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Temuka Leader, Issue 2201, 14 May 1891, Page 4

A STRANGE TKAGKDY A young Ruseiaii' diEcfer, afced 22, has distinguished himself in Warsaw by murdering one of , the most celebrated artistes of the Polish dramatic stage, Miss Mary Yisnovsky. Last June Miss Yisnovsky, an actress in the heyday of her beauty and talent, happened to attract the attention of' young Bartenieff one night at the theatre. Having obtained an introduction to the lady, Bartenieff soon remarked th'at she was surrounded by l a. large circle of admirers; ,many or whom appeared to be pretty well radvanced in her' good graces. Being full of vanity, and' perhaps, really in love,'Bartemeff_ proposeld marriage to the actress, vvho, being oyer 30, and knowing full well ■ that none of thb others would ever marry her, con'serited to become Lis wife. But Barteriieff’s'parents,'rich'and influential people m Russia, never would have given, their consent -to ; their son’s marriage with a person known for heir light conduct and numerous flirtations. JNor did the ydurig /than spiekk of his intentions to his 1 parent's, sure beforehand of. their refusal. Not content

with making slaves of her adorers, Miss Yisnovsky, who had a most romantic, exalted niaturej made a effa'ge/bf heir own' privatia life fdir the bdiihfit of numerous spectators,, and, it wak difficult’to say which comedy was the best—that which she played upon the stage or at home. She constantly announced that She was willing to ‘suicide herself with 'tiny hisil whb would love her enough for one tout passed in her . boudoir -to take poison with her, and die ih l&r embracd. This flirting with death was one of Miss Mary's favourite amusements. She carried a little toy pistol about with her/ ahd’ ebhstahtly'kepif opium and other poisons at hand. Those whb. knew her well understood that all this longing and sighing for death wais nothing {but a comedy. Young Bartehieff/however, infatuated by this talent and sensual beauty of this Polish Ophelia, took her at her word, and vowb'd he desired to posfcerni her at thie price of both theiif livbs. She led him on with the most foolish coquetry fdt two months. Bartenieff hired a room in a retired lodging, and on July 19 Miss Yisnovsky not ohly came to the rendezvous at the hour fixed, bbt brought opium 1 / chloroform, and a pistol. This imprudent woman, thirsting for strobg sensations,' strove to prolong the comedy, never dreaming her lover was madly ih earnest/ 1 hey passed the evening together, ate a refined supper, drank porter and 1 It v wa's abbut'l 6b v c¥ock that the horrible scene took .pluck, which has been reconstructed by means, of different data by the defence and eloquently described by the famousPleyako. About that hour something in BafteniefFs expirdssiOn Suddenly conveyed to his companion that she was in peril. The quantity of poison they had both swallowed frassb small as to be utterly harmless,* Tor it had been'prepared by her. But she soon saw that, Bartenieff was excited by the wine hehad drunk. She hastily wrote with a pencil upon a card these word's to an old general of her acquaintance : —“1 shill not get out of this room alive. That man will kill me. 1 have fallen intb a trap. My love to my poor mother.” This card the unfortunate woman, however, tore up, and threw behindthe sofa, but the fragments were subsequently found and put together. Bartenieff also wrote some words to his father, 'for it appears he bad gone to that room with the firm iteulion of destroying himself. Then they began to quarrel. Miss Visnovsky probably tried, too late, to dissuade her lover from their project; their voices, high pitched and excited, a mingling of sobs and hysteric laughter, were heard by the people of the Abuse, then a prolonged .silence. Bartenieff shot his mistress through the heart with the pistol she had brought, and with which she had dallied a hundred times/tiieh, horrified at what he had done,he lost all presence of mind, and instead of fulfilling bis part of the programme and shooting himself, hb rushed frobi the house and called for help. But Miss Visnovsky was dead, and Bartenieff, on the evidence of the tbfn card; was accused of wilful and premeditated 1 murder! He has been sentenced, notwitbstandthe ability of the defence, to eight years’ bard labour and exile for life. The public applauded this Lard verdict for Miss Yisnovsky was the most popular actress of the day, and everyone m Warsaw knew her and appreciated her talents. Specialists in psychiatry declare that she was not quite right in her mind, and that she was an example of genius not being unfrequeutly allied of folly. She had received a careful education, and was a great admirer and connoisseur of Shakespeare, whose dramas she preferred to all others. In Juliet and Ophelia she was typical. This trial being full of scandalous incidents, was carried on with ; closed dobra. The motive of the murder is generally attributed to jealousy, and Bartenieff, notwithstanding his youth and many circumstances which might have diminished his guilt, obtained the pity and sympathy of no one.