The letter, said Det.-Insp. Reeves, was evidently written while Smyslin was in his right senses. In searching his property another letter had been discovered which showed that he contemplated suicide without killing the woman as well. This letter, addressing Mrs. Averkieff as '"Niuritchka," ran:
"T have loved you more than life and you so cruelly laughed at me. My love for you and everything I hold holy you mixed with the obscene. My last request to you is that you will bury me with my money. It is your obligation. If you deny this and say, you know nothing everyone will stil] know that you were ce-habiting with me. T confess also that I wanted to kill you so that we could be together in the Beyond. I charge you, bury me in my military uniform in which I will shoot myself. Tt is as you Wi In my trunk you will find $250. After burying me whatever remains of the money give to the Russian Charity Society."
The document ended with a passionate appeal to the murdered woman to pardon "the man who loved her so deeply."
From Privatr to Conoxev.
It appeared from his papers, said witness, that Smyslin had had a most successful military career, dating from 1902, during which he had risen from private soldier fo field officer's rank, A verdict was returned that Mrs. Averkieff "was killed by deceased Smyslin," whose death was caused through bullet wounds self-inflict-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.