A DOCTOR’S CRIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3142, 11 February 1911, Page 6

A DOCTOR’S CRIME.

ASTOUNDING CONFESSION.

USED TO KILL HEIRS, RIVALS, IN LOVE. AND INSISTENT CREDITORS.

There were some unexpected developments at the trial in St Petersburg, of Count de Lassy and 1 Dr. Pantchenko, for the murder of Count Routourlin, brother-in-law of de Lassv.

Pantchenko, who is in his 70th year, and had already pleaded guilty, was asked to plead again, and once more he admitted his guilt. Count de Lassy is accused of having employed the doctor to murder Count Boutourlin, who was heir to estates worth £700,000, which were to revert to de Lassy’s wife in the event of Boutourlin’s death.

Pantchenko set up the defence that he was under de Lassy’s hypnotic influence. As the trial progressed the doctor wavered in matters of detail, and his lawyer declared that his client was still under the count’s influence. Little by little the aged physician kept retracting the vital points of his confession. He demurred 1 to answering the question as to■ whether he administered poison to Count Boutourlin until the medical experts disclosed the results of the post-mortem examination, when lie admitted the accusation. More startling, however, was the confession by Pantchenko that he had caused no fewer than 40 deaths.

Pie declared that ho made a business of killing heirs, rivals in love, and insistent creditors, and 1 said that his fee ran as high as £OO.OOO. The old ruffian explained that .his method was to inoculate his victim with cholera and other bacilli, when summoned to attend the patient in his professional capacity. The case is exciting tremendous inter* ost throughout the empire, and all the mysterious poisoning eases of recent years are being recalled'.

It is said that Pantchenko was engaged to cause a death in the Royal family, and he is even credited with having originated the cholera epidemic a few years ago.