians, had recoiircc to Panchenko and ended tragically."

_ J'lm General tnen characterised O'Brien from the standpoint, of his m.inev dealings, stating that, he had advanced his son-in-law various sums which were not all refunded; had given him bills of exchange, which were tampered with; and had issued pow«rs of attorney, into which a fresh clause was surreptitiously interpolated authorising O'Brien to si'.r,, i,j]|s of exchange in liutiirlin's name. " In cross-examination, the General ad>"<ttcd that, at his .laughter's enlreatv >'<• was paying the expense of de Laev's defence, adding. "My danejiicr .said she »-<'»l<l ghidly .see Pancher.ko's a! costs' paid if he would consent to withdraw his confession."

. At this juncture O'Brien de. Lacy cut j'Uo the dialogue, saying, "General ButurI'fi is ,n the clutches of ~ Jewess named ■M.'ir.v Salnn. ihe cx-proprietres s of a ,Ik'"■''•■'•'.V house, and a,receiver of stolen ffoods. The f„ rgl ,l hills of exchange were issued by .Mmy Salna, from motives of revenge. She also threatened to poison me with sweets"

During Ihe proceedings the rennet wis '•««<• by Panehenko', lawyer I hat he and 'I" Ue.y -nould he kept apart in court as de Lacy n -„uhl exercise such an i„the doctor as to induce him to rnodily his confession, as indeed ],.,„ Pened.andlan extra soldier was sialioned between the two.

.An incident of the ease was the original nitoimer BobrofTs chattering vol.'.l,.onlh.m.self, arid claim!ng to? have Pl.vl the part ota,Sherlock Holmes f Ol . which he hop,,, to he rewarded by the Ocneral. • The court was well dressed each dav he ladies, who constituted Ihe bulk of ost things ,„ waistcoats; the prisoners wcic spruce, smart, embarrass,, <dv conscious of playing iX ,-ole. As has subse.piently been reported by ™.l>!«■, both prisoner, were found guilty )e Lacy w,,s sentenced to penal servitude for life, and Panehenko to lo years' prisonmeul. ' ""'

RUSSIA'S INLAND NAVY. COUNT DE LAOY'S AMAZIXtf SHIP. ISffLDIXO SCIIKMK. *(. Petersburg. hVhruarv 7 I '<• remarkable career of Count o : 'Bricn |'-l^-vu ; asfurlherreyeale,lt,f-<lavdur-»S the tria oil )r. Pantchenko. Count de I'.icy. and Mine. Muravieir on the charge » bav'.igconspired to murder Captain I'i'turlin. Count dl! Lacy's brother-in-law. Count de Lacy's extraordinary (inanV *' l"'™ l, ."■"■■« 'lcscribcl in court |o,la\. Only in Bussia could such visions have any prospect of realisation »'inng the Russo-Japanese war he "■"t a tender to the Admiralty for the •"'n " d "f torpedo-boats at Pinsk' !' '"' V !;! T , ' lt, ' lil "- «'f Western Russia .'■'l'lain Inpalsky.aformerollicerofthe ragoou Cuard-. allirmed (hat Admiral l,m " •"'" 'lien Minister, ,f Marine! re I""' ■«■«' 'is follows ,„, the scheme:- - "I j-ymnntliisc will, the development of "<'»• hnss.au shipbuilding yards. illl( i .„,. ;»'«' <» «ive an orderly .ihorll,," Vhe I -shuna, however, upset,,, »>■ I'anehenko was appoint! medical ; ,U, '" ,lal "' al the Warsaw Kailwav St,,. !'"»• Sl - ''eler-i.urg, but his colleagues "'-"" ''"l I"' was hardly ever at" his !:;:!exT:r;;!;;:,''" r ,iis