Husband and Wife Murdered From Our Own Correspondent, Harbin, Jan. 27.
Yesterday all Harbin was very much startled over a ational armed robbery and murder took place ae eight o'clock in the morning.
The scene of this latest drama was in one of Harbin's main streets, in the busiest part of Pristan—the Birjevaya or Bourse Street. On the ground floor of a modern two-storied building lived a young and well-to-do business man with his recently wed bride; the house is situated next door to one of Harbin's principal clubs and two doors from the offices of the "Yovosti Zhizwi" newspaper: According to the statement of the maid-servant who is under arrest, there was a ring at the front-door which she opened, understanding that the morning paper had been brought. Some five unknown armed Russians entered and, according to the gul's statement, pushed her into a front room, a man there standing guard over her and warning her to be quiet. The rest of the gang entered the merchant's bedroom, the latter and his wife being still in bed. Springing out of bed the young man asked the moh what they wanted and on their replying "his money," he appears to have refused point blank to their request and defied them.
liiist he was in the act of tek-dug his revolver from under the allow one of the would-be robbers fred and the unfortunate man fell dead with a bullet through the brain. The wife, overcome by fear, made a rush out into the next room which looks on to the front street and broke the window to attract attention. One of the des-Peradoes followed her and she was shot through the car, succumbing two hours afterwards' from heart-failure. Evidently the criminals were afraid that their firing would attract attention from outside, for they quickly left the house without taking anything away with them. and notwithstanding the fact that there must have been several passers-by in the street at the time they ride gocd their escape.
Marpservant Arnestep, A young man lodging with the dead couple was in the kitchen at the time that the tragedy was being enacted and as soon as he heard fiving he rushed out by the back way and gave the alarm. This man says that there was no ringing of the front bell, which he must have heard as he was in the kitchen at the time. He also stated that the evening before the dead man had counted out in the presence of himself and the servant Y.10,000 worth of notes, remarking that he was going to take them to the bank next day.
It is conjectured that the servant was an accomplice.
One of the assassins left behind his cap, which was found nei the bed, so that the police have a clue
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.