The Last Days of the Romanovs How Tsar Nicholas II and Russia’s Imperial Family Were Murdered Robert Wilton INSTITUTE FOR HISTORICAL REVIEW‘The Last Days of the Romanovs by Robert Wilton Av igh Reseed Inrotuton nd ther new materia CCapyrigh © 1983 bythe litte for Hist Review Fs Bish eon pubishedin 1920 in Landon by 7 Batevoth Fist elton published 1920 in New York oy (er H-Dorne Co. French ein published ie Pai in 2921 Russia-arevgseton pubished io Benin in 1923. “Te fa IR eton published May 2993, Seco ping Febery 1996 Anat for Histol Review 20, Bor 2739 Newt sae, CA 92659, Usa Manufactures inthe United Sines of America ISBN; 0.93966447-1 CONTENTS. Introduction by Mark Weber Chapter I: Prologue (Chapter I: The Stage andthe Actors Chapter II: No Escape: Alexandra Misiudged Chapter 1V: Rasputin the Peasant, Chapter V: “Dhe Tsar is Innocent” ‘Chapter Viz Exile in Siberia (Chapter Vit: Moscow and Best, Chapter Vi: Vis Cris Chapter 1X: Calvary Chapter X: Without Trace” Chapter XI "Murder Witt Ou” Chapter XII: All the Romanovs (Chapter XIV: By Order of the “Tsik™ (Chapter XV: The Red Kaiser (Chapter XVI: Epilogue 2 30 » a 55 65 15 85 96 105 19 ry 19 149 136Appendix A: 163 “The Members of the Imperial Family — Chronoloay Document from the Chairman ofthe Ural Soviet Acknowledging the Arrival ofthe Emperor at Ekatrin bore Alphabetical Index of Names Appendix B: Statement of Pavel Medvedev 170 Appendix C: A Bret History of Russian Jewry m [Appendix D: The Jewish Role in the Early Soviet Regime 183 Index . 191 Introduction MARK WEBER Inthe night of July 16-17, 1918, Bolshevik secret police mur: dered Rusia’ last emperoe, Tsir Nicholas Il, along with his wife, Tsanisa Alexandra, ther 14-year-old son, Tsarevich Alexei, and ther four daughters. They were ut dovin ina hil of gunfire ina halfcellar room ofthe house in Ekaterinburg, a city inthe Ural mountain region, where they were being held prisoner. The ddaughers were finished off with bayonets, To prevents cult for the dead Tsar, the bodies were carted away t0 the countryside and hastily buried in a secret grave Bolshevik authorities at fist reported that the Romanov emperor had been shot ater the diseovery of a pt to liberite him: For many years Soviet historian claimed that local Bosh viks had acted on their own in carrying out the Killings an that Leni, founder of the Soviet sae, had nothing to do’ withthe Ty 1990, Moscow playwright and historian avard Radzin sky announced the result of his detailed investigation nto the mucders. He unearthed the reminiscences of Lenin's bodyevard, Alexei Akimov, who recounted how he personally delivered Lemin’s execution order to the tlepraph office. The telegram was also signed by Soviet government chief Yakov Sverdiov. AKimov had saved the original telegraph tape asa recond of the secret order Raduinsky’s research confirms what had long been suspect- 4, Leon Trotsky — one of Lenin's closest colleagues — had reported decades earlier that Sverlov told him in 1918 that Sverdlow and Lenin jointly decided to have the Tsar and bis family put to death Robert Wilton, correspondent of the London Times in Russia for 17 yeu, here provides one ofthe most aceurate and com- plete ccounts of the murder of Russia's imperial family?" ‘THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOV (Originally published in 1920, The Lact Days ofthe Romanos has Sood the fest of time. I has not received the attention it de serves, though, above all because of the author's candor on the ‘rucilly important oe played by Jews in the Bolshovie regime, fa in the murder ofthe emperor. ‘A solid understanding of history is the Dest guide to comprehending the present and anticipating the future, Accord ingly, people are most interested in historical questions during times of eri, when the futte seems most uncerain. With the lapse of Commis ule in the Soviet Union, 1989-1991, and Russians stroggle to build anew order on the rin ofthe od the svbject ofthis book has once again become very topical In recent year, Jews around the world have been voicing amsiouscoocem over the specter of anti-Semitism i the lands of the former Soviet Union. In this new and uncertain era, we are tol, suppressed fectings of hatred and rage against Jews ae once spain Being expressed. According to a public opinion survey conducted in 1991, for example, most Soviet citizens wanted al, Jews (0 lene the country But precisely why is anti-lewish Sentiment so widespread among the peoples ofthe former Soviet Union? Why do so many Russians, Ukrainians, Lihuanians and ‘otters blame "the Jews” for so mich misfortane? Although officially Jows have never made up more dian thee or four percent of te country’s total population, they played a highly disproportionate and probably decisive roe nthe farly Bolevik regime, effectively dominating the Soviet, government during its early years. With the notable exception of Lenin (Viadimir Uyanov), most ofthe lading Communists who took contol of Russia in 1917-18 were Jews, Leon Trotsky (Lev Bronstein) beaded the Red Army and, fora time, was chet of Soviet foreign afars. Yakov Sverdloy (Solomon) was both the Bolshevik pary's executive secretary and — as chairman of the Central Exseutve Commitee — hea ofthe Soviet government. Grigori Zinovie (Radomysisky) heads the Communist Intema tional (Cominter) the central agency for spreading revolution in foreign counties. Other prominent Jews included press commis INTRODUCTION “ sar Kar! Radek (Sobelsohe), foreign affairs commissar Maxim Livinoy (Wallach), Lev Kamenew (Rosenfeld) and Moise} ntaky Lenin himself was of mostly Russian and Kalmuck ancestry, bot he was also one-quarter Jewish. His maternal grandfather, Israel (Alexander) Blank, was a Ukrainian Jew who was ater hpized iato the Russian Orthodox Church. “Two weeks prior to the Bolshevik “October Revolution” of 1917, Lenin convened 1 top secret meoting in St. Petersburg, (Petrograd) at which the key leaders of the Bolshevik party's Cental Committe made the fateful decision to seize power in a violent takeover. OF the twelve men who took part in this Gecisive gathering, there were four Russians (including Lenin), ‘one Georgian (Stalin), one Pole (Dzerzhinsky), and six Jews. ‘To direct the takeover, «seven-man “Political Buresu” was chosen, l-consised of two Russians (Lenin ané Bubnov), one Georgian (Stalin), and four Jews (Trotsky, Sakolnikov, Zinoviev. sand Kamenev).? Meanwhile, the Petersburg Petrograd) Soviet — ‘whose chairman was Trotsky — established an 18-member "Miltary Revolutionary Commitee” to actually carry out the seizure of power. It included eight (or nine) Russians, one Ukrainian, one Pole, one Caucasian, and six Jews" Finally, to supervise the organization of the upesing, the Bolshevik Ceniral Committee established five-man “Revolutionary Military Center” as the Party's operations command. It consisted of one ‘Russian (Bubnov), one Geoegian (Stalin), one Pole (Dzerzhinsky), and two Jews (Sverdiov and Urisky) ” ‘We are unable to vouch for the complete accuracy of the listings of Bolshevik and Soviet officials provided by Wilton in Appendix D. For example, Wilton reports that nine of the 15 members of the Bolshevik Party's Central Committee in 1918 ‘were Jews, By contrast, German scholar Herman Fehst — citing published Soviet records — report in his useful 1934 study that Six ofthe 15 members were Jewish. In any case, Wilton's basic point is well taken, as other contemporary observers and historians have noted. Winstonwii THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS BxTRODUCTION & ‘Churchill forexample, pointed tothe ericial roe payed by Jews much the same point a few months later: “Unless Bolshevism is in Bolshevism in an essay published inthe February 8, 1920, nipped inthe bud immediately its bound to spread in one form issue ofthe London Musraed Sunay Hera” Bolshevism, he for other over Burope and the whole world as it i organized wamed, is a “worldwide conspiracy for the overthrow of tnd worked by Jews who have no nationality, and whose one civilization and forthe ecoasintion of socety onthe Basis of object is to deswoy for their own ends the existing order of arrested development, of envious malevolence, and impossible things" equality." The eminent British political leader and historian went “The Bolshevik Revolution,” declared a leading American on to writ: Jewish community paper in 1920, “was largely the product of “ewish thinking, Jewish discontent, Jewish efferto reconstuct"™ ‘Theres no noe to exaggct the pat played inthe eration ‘Summing up the situation a that ime, Israel historian Lois of Boevism ane in te aetisl banging abou of the Rapoport wites!™ ssn Revluton by there international ai for he most au athestical Jews, Ris cuily 4 very grea one rotsblycoweghs al ekery. With te notable excetion of Tenn majorty ofthe leding Pius are Jews, Mreover. the pip inmpition and ving power comes fromthe Jewish lades, Tost Tehtchern, pre [Rosh s eclipsed by he somal sobordinate, ivi, and te inlenee of Russias ike Bukhari or Lunacharsi annot be compared withthe power of Teotky or of Zinove, te Dictator ofthe Red Cade Petrograd, o of Kastn or Radek — al evs, Inthe Soviet institutions te predominance of Jews is ven more astonishing. And he prominent, Hat deed the bwin. grt in the system of tenes applied by the Extaorinty Commissions or Combating Counter Revol tion [ie Chet} has beeo taken by Jews, and in some able ates by ewes, ‘Neds to say he mos intense passions of revenge Ive ben excited inthe breasts ofthe Russian people David R. Feancis, United States ambassador in Russia, Inednly ster te Revoiion many Jews wer euphae fer thar bghseprescntion in te new goverment Unie’ fst Pobre war dominated by men of ewsh ender Lenin, Jews became involved in all aspects of the Rovliten, icoding is ies! work Despite te Conners” vows to raion ant-Semitar, sped tly ater he Revolivon ~ pat ects of We pom tence of 0 any Jews inthe Soe misao, ae vin teammate, nbuman Sovetraion aves at fatgned. Histor Sala Baron ha noted ht an mimensiy thpoperonste numberof Jove oned the ew Blew Steptoe the Cheka And any of thot who fll fs {te Choke would be sb by Tews investgos. “Thecoletve leadership ta merged in Lenin's ying dayg as teed byte Jew Znoviw, a loqucivs mem ‘Site, cynic! Aon whowe vty Kaew no bond As already note, Jews played a particularly disproportionate tole in the Soviet secret police, which began as the Cheka (or warmed in January 1918 dispatch to Washington: “The Bole Vecheta) and was later known as the GPU, OGPU, NKVD, vik leaders here, most of whom are Jews and 90 percent of MVD and KGB, "Anyone who had the misfortune to fall int the whom are retumed exiles, care litle for Russia or aay other hands ofthe Cheka,” weote Jewish historian Leonard Schapiro, oun bat ar iterations and they are tying 10 sta a "stood a very good chance of finding himself confronted with, worldwide social revolution, and possibly shot by, «Jewish investigator.” In Uxraine, “Jews The Netherlands" ambassador in Russia, Oudendyke, made ‘made up nessy eighty percent ofthe rank-and-file Cheke ages.”x ‘THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS repos W. Bruce Lincoln, an American profesor of Russian history. In light of allthis — and as Wilton points out — it should ote surprising that Yakov M. Yurovksy, the leader ofthe Bolshevik sguad that cased out the murder ofthe Tsar and is family, was Jewish, as was Sverdlow, the Soviet chief who co- signed Lenin's execution order” Igor Shafarevich, a Russian mathematician of word stature, hs sharply criticized the Jewish role in bringing down the Romanov monarchy and establishing Commonist rule in his county. Shaferevich was a leading disident dunng the final decades of Soviet ule. A prominent human right activist, he was «founding member of the Committee on the Defense of Human Right inthe USSR, It Rassophobia,s book writen ten yeas before the collapse of Communist mile, he noted that Jews. were “amazingly” numerous among the persousel of the Bolshevik seret police ‘The characteristic Jewishness of the Bolbevik executioners, Shalurevch went on, is most conspicuous in the execution of Nicholas | ‘Tossa action symbolize the en of centres of Russian story, so hat it an be compared only tothe execution of 2s Tin England or Lous XVI in Fane, woul sem tharepresenatives ofan significant tne minty shold ‘cepa fa spouse Fem ths Pana eon, which would ‘veteran all istry. Yet what names doe ee The cation wat pervonalyottsacn by Yahow Yusosky ho Sot the Tar the present of the neal Soviet was Belcbore ‘ov (Vaishart the person responsible forthe eneal smissttion in Eatrnburg was Shaya Goosbebekia To round ou the picture, on te wal ofthe room where the ‘section tok place wat stich fm a poem by Hee (writen io German) about King Bathazar who offended Sehovah and wat Kile fore fens, ‘As an expression of its radically ant-nationsist character, eTRODUCTION » the new Soviet government issued a decree a few months after taking power that made anti-Semitism a erime in Russia. The ew Communist regime thus became the fist in the world 10 Severely punish all expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment. Soviet officials apparently regarded such measures as indispensable ‘Based on careful observation during a lengthy stay in Russi, the \welb informed American-Jewish scholar Prank Golder eported in 1925 that "because so many ofthe Soviet leaders ate Jews. ant- Semitsm is guining (in Russa), particulary in the army (and) ‘among the old and new intligensia who are being crowded for positions by the sons of Israel ‘The orginal editions of The Last Days of the Romanovs publisied in New York and London in 1920 also included translation of some of the sworn testimony recorded by Nicholas Sokolov's commission of inquiry, which was set up by Ad Kolchak after the occupation of western Siberia by the "White (anti-Communist) forces under his command These depositions are amicably summarized here by Robert ‘Witton. He bid good reaton for not publishing the complete statements: he feared that some of those named would be victimized by the Bolsheviks. However, when they were subse- {uenty published by someone else, Wilton compared them with his own copies and declared them to be authentic, The trans tions of the depositions now available in the West were made from copies of the records that George G. Telberg, professor of Jaw al the University of Saratov and one-time Minister of Justice st Omsk, tock from the local archives before he fled with the ‘other ministers of Kolehak’s government. These depositions, lke very many others in the complete Sokolov Archive, add very Title of importance to the story of what actually happened in [Ekaterinburg in 1918. With the exception of the statement by Pavel Medvedev (who took part in the murder of Nicholas and his family), they have therefore been omitted from this edition, Witton’s account reflects the intense anti-German sentiment that had been whipped up during the Fiest Werld War, an wichi ‘THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘vas still widespread among the English at the time this work was Writen. Its quite tree, as Willon mention, tat Germany — which was then at war with Russia — did arrange to transport Lenin and ther revolutionaries into Rusia (on the well-known “Sealed tin") hoping that they would overtrow Kerensky's anti-German government, or at least weaken is abiliy to continue fighting However, its notte, as Wilton claims (p. 153), that the Germans approved the mutde of the Tsar. Wilton goes on: "The poston held by [German ambassador] Mirbach in Moscow, his fhily reports from member, of the Red Inquisition, which naturally had the closest coonection with the artangement forthe murder. are conclusive evidences” Ths interpretation doesnot stand up to close scrutiny, and is even contradicted by informa tion provided by Wilton hime. He notes, for example (p26). that Count Mitbach was killed a week before the mtder ofthe ‘Tsar by two men who presented themselves 26 officers of the “Red Inquisition” And as Wilton confirms elsewhere (p. 149) "The Red Tsar [Sverdloy] planned to exterminate the Romanos, but the Germans proposed to reinstate Nicholas.” That is why the Bolsheviks tated a German attempt to bring Nicholas back to Moscow from Tobotsk, iterupting his journey and imprisoning him at Bksterinbur, With the deamatic collapse of Soviet rule, itis hardly surprising that many Russians are taking 2 new and move respectful look at their county's pre-Commanist history, including the era of the last Romanov emperor. In spite of (or perhaps Because of) the relents official earpsign doring the ‘entre Soviet ere {0 suppress every uncritical memory of the Romanovs and imperial Rass, a virtual cult of popular venera tion for Nicholas TT has been sweeping Russia in recent years. People have been eagerly paying the equivalent of several hours? wages to purchase poriais of Nicholas from suet, ‘vendors in Moscow, St.Petersburg and other Russian eis, His portait now hangs in counless Russian homes and apartments, In late 1990, all 200,000 copies ofa fist pining of & 30-page perRopucTION a pamphlet on the Romanovs quickly Sold out, Said one street vendor: "personally sold four thousand copies in no time a Tes lke a nuclear explosion. People eeally want t0 know about their Tsar and his aly.” Gras rots pro- Tart and monarchist, organizations have sprang up in many cites. katerisburg (o# Yekaterinburg) was renamed Sverdiowsk by the Soviets in 1924 in honor of the Soviet-Jewish chief. The city’s pe-Communist name, which honors Empress Catherine I, ‘was restored in September 1991.” A public opinion poll conducted in 1990 found that three out of four Soviet citizens surveyed regard the killing oF the Tsar and his family as a despicable crime Many Russian Orthodox believers regard Nicholas as a martyr. The independent “Onho: {ox Church Abroad” canonized the imperial family in 1981, and the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church has been under Popular pressure to take the same step, in spite of ts long Standing reluctance to touch this official taboo. The Russian Onhodox Archbishop of Ekaterinburg announced plans in 19% to build a grand church atthe site of the killings. “The people loved Emperor Nicholas.” the Archbishop said. “His memory lives withthe people, not as a saint but as someone executed without covet verdict, unjustly, as a sufferer for his faith and for conten" Why were the Romanovs summarily killed, rather than executed after a show til? As Wilton explains Neve (pages 146- 14), Nicholas and his family had to be murdered because the Bolshevik rulers knew that they lacked genuine popula support, and righily feared thatthe Russian people would never approve Killing of the Tsar, regardless of legalistic formalities and pretens, The murder ofthe Tsar and hie family #8 all the more {zploable hecause, whatever his failings as & monarch, Nicholas Tas, by all accounts, a personally decent and honorable man. Historian Ivor Benson characterized the killing of the Romanov family as symbolic of the tagic fate of Russia and indeed, of the entire West, in this century of unprecedentedaw “THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS agony and conflict. Harvard Univesity historian Richard Pipes hse the killing &“unigoely odious (deed... tat radically distinguishes i from previous acts of repicide and brands i as 3 ‘elude to 200-century mass murder.” “The mass slaughter and chaos ofthe Fist World War, and the revolutionary upheavals that swept Europe in 1917-1918, tought an end not only to the ancient Romanov dynasty in Runa, but co an entve continental soca} order. Swept away a8 Well was the Hohenzollern dynasty in Germany, with is stable Ceosttuional monarchy, and the ancient Habsburg dynasty of ‘Astia-Hungary wih its molinaonal central European empire. Buiope's leading sates shared not only the same Christan and Wester cultural Foundations, bot most of the continents reigning monarchs were elated by blood, Russia's Tsar Nicholas, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm, and England's King George were fist cousins ‘More than was the case with the monarchies of westem Buco, Russia's Tsar personally symbolized his land and nation, “Ths, the murder of Ue laat emperor of dynasty that had ued Rass for theee centuries not only symbolically presaged the Communist mass slaughter that would claim so many Russian lives in the decades that followed, but was symbolic of the Communist efor to kill Russia isl INTRODUCTION w Nore Rady, Me La Tar (Now ork: Doubled, 19) pp. 327,348 545 il Keer, "Cal of the Lae Cam” The New York Pes, NOV 2, 1380 (Que in: Rainy, The Last Tar (New York: Doble, 1992), 1.395505 andi: Ronald Whack, Lenin (New Yok 8p 9 ‘n Witon aa his caer in Rss, se: Pili Knightley, The ist Canal (neoan Brace Branch 1979, pp M11 ata, 151 12198 16,1, AP dupa fm Meson, Troe Ser, Sept. 26, 1991, p_ AB Slay, + 1982 sure fund hr ne ouch af open he epics, of Blas (White Russ) and Urekistn ovored deporting al Jews {speci JensshreioneRanon Sen. “Suvey Finds At Seiten ‘nae a Ex-Sost Land” Lot Angles Tomo, aoe T2192 p- AS Se ind ens H.Shabman, ed, The acl! Eryloeia he Raion Reson (Oxf 1983), afd es G. Wiper Diciony af Soh Biography (New You Simon & Scher, 1991. The pomientfoush vale on Rass'speI9T8 revelatory der ‘pon, rn the eary Soviet epee canied Sale Roonen and 8. Raber eke Root of Racal (New Yat: Oxo, 1942) 9298 ‘Aer yeas of offi supesin thi ct was acknowledged 1952 Inte Moiow weekly Opomot. Se: Jenh Oroile (Loo Jal 15 991 See als: Letery L. orwits a The Now York Taner A 5192, which ees formation fom the Resta jo "Nane Land ‘enives™ "Lenin's Lineage? “Jewish” Cin Mosow News, Farvard (New York Cig), Feb. 28 1980 pp. 13 Serle Po Witiam HL Chamber, Phe Rsson Revlon Princeton Univ Pres, 1967, yl 1p 291-292: Herma Fest, lucha und adeno Dat jdice Eleni der Frac des Bolchenimat (Bei 1930) p42; PN. Poem, ed ai Hick Lani A Bigra by (Moscow Progress, 1966) pp 318319, Wo, Candee Resin Revoaion (SBN, vl 9p 292“THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS. ‘Wo. Carer. The son even, 19274, 299,302, 32063, ‘Alen Mocrad Th Russian Reva (New Wok 1965) pp. 215 284,242 263, 8s Fea, Bachem wn Jaden (Bei. BN. Poss, ed, Vdimin tick Lin: A Biography (Moscow Tress, 1965} pp 319520, Dis Volpe, Sein Toph ad Tragedy New Yr Grove Week BI) 9.228, 32 der Fahrerschat des Bolschewiamus (Bern. 1936, pp. 68-72 Fs sept i: Willa Grea, The Si Millon Recoidered (0979) 9. Ime David ran, Aus rm the erin Eby (Ne oR: 192. Natal Archives, Washingo, DC. Dice pub in Frcign Retsions of he Untied Ser 918 sna, Va 1 (Washing, DC 1930p. 61869, American Hebron (Se Yo), Sep. 191. Quote: Nan ler Daniel Pack Moya, Beyond the Mating Pot (Cae, 1963), 926k: Av are on» 1907 ise of he fest Aen jal Natimal Geogrphic reported on the revolonry ster trewing in sia the years fre he Firs World Wa The "Htc olny ae ise evn Byes OW. & Cat “The evan Ran” The National Gortapte Magan, May 197 ppsissiay 1 Rapoport, Sal's or Agathe ent (New York Fee rs, 1890) pp 38.3, 3, Se a pp. 05, 3. ‘Qute in: Slo Bao, The Rasta Jews Un Tort and Soviet (New ‘York 1976), p10, 399 8h ‘he Aunt, Se, 191, pV: el Hs Lois Rapopn aso anime the dominate lined ty les in he Saves see pai ‘Seoghout he 1820 and 8308 L. Rago, Slin's War gait te Yows (Ne Yor: 180), 9p. 3031, 848, 50. rsTRODUCTION i 1 Rassny, Th Lan Ter (199), po. 244, 308-304, Bl Kee, “Cu {the Lat Cra The New Yok Toes, Nev 21 1990; See a We, Fi. Chamterin, The Ruan Revlon, a. 2 990. ‘use The New Repay Fe. 5, 950, pp 30 Becwse of he ‘Degen Semin af fasophobi, ie Buy 1992 Shafevch as [Sis by the Nona Acemy of Snes (Wathnglon DO Fsen nest, “ews 0 the USSR American Rei on the Soe Fues Tai Commant Mateow Nove, 178). pp. 10 Isat The Paving of Prank Gabe 19131927 (Santo Hooves Teton 199), pp. 380159, 317 TOOL Awe lec of Legg reve tot ongral tae oS Preston, The Nation, ne 2,198, i Keer, “Cl of he Las Ca” Me New Yor Tes Nov. 21,190.CHAPTER 1 HIE true story of the martyrdom of Nicholas TT, ex-Tsar of Rasta, and of his wife and family can at last be ol Ts based upon evidence obtained by @ properly constituted legal investigation. The signed depositions of eye-witnesses are in the writer's possession, but he does not disclose the Identity of the deponents who are still in the power of the Soviets—the murderais. "The time will come when the guilty will be called to account, but along while may eiapse before the day of retribution dawns. The writer has sought to present the opeaing forthe prosecution, fally confident that the even- tual hearing ofthe evidence before a court of law will substan tiate his statement and impose a verdict of “Guilty.” ‘At Exaterinborg, on the night of Jay 26,1928, the Imperial Family and their faithfal attendants-eloven persons in all— were lel into a small room in the house where they had been imprisoned and shot to death with rovalvers. There had been no trial of any kind, Before their death the captives were subjected to l-treatment amounting to horible torte, men {al if not physica. Aller death the bodies were taken to the woods and completely destroyed. These acts had been pre meditated and the murders elaborately prepared The actual arrangements for the crime began some weeks before the advent of antiBolshevist forces. Neither far of rescue by the Whites nor plots to release the captives—the14 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS existence of which is doubtful—ean be reasonably alleged in fextemuation of the slaughter, ‘The oflal statement issued by the Moscow Government on Joly 20—four days aftrwards~spoke of the shooting of Nicholas a5 an act of necessity, but eategorcallyafirmed that the exEmpress and the children had boon conveyed out of the sty. These deliberately coneacted reports of the safe removal ofthe family were intended to circumvent any invest fation—and did so at first, tis estblishd beyond doubt that the ex-Tar fella victim to his loyalty. He had refsed offers from the enemics of Rusia’ ales proposing that he should endorso the Treaty of BrestLitowsk' Attampts to snveigle him into an unholy alia endovbtedly preceded the murder. All the Romanove ‘who died violet deaths were, like the Tsar, inconvenient to German as well as to Tnterationalist plans ‘So many tales have been ciculated vapaeding the fate of the Romanovs, i most cases without the slightest approach to the truth, that I consider myself Bound torclate the cir cumstances which have (2) placed in my possession the com: plete istry and documents af the ease and (2) imposed upon ‘me a moral obligation to publish the truth to the wold In Mareb, 2919, returning fom Omsk for a short visit to Viadvostok, I mot Genel Diterichs, an old acquaintance, of the Russian Western Armies, After the Revolution he had piloted the Czechs to Siberia and then taken charge of the Unallan Front, Byoneot thefatefsl blunders that have marred Cf Ladendoets War Mimo, Vol, page 638° We cou {2's a given help fo ote authors in Runa which ete et Seu vee ec of peat parame vei ea condst tse with it ver the Pete 0 Hea " “ PROLOGUE, 15 Intervention in behalf of Russia he had been superseded by inferior leaders, and was devoting his energies to the invest. gation of the Pearhoe defo (Tsar case). Knowing Diterichs, Tet sure that, sooner orlater, he would agsin become comman- Aersinchief of the armies then fighting the Reds with British and Allied assistance. Personal regard and journalistic con= siderations equally prompted me to follow his fortanes, ood for bad. Thave not had cavse to regret my decison. General Diterets was found to be indispensable and recalled to his command, when it was too late. From the fist he had seen only too clearly the rocks ahead and warned everybody con: cerned, and he knew that the fate of Koltchak’s attempt t0 restore Rosia was sealed. Yet he accepted the leadership, ‘With equal perspicacity he had also long ago realized the enor- ‘mous importance ofthe Tsar ease. Thanks to his effort much was accomplished belore the Reds, having reaptuced the Urals, could obliterate all traces of the crimes committed there, He continued to follow the ease even after his appointment as CCommanderin-Chief and after the dibéets, On my arrival at Ekatorinburg a month later I met the investigating magistrate who had been specially appointed b the Supreme Ruler (Koltchak) to conduct the inquiry into th. Tsar ease—Nicholas Alexeievich Sokolov. He had eft hishome snd family in Penza to avoid service under the Reds, and had managed, after innumerable hardships and hairbreadth escapes, to eros, disguised as a peasant, into Siberia. He walked the last 25 miles foodles, his feet one mass of sores and blisters. ‘An ardent sportsman, he had lost an eye through the careless. ness of a comrade, He had made a name for himself in the investigation of famous criminal cases. He was relentless, tireless, fll of resouree in the porsuit alike of murderers and beasts of prey. The Tsar ease called for the exercise of all the skill that the most genial and envragtous of magistrates could display. Sokolov never faltered, It is thanks to himx6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘that an overwhelming mass of evidence has been built up into f structure that cannot be overthiown—that still continues to grow, Atal the centres of interest for th investigation —Fkaterin. burg, Perm, Omsk, in fed or forest, amid the disased iron mines which hid so many a gruesome record of Bolshevist, “justice Twas for many months in constant touch with ‘the course of the inquiry, and personally took partin the search for the remains ofthe victims. Besides Sokolov and Diterichs only two persons signed the more important rocts-terban— T was one of the to, When the fall of Omsk appeared to be imminent, N. A, Sokolov departed eastward, taking with him all the documents, material clues. etc, which by right could be in no other hands save his, I followed later with General Diteich, after he had resigned his cominand, in despaie over Keoltchak’s suicidal decision to defer the evacuation of the city—a decision that entsiled the loss of countless lives and the death ofthe Supreme Ruler, We found Sokolov at Chita, persecuted by the mye ridons of the redoubtable Ataman because they personally desied thet the Romanows shouldbe alive fr certain obscure porposes oftheir own, and therefore wished to ge rid of Sokolov Jor proving thecontrary. After many viisitudes and adven tures he reached Harbin, whither Thad also made my way, and was joined by General Diteris “The ultimate fate of the dosier there had to be decide. On al sides were hostile oF Goubtful organizations. To leave ‘the originals behind and take away only duplicates was, to say the least, risky. Sokolovs life bring in danger he hid the ossier in my car, which had the protection ofthe British ag. General Lokdhvitsky rendered invaluable assistance in ringing about a decision, T must express my felings of gratitude and personal regard for this very gallant soldier and gentleman, PROLOGUE ” ho here in the midst of a veritable Badlam preserved his wn- rfl courtesy and calm just as he had done in the turmoil of battle in France and of disaster in Siberia, ‘With the knowledge and approval of the three distinguished ren above mentioned representing the Rusia (hat was and that we all hope will be again took charge of one asic, it being understood that, given certain contingencies, [ should be free at my own discretion to make wie of it in whole or in part, The contingencies have arian, and I am free. But that is not all. Y consider the circumstances of to-day render it an imperative duty to let the Alles and the Russians know the truth. Too many hostile interests are served by deliber- ately concocted Hes and legends regarding the fate of the Romanovs, It is time to let the light of day into this tragic land gruesome hietory, When T fst came into personal touch with the Tear ease many points were still obscure. Teefer to the actual circum- stances ofthe murder itself, not to extraneous spects—plitical and international—that were only vaguely hinted at, and that Inave since attained extraordinary proportions. The confusion then existing was due to two causes: fist, tothe inexperience ‘of the officials who took charge of the investigation ; secondly, to the activity of Bolshevist agents who remained in the city fc were concealed among the ranks of the White Administra ‘The official version of the events of July 16-27, given out by the Reds before they fed from Ekaterinburg, was that Nicholas Romanov had been execsted ‘after trial’ but that ‘the family had been removed to "a safe place.” This legend became engrafted upon the minds ofa great many people, and still continues to exercise its using appeal. Every sympathizer with the Soviets considered himself or herself hound to foster this version, since no Russian, however hostile to the ex Sove28 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘ign, cou ind the slightest excuse or pretext for‘ execut ing a whole family of five ciléren who had never taken, oF Deen able to take, che slightest part in politics, The Russians who still telonged to the German ‘erientation were also~ curiously enough—disposed to credit any tale of miraculous ‘escape. They sormed to think that a restoration ofthe Mon- arehy—which formed the basis of thie politica ereed woul bbe furthered by the ‘miracle’ theory. Some of them had sore practcel aims, a5 will be shown later on, IN. A, Sololov was not deceived for an instant, If, suppos ing, the family had been removed, their death was, to him, none the lass a moral certainty. He bad precise information that every other Romanov within Sovietdom had heen tue ered, although they were just as unconcerned in politics a8 the boy Alexis and his sisters, But the evidence of eye-wit, nesses, coupled with and corroborated by countless material proofs, could leave no doubt 38 fo the fact of @ wholesale murder at Elateinburg, All he efforts of the organizers and ‘he supineness ofthe earlier investigators couldnt completely tangle the threads. But it bocame a harder task to assemble the evidence that would secure conviction in a court of law. T visited the house where the victims had lived, It belonged toa certain Ipatiev, a merchant who held the rank of captain in the Engincers. By one of the ironies of Fate he bore the ‘name of the monastery whence the frst Romanov sallied to assume the Crown of All the Russias, Tae Ipatiev of Ekaterin- ‘burg was, however, of Jewish origin ‘The Engines Department of the Siberian Army we installed in the upper storey, Directly after the occupation ofthe city by the Czechs, General Gaida lad forcibly taken possession of the premists, despite the vehement protest of the judicial authorities, alarmed by the risk of losing possible clues. The PROLOGUE 19 rooms underwent extensive alterations. This was, of course, ‘flagrant violation ofthe most elementary prinipes of erimi- nal investigation, “The lower floor was tenanted by Ipatiey himself, on the understanding that no strangers should be admitted. The small basement room—the scene of the murders—was sealed up. Ts i fw days later. Sokolov took me over the ‘remiss, explaining step by step the enactment of the tragedy, ‘We stood in the litle room, noted the tace of the bullets, the rection of the bayonet thrusts, an the splashes of blood on the wall, The zoom had been a shambles, and all the washing and seauring that, according to the evidence, had followed the ‘murders could not remove tlbtale signs. We knew from the Gepositions of witnesses and the mute, grusome language of the deth-chamber where each ofthe wetims sat or stood when the assassins fired their revolvers. The bllotholes in the walle and i the oor had been carefully cutout; human Blood had been found in the wood and on the bulls ‘Obscene drawings and inscriptions covered the upper walls Obviously they were the work of uncultured peasonts. Their ccaractet showed only t00 deasly how deeply the conscience of the people had been revolted by the Rasputin scandal There were othts inscriptions—in Hebrew, in German, in Magyar, Regarding them Twas to learn much at a later fate oe eee Soon afterwards E was in the woods, x0 miles north of the city, where the peasants had found jewellery and other relics fof the murdered family, T-saw the tracks, stil clear, of heavy lorries crashing through the tres to a group of dissed iron- tre shafts, All went in one direction, ceasing near a pit round Which a vast colton of clues had been discovered ; precious Stones, pearls, beautiful settings of gold and platinum, some hacked, Broken, bearing tracas of fie; metal buckles, hooks,30 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOvS buttons, corset-frames, pias of charred leather and cloth, 2 Jmuman Singer intact, a set of fale teeth, The eharacter, cone ition, and numbers of these various articles were in themselves suficient to indicate the sex and ages of the victims and the manner in which their bodies had Been disposed of First on the sone had been the peasants, For thr-e days tnd nights they were cut of from theeity by a cordon of Red Gvards placed around the wood. Keowing that the Whites were at hand, they thooght the Reds were burying arms Vague rumours had reached them of the death of Nicolas Tl ‘As soon asthe eordon had heen removed they rished to the spot. Woodcraft and native astutenass quickly opened their eyes. ‘Te is the Tsar that they have bein baming here, they declared. On this very spo, a yea late, I found taper ‘beads, suchas the young Prinesies wore, and other gems, by sccatching the surface of the hardened clay surrounding the ‘ton pit ‘Lad off on a false scent, the earier investigator had neg: lected the untrring sagacity of the peasants and had even failed to make an immediate examination of the wood and pts perhaps afraid to leave the city, because Red bands were reported to be in the neighbouthood, He was following the redcherrng trailed by Soviet agents that, to wit, the family had escaped or bven removed. These agents did not know the truth themselves. They merely related what they had ‘ben instructed to say. ‘The local Soviet had. not known the facts. There had been no trisl, ‘The murders had been the work ofa separate organization which directed everything from a distance, Misled by the versions thus spread, the ‘investigator had lst himself n the maze of eonditing rumour in Ekaterinburg, ‘When Sokolov took over the casein the early months of 1g1g—it wes almost at a standstill because of the inital mis PROLOGUE a takes and incapacity of the investigator. Yet evidence had tome from another quarter that should have compelled him to take the right course. From one ofthe Imperial servants who had escaped from a Red hooting squad it became known that several grand dukes and the Grand Duchess Birabeth had been murdered immediately after the Flatarinburg hooting, and that some of the bodies had been found in isused iron-pts, In no case had there been any semblance of atrial, It was evident the wholesale extermination of the Romanovs had been pursued, and that all theories of the miraculous survival of the childeen should be abandoned On Joly 141919, the Bolshevists entered Ekaterinburg, and since then have been in orcupation ofthe Urals. They were able to satisfy themselves that, inspite ofall their efforts to rislead justice, the truth about the matder of the ex-Tsar and his family would become lesen and arouse poplar inci nation. They then decided to take a course that was quite in keeping with their methods of government, although it may appear to be almost inredibe tous, with ut notions of truth and juttice—to stage a fake’ tal of pretended " murderers" in order to divert the odium of the cme to other shouldes. ‘Brazenly ignoring the fact that they themselves had offcially * sentenced "the Tsar in July, x9x8, and recorded his death at the hands of the Soviet a¢ Ekaterinburg, they annonce f tral of the “marderers' of the Tsar in September, 1939 ‘Twentyceight accused,’ we read, were charged with murder ing ‘the Tsar and the whole family ‘in order “to throw the discredit of the murder upon the Holshevists,” and some were actually sentenced to death and" executed”. The Bolshevist ‘organ Pravda records this judicial farce, which may or may not Ihave been actually “performed.” T shall have occasion to eal with it in its appointed placeCHAPTER 1 OME Hea of the cine of Ekaterinburg is now in the reader's possession; but, in dealing withthe evidence in allits aspects, it necessary to give an account of eunditions that prevailed in the county thes, and of the chick sctos im (he drama. The murder of the Tsar and his family, even after hisabdication, may not berogarded asasimplo act of vengeance er casual provation, {In 927, the Germans had set Lenia with a horde of Jewish revolutionaries t take possesion of Rossi. A Ked Gaerne rent, compossd of persone seleted in Pein, wis now in power; but they were vasials Count Mirbach, representing the suzerin State, figured in Moscow as the virtual cube, befre whom the apostes of Karl Marx bowed the knee, A the period under review, the Reds had displayed no overt disposition to throw off the German yoke, ‘Tey conformal with all the humiliating lases ofthe Trnty of Brest-Litovs, utifolly sending the tibute gold ¢o Besin which had bese demanded as ‘war indemnity’ plundering the national Exchequer and resouress by otder of their German masters Apparently everyting was going well with the German plan of “peaceful” conquest, whatever secret Ropes the Ied leaders may have nurtured. Instead of a redoubtable fo, Russia was now a willing handmate Ludendoct has eelated frankly, eisingenuouly, low simple THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS 2 and wondetfal had been this operation Not oul was Rossia fut of the war; the fosdstuls obtained frm the Ukraine had Iteraly saved Germany and her alles. Hetiman Skoropadsky already roled the Ukraine for Germany, Krasnav atthe head of the Cossacks, and Alexciey with the gallant Volunteer army remained neutral, Ladendorff hoped to lure them into his neta radiant combination that sesured dominion over Rossa and her vast resources. He explains why it was not realized, The German Goverment was to blame, it appears There was a divergence of views between Berlin and G-H.Q. The latter considered that the Reds had’ dane theie work so the Reds ‘must go,’ and Krasnov and Alexeiev be diverted “Bom Gate ts, Boleh Ruma obtsined an Hucgny. al greater was ty aniery when Lihougheo Whe wea. ses pet cxpoatlty Prat ume plst of ew ms forney wat ytd, for Ruzle had tobe id low. But our Gover ‘Ment sah baveseen ta shat we ls wee not volved har fl, ou, poe 3. in Raw vest Dd veloped angie of thei ow, estative ‘tals Goeerament tne Estente a formed CaschoSlovak ents oxt Gt Aurire Hungarian prisoners ae wee intended to Dewi ant Shvand mere thetelore te convey ta France by tho Sieian alway Ui tha was snesened by Covereat with whoo ee meres pace, eee ic ese RN emge oe re io the npr Chaneaorspesally onthe sobjet, and potted ut the davgts hel shreatened ett the Soviet Covernarent "Thad got ato touch with him (General Krasnoy) inorder to revert joining fhe Enteote, ie sation was complicated by SOUS STE a gin nh wy te bee Oey Sr Rrasno reatded fhe Soviet Goversount and atthe Ente,24 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘at once ffom their sympathies with the Entente in order to preclude any possibility ofa revival of the Eastern feont. For this porpose it was necesary to order the German divisions fn the south of Russia to march on Moscow. Ludendort felt ‘quite sure that even Alexeiey would nt Be able to resist the temptation to join hands with the enemies ofSovietdom, But theobstinate, slow-witted bureaucrats in Berlin cou not adapt tHemseves to these lightning changes. Lucendorftstormad at them : Were they blind not tose that the Reds were hoot winking them? Did they want proofs? Were the Czech Prisoners of war not proceeding eastward with the avowed object of reinforcing the French army ? This conerte accusation could not be denied. Lenin's organiation had promised Profesior Masaryk to permit the Cascho'Sovais to Ieave the country by way of Sibecie pro vided they went peacefully. It wasan easy riddance of posible enemies, The Cuechs were proceeding quietly to Vladivostok, ‘aretuly abstaining fom violence even when sorely tried by ‘the impadence of local Soviets, giving up thelr arms to bribe the Ress, ‘irbech received instructions to call his Red henchmen to tthe same time messages were conveyed from the two Kaisers to their warriors imprisoned in Siberia, enjoining ‘upon them the duty of organising resistance to the” invaders How the Getman and Magyar offeer envolled Russian cot iets and tng themselves athoart the Cech retreat with the ‘energetic concurrence of the Soviets is a matter of history ‘But the connexion between this creamstance and all that preceded and followed is less known, Ludendorit feared Above all the re-establishment of the Eastern front, yet it was Ludendont and his Government thet tought about the very consequences that they least wanted ad the Czechs been allowed to depart it is certain that there ‘would have been no military help fom the Entente side, and THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS 5 the chances of seducing the Russian anti‘Bolshevist leaders right not have been stil-bom, As it was, the whole edifice of guile, duplicity, and deceit, raised with soch labour and cost, fell tothe ground, The murder of Mirbech sounded the call of it collapse. But at the time when the fate of the Tsar and his family ‘hung in the balance, Germany was absolute mistress of the situation, and, had there been wnity of method as well as of Purpose between the German High Command and Berlin, the fate of Russia and, perhaps, of the war would have been changed. Bedin wanted to continue to rule Russia through the Soviets under Mirbach ; Ludendaril aimed at the over throw ofthe Soviets in order to enlist the support of the Cos sacks and Volunteess. As might be expected, the confict between them resulted in a fatal compremise—an attempt to run with the White hare and huat with the Red hosnds TLudendorts plan was to substitute a more agreeable form of government in the place of the Soviets and to madi suit ably the Treaty of BrestLitovsk, Here we have the key to ‘the removal of Nicholas TI from Tobolsk. But all that subse- quently happened was conditional upon another set of forces, Sovietdom amerted itself, The working and organization of the Soviets ftted in admirably with German requirements, ‘and incidentally subserved the plans of the murderers. New ‘name, devised to appeal to the fancy of the mob, concealed familiar institutions, ‘There were three principal bodies~Sovnarkom, Tak, and CChrezvychaika, these names being abbreviations of Sovist ‘uaredmyth homiserov (Council of People's Commissary), Tsentralny ispelvitiny homie (Central Executive Committee), and Chneryohainain Aomisia dlia torky 2 Ramtrevatintied (Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-revostio). Under the old répime the Duma, the Council of Ministers,2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS and the Okhrana had oocupied the same relative postions, Tstead ofthe former ranks and digits there were Romizay, all supposed to he elected, but in reality appointed by an inner and occult body. Sendepe (Councils of Deputics) and Komite tty tednaly (Poor Commissions took over the functions of the ld zenstvos and municipalities, grouped into regional com ‘une, just a5 it had been proposed to grovp the zemstvos according to separate oblast (regions). Sovietdom (in Russian Sondepia) had invented mo new forms, It i still the grip of the Red Okkrana, of Inquisition, As there was no apparent authority, the local bodies often acted independently ; indeed, Lenin encouraged this tendency, Vlas na mesa (every place its own master) was bis motto. in didnot rule; the Soviet spstem was governed by other people, the fellow-passengee who came with him under Ger ‘man auspices. He delivered impassioned harangues belore ‘the Sovnarkom and reesived depitaions from mince Soviet, the eal power was elsewhere—in the Tak and Chrezvyehatha¢ and, just a3 it had been in the old Rossi, the last word was always with the Police-Okbrana organization Mirbach received his daily repart from the Chreavychatka, He was murdered by wo men who said they came from that ofc Lenin had as much todo with his death ashe had with the murders, 2 week later, of the ex-Tsar and his fami. ‘The Rei Oxhrana and the inne circle of the Tsk were the veritable authors of the erime of Ekaterinburg, aad probably of Mirbach’s assassination Nonentities,figureieads of the Sowmarkom, do not interest 4s, We ae concerned with great, if malefcent, personages in overnet ul 9 he posor sgh Hig oped "Lena snd edcaned to’ Jose” (he Svs epensiative) Brin ‘Tocay fut, uly 7 108] at 2 Seok two unknown me Wilh fase (ie) dacuints tom the Estrcrdinay Connon al) ppeated atthe Gemas Eaaay sd threw 8 bom ito the spurt THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS ” the Red world. Most of them are sil unknown outside the ranks of profesional revolutionaries. A goodly proportion fof the hundred Jews who came out of Germany with Lenin, and the hundreds who came from Chicago, deserve to be it cluded inthis gallery, for they undoubtedly held Russia under ther sway. To enomerate and describe them would require ‘sinall volume, I need sketch only those who act prominently in the drama of Ekaterinburg. The most important. were ‘Sverdiow, Safarov, Voikoy and Goloshchekin, and the murderer inchief, Yurovsky. Others wil be introduced later on ‘The names of Safarov and Voikov igure in the lst of Lenin’ fellow-passengers. Both are very powerful Bolshevst, hold ing high places inthe executive and police branches, Sverd= Jov was the uncrowned Tsar of the Soviets, His authority ‘was for more than a year really higher than that of Lenin or even Trotzky. He dominated the Tsik, and his exes tures ruled the Chreavychaika. Sverdlov’s) name appears in the Bolshevist Government as approved by Germany {Sverdioy was—and long remsined—a paid agent of Germany). ‘The dieect ccnnenion between Sverdlov and the murders of Ekaterinburg is established beyond doubt Goloshchekin was the representative of the abovenamed tonelave in the Regional Soviet ofthe Urals and Kept that uy flee Geman Ent at pened ey enn jose doves tie murderers and fs fad them over an Eta ‘rlnary Telkom Sapa were taken te seegltes the pound ee itn enrurdnay plenipetenary nil be dapched to Bein wth she mason fering tthe Geran Gove gon Shiv abs fat's ves toes es =28 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS rather recalcitrant body under secret subjection to his chet ‘The Uralian Reds were particularly slf-willed and jealous of Moscow because the population consisted almest entirely of miners and metal-workere—a very advanced and independent las, having little in common with the pessant-ermer, for Whom they professed contempt. Goloshctekin did whatever Sverdlov wished. A stratagem had given him abeolute power ‘The president of the Regional Soviet was a Russian named Beloborodov. He was arrested by the Chreavychaika and lmprisoned on a charge of appropriating 3,000 roubles, The nihment would be death. Together with Safarov and Voikov, Goloshchekin arranged to release hint, Beloborodov resumed the presidency of the Regional Soviet as if nothing had happened, Dishonesty was 9 rampant among the Kom srs that the transition suprised no on Bot after that, Bcloborodov gave up all attempts to resist Moscoy-—il he had ever done so. He was henceforth a rere man of strav. kept in his place to deceive the obstreperovs Uralian snes, who did not wish to be rule from Moscow, such ss by Jews. The closest personal bonds had exited for many yeats between Goloshchekin and Sverdiov, They had been together in prison and exile Goloshehekin ranked as an international ist of the most pronounced type. He had buen selected for the rulership of the Urals with an eye to other than political, aetivtes, He was bloodthirsty in an abnormal degree even for a Red chieftain. People who knew him at Ekaterinburg describe Goloshehekin 36 a homicidal sadist, He never at tended exscutions, but insisted upon hearing a detalled account of them, He huddled in bed shivering and quaking til the executioner came with his ceport, and woul listen t0 his ‘escripton of tortures with a frenay of joy, begging for fur ther deta, gloating over the expressions, gestuces and death- thoes of the victims as they passed before his dteased vision Yurovsky had a humbler task ; he was not one of thernighty THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS. 2 ones of the Soviet, When the German plan to restore Nicholas as a vassel sovereign had failed, and the Jewish conclave in Moscow was free to carry out its vengeful purpose, Yurovsky was installed as chiet jailer and tormentor of the doomed family. The Russian commandant and guards were dismissed, ostensibly because they were pilfring, Magyarized-Germa solders under a Jewish commandant took their places and were able to rob whalesule the unfortonates whom they were supposed to protect. ‘The origins of Yurovsky have been fully investigated, His parents and selatives~—all poor Jows—remained in Siberia iter the murderer and his chiefs and accomplices had fed from Ekaterinburg. We had been @ watchmaker at Tomsk, scarcely able to miake ends meet, Naturally ambitious, he espised the people around him, He was waiting fer an op- portunity. Tt came suddenly and mysteriously. Yurovaky iseppeated. This was before the war. He is next heard of in Exateinburg as a photographie dealer. It leaked out that hhe had been to Berlin and become possessed of some capital When war came, he evaded service in the trenches by quality ing as a red-cros assistant (ldshor) and remsined in Ekaterin- burg. When the Bolshevist seized the goverament, Yurovsky ‘became one of the local agents of the new poe. ‘Ata time when he was seeking any and every metns of advancement, Yurovsky had been baptized into the Lutheran Church, He used to attend prayers in Ipatiev’s house. He ‘even chatted pleasantly with the sick boy Alexis, whom, a few days lates, he shot with his own bandCHAPTER 111 No SCARE: ALEKAKDRA wispuDGR PART from the bald assertions of parties interested in spreading fale reports, there is no evidence of any attempt on the part of the Romanovs to exeape from any of ‘heir prisons. All the compromising "documents produced by Soviet apologists on this subject are transparent fabrica~ tions. Loyal Russians wished to save the Tsar from the Soviets, knowing fol well the danger of treachery that he incorced, and there were several organizations, working independently, but none ever began putting a plan. into execation During the captivity at Tobolek some money reached the family secretly. Tt helped the prisoners to eke out the starvation allowance ordained by the Soviets. Attempts to ender further aid were frustrated by a German-Bolshevist agent stationed at Tiumen. This person, a Russian officer who had marred a daughter of Rasputin, ingratiated himself ‘with doubtful travellers fr Tobole and betrayed them to the Soviet. ‘The Germans had thus taken elaborate precautions not to allow the ex-Tsar to sip out unawares. Pethaps they ought that the Allis of Rusia might try to rescue him | At Ehaterinborg nothing could be dane. The Reds claim to dave intercepted some letters between the eaptives and con- spirators, But it may be pointed out that nota single person as arrested therefor conspiracy to help the exiles Remen- NO ESCAPE: ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED 31 bering the lavish repressions ever applied by the occult powers of the Chrezvycaika, it will be conceded that they would Ihave missed no opportunity to exert them in such a cause ‘The British Consul (Mr. Preston), remaining gallantly at ‘his post tuoughoue the Red tecer, and endering incalculable service to the victins of Bolshevist oppression, was unable to do anything to alleviate the ssferings and torture ofthe Romanov. Yet, strange to relate, a monarchist organization hnad its agents in the city. Tt even succeaded in conveying some food and comforts theough he nuns of the loeal mona tery. Beyond that it was unable to go, ‘There is no evidence to show that at any dime during the captivity was any active attempt made torescue the Romanov. “This applies equally tothe ex Sovereigns and to their kismen, At Tobolsk, Ekaterinburg, Perm, and Algpaiersk the pretext for wholesale murder was always thesame;; analleged attempt to escape or reseue, And from the testimony of persone who were in daily intercourse with the imprisoned family, it is clear that, had any serious efforts to procure their escape been sade, they would have met with no encouragement. Nicholas 1 repeately said that he would not leave Russia; Alexandea nated above overything the dea of going toGermany, At that time Russa offered no sure place of reluge ‘The Rasputin propaganda had poisoned the minds of the people, but not al the people. In the wilage, among the old falls, feeings of loyalty stil held sway, ready at the fst signal to assert themselves openly. The volumes of evidence in my possession prove this statement, Many of the wieneses were peasants who, consciously, willingly risked their lives im order that the truth aboot the fate of the Tsar should be established. ‘Who knows how many ofthese simple souls have been martyred for their boldness ? "Among the obscenities that disfigured the walls of the vtiey house, one inscription struck a loyal note Iny2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS uncouth peasant weting and spelling the author—evidently one ofthe guards—asked how long were the people going to ‘ut up with the Komisars, and arged the Tsar t come forward and dive away the horde of usupers that were ruining the country ‘Leannot Delp thinking that the Rasputin legend didnot sufice to Kill the people's faith in the Tear. Tt certainly dis coded Alexandra, and he shared hes disgrace ; but that wis ‘ot enous to account for the virulence of popular clamour agaist Nicholas II. His fate would not have been so snuch a ‘atte of indiference to the multitude had the vile story of ‘Rasputin aot been preceded by blunders that deeply incensed ‘thepopula conscience. I real the dreadful murder of women and children before the Winter Palace on Bloody Sunday, ‘That crime was prepared by the Okhrana and ateibuted tothe ‘Tear. It seems to me that had it not been for that hideous slaughter of innocents no one would have ever dared case ‘hand against the Tsar and his children, I wish to be quite fair to the Russians, without in any way extenuating the Ieinoasness of the crime of Ekaterinburg The exEmpress was the object of special hatred. She completely dominated her spouse in the imagination of the pawple, and occupies a place apart in the evidence, Many new facts tave been brought to light substantially modifying the ceurent estimate of her life and character, Several trunks {ull of papers and eects belonging to his victims were taken by Yorovsky to Moscow after the murder. Sverdlov thea, snnounced that all would be published, 20 that the people should see what manner of persons had ruled them. That promise has not been kept, and fora good retson: the diaries and correspondence of Nicholas and Alexandra contained 0 hint of treachery. They proved two things—unboonded NO ESCAPE: ALEXANDRA ISJUDGED 93 Toyalty to Rossin and to the Alles; and, alas! complete subservieney of Nicholas (0 his wife’ But neither of these matters intersted the Soviet leaders, and most of these price less documents have been suppressed in Moscow. Many others ‘were overlooked or forgotten in Tkaterinburg, and figuce in the dossier of the Tsar case Among thom is a collection of Alexandra's letters to her mtichothonoar, There are also the depaitions of servitors and members of the honschald Analysing this mass of firsthand evidence, one obtains ‘true picture of Alexandra. Proud, domineesing, elf ets, sifted, mystical she had been from youth, Her troubles mental and physical, had distorted these chamacterstce Nisholas fell n love with her when she was 15, and waited patienly for her eight years. Even as a girl she dominatod him, After their marriage there was never any doubt who was master, Her dominion was not even challenged. Nicho las never acted without bis wife's approval, except when he wis separated from her for instance, when he signed the wit of abdication. ‘These were not the best qualifications for ‘Tatadom ata time of transition, Alexandra could not atin popularity, nor would she admit the necessity of it for herlf fr the Tsar. Indeed, asthe years passod she became less and less responsive to the demands and requirements of public ‘pinion, which cannot be defed with impunity even by an aastocrat Many Russians atsibuted thse failings to the Hesse disease (Golan Gesonshi, the herotitary taint that had earred oft many of Alexandra's relations? The fact that her only son sutlred from and might at sny moment die of it only made her own trouble werse, The dseace fs dangerous to hoys and Steep he dees om wi the Tao ft esate donot ete rom ei ate ie,24 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS it women ; gil donot fel its ets il they are grown up, whereas boys basame smmume after reaching manhood. Tm the case of women it i apt to prey on the mind, aggravating and intensifying any morbid predisposition, Hysteria in its ‘worst forms isan almost invariable accompaniment. She also sflere intensely fom heart trouble, er life most have been one lang agony. Alexandra was not normal. Her belief in Rasputin indi- catedasmueh, Theevidence of Dr. Botkin explicit, People who sufer from hysteria in an acute congenital form repel and strange all persons that do nt blindly accept their domina- tion, Rasputin had tobe tretad asa saint heessse Alexaadea fmagined lim to be one. The Court of Russia became peopled with timeservers and nonentiies, 1 shail deat with Resputin preantly, The new ma in my possesion show that he was simply a peasant affited witha pathological condition. The legend that has grown up regarding his cerult powers can be traced) mnt to Kaspain Dot to his "trends “He was a mero tool, Alexandra wanted him—to cure her son others weed him far personal or politica} intrigues because Alexandra, the vesitable Autocrat of All the Rossias, had noed of him. In the tragsly of the Romanovs every thread Jeads ws to this Wonan of Destiny The very extiaustive records oftheir fe before and after the Revolution give a true preentinent ofthe family, such as no individual could furnish even she o¢ she had been in the closest intimacy with Nicholas ot Alexandra, One is stra by the almost supeshuman seretiveness of the ex Sovereign, ‘They did not trust anyone completely. Mest of the posons who were supposed tobe particularly attached to them knew Tittle oc nothing of hei inne life ané thoughts, This explains, perhaps, why so few decided to fellow them into exile Only between themselves does thee appear to have ben no reserve NO ESCAPE: ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED 35 [Alenande’s personality i rected i her family-—Nicholas, like herself, an embodiment ofall the domestic virtwes, religions tothe verge of mysticism, expert a dissimlation, never show. ing anger, perhaps never really feeling angry ; incapable of & decision so utterly had he surrendered himself to his wife the daughters eegated tothe background entirely wnprepared to tale thei proper place in the world; Alexis monopolzing sll the care an attention of hie mother ; the eildcen ashamed fof her belief in Rasputin, yet not daring openly to resent it ‘Among the Court favourites, male or female, nobody exer ‘aed any rel inttoence except ino far asit suited the Empress. Only one person appears to have been admitted for any length fof Lime to the Imperial confidence That person was Anna. Vyrubora, Regarding her, Rasputin used to speale in the cnidest terms to the companions of his tavernrevels, who, of course, repeated his drunken boasts, That was the origin of doer infamous notoriety, She herself could nat have devised ‘a surer way of retaining Alexandea's favour. The detractors ff Vyrubova had alo dared to retall the foulest stories about Alexandra, alleging the same source, Alexandra rightly considered herself victim of slander, and naturally included ‘Anna wnder the same designation. “The fact is, Ama Vyrubova was Ragputin’s accomplice— nothing amore. She Kept him in touch with everything, specially with the boy's health. Tt was at her howse that Rasputin saw the Emperor and Empress when it became too scandalous for him ta appear dally in the Palace—atter the Gismisal of governesses who had raived an outery against Rasputi’s familiares with their charges. Another person deserves mention. It is not positively shown how far is influence was felt, but certainly he played fn importa part inthe Romanov tragedy. He was ia many ‘ways a mystery mana doctor of Tibetan medicine, by birth36 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS Buviat, named Badmaiev, Besides dispensing nostrums that cured all ils—often bringing relief where modern seiense ad failed—he dabbled in polite, and who knows what dack forces were served by him ? Rasputin was one of his best clients, According to Rasputin one could immediately regain all the vigor of youth by swallowing a powder composed af Tibetan herbs; another ind of powder made one quite indifferent to worry. Badmaiev rested these spies fo people whom he could trust. The fistnamed kind was fet Rasputin, but who was the recipient of te dope” that ‘made you forget who if not the hapless Nicholas? And ‘once itis admissbte that the peasant had taken to drugs for speciic purposes, one may seriously entertain other accusae tions against him and his accomplices, According to indications contaised in the evidence, Anna ‘yrubova arranged the miracles” of feaing that Resputin Berformed on the sick boy, Te was not dificult, The malady Aways followed the same course, A slight bruite set up intemal hemorrhage. The patient suffered terrible pain while the blood flowed, clotted, and finally began to. be ‘sorbed, Anna knew fom experience how to read the symptoms, Rasputin would come to pray when the crisis vas over, so that it should seem as if his intercession had brought relict. Things happened in this way on several known eceasions. Rasputin did not wish to lose the Empres’s favour. He and Vyrubova tock their precastions, Ard ‘Badmaiev's powders may here also have been used with benefit foal concerned. Alexandra's eyes were never opened to the fact that Rasputin’s prayers didnot afect the disease, 4 will be argued by those who knew Vyrubova that she ‘as too gurrlous to keep a seeret, ton childlike to conceive or cary out any intrigue, and sil less any act affecting the Empress in whose bends che was a8 wax. To have lived for twenty years inthe confidence of sucha woman asthe Empress NO ESCAPE: ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED — 37 presumes the posession of no ordinary faculties, whether of fextreme innocence combined with serpent wisdom or of pro- found guile bidden under an appearance of candows. Wyre boua's apologists would have us believe that she was nothing Detter than an idiot. ‘The skill with which she exept nto the food graces of the Imperial Family, ably stconding all the ‘moves of the practised courtier Taneev, er father, shows the absurdity of such a theory and sufciently denotes her real disposition toe Woman-ite, the Empress regarded ll things from a personal standpoint, Her malady only served (ointensiy her Ukes and Gislikes, One of her particular aversions was Wilhelm of rusts, fist Deeause the Hohenzollerns had been exalted at the expense of her own Howse; secondly because Wilhelm had not counted with her. Germany, raed by Wilhelm, was fever the foo of Russia ruled by Alexandra, She could not admit the possibilty of a compromise or truce with Wilhelm & Germany, eny more than she would permit the Tsar to sum- mon 4 Ministry composed of Raspatin’s detractors and enemies ‘A complete and ludicrous misapprehension prevailed in Russia land among the Allied peoples about the alleged pro Geman tendencies of the ex-Empress. She hated Germany with a bitterness and a fervour equalled only by ber contempt and loathing for the Rossans-always excepting the peasants, whom she ‘imagine’ to be endowed with all the virtues and qualities that Raspatin was supposed to posses. ‘Wilhelm was decribed by her as that low comedian" and rman of fsichood,’ who had "stooped to associate himself with Bolshevists” With fierce and joyful anticipation, she foresaw his punishment: "The day wll come when ehey wil destroy him!’ She did not Hive to sve her vision flfled Such was the so-called pro-German Empress. It is easy to38 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS tell th ouery at ws tid in Entec inthe Sotng of 127 wien i xem ow tat the Ronenoe ould be prt to coe so Elan" nae oa, i He amy "The ae on sec atte te Rasta pop tht wold not har of Aleta coming thea Nod She ay el et eth al von in TheexcTuar' rant hd ere sha eves pated is ag saoms. Sorowl without unlentaning the hey biel the ed fo pack them aay Th ney Sepiving thm of te thon, Rasputin fa nea se tom te Roce hoe an on ee ‘suffer a shameful death, ‘ CHAPTER IV Tit 2 of sts tose eitemied he Reon (One name and one efigy predominated: the name of Gish, the silhouette of Rasputin, lsciviovly cariestured, One sist, hee and there, allusions to the “Tsar-bloedsucker” and oltereatel-phrsscs of the Revolution, but one fle chat they were perfunctory, The one and enly wapardonable crime inthe eyesof the Red guards had been the preference sown by the Empres fora peasant—a common man lke eae of the selves, What a commentary on the blindness of the unfor tunate Alexandra! Political propaganda had represented Rasputin a5 a monster of iniquity and occult powers, whereby he held the Empress ‘underhis thraldom, The dossier ills his legend—i is mothing Gregory Resputin was forty-five at the time of his deat (9:6). Til the age of thirty-four he had lived as an exdinary peasant in his native village of Pokrovskoe, between Tubols fand Tiumen, He had a wife and three ehilécen, a comfortable hhome, and enough land to feed himsel{ and faalyGriskha —to vse the familiar diminutive of his Christian name a i customary in the villages—was a fai type of the Siberian easant-farmer, They are endowed with an abundance of rmother-wit, wield the vernacular with consummate skill, an are fine, upstanding fellows, able todo aday's work or celebrate {festival equally well, Such was Gregory Rasputin. Nothing Indicate « future for him different from the rest. He might be expected to plough, dink vodka, beat his wife, tries hisTHE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS neighbours, and pray before the Holy Thons in the usual sequence tl e did ‘One day he heard the Voice. It happened to peasants now ‘and then in youth, sometines in the prime of ile, and often in Wr old age. After that they left Chie mundane affais and prepared themselves for Eternity. Grisles had been called ‘when he was fourteen, and in an esstay had tried to mutilate himself Bot he had allen from grace. Now, twenty yeats later, the call came again. Grishka was ‘converted by Dmitri Pecherkin, © sreumik (wanderer), who had deserted his home inthe same province of Tobolsk to pray atthe Holy Places, In x905 Rasputin earned over his fartn to his wie son, and daughters, and joined Dmitri in his wandesings, “Together they visited Mount Athos, Jerusalem, Kiev, Moscow and Petrograd, Thaves copy of his work, My Thousand Reletions (oa lished in Petrograd, 2915), deserbing his pilgimages, Tt is an assttment of stereotyped phrases, texts from Seripue, homely proverbs—just the eonverstion of an ordinary stan One is struck with wonderment that the author’ of such utter eammenplace should have influenced the destinies of a ‘vast Empie, or old for one moment impose upon the cultured intellect of an Express TThlieve that Rasputin was quite since in following Pecer- ‘in, and that during his earlier days in the capital he was stil fan earmsst devotee. Bishop Feofan met him in Petrograd, and was impressed by his sincerity, But even at this time (about 1go7) he was already inclining once more towards wordy things. Pecherkin tried in vain to persoade him to {ke the vows and join him in a monastery. Rasputin had fancy forthe drawing-sooms of the great city, where he was ‘eited and paraded by hosteses in seateh of a sensation, And thus it came to pass that, with the help of Feofan and the RASPUTIN THE PEASANT eo Grand Duchesses Mites and Anastasia (Dhe Montenegrin Princesses who had already introduced various * saints’ 0 the mystical dispored sovereigns), Rasputineameto the Coart. “The diaries and depositions of bis daughter Matrena form Dart ofthe dotier. Amidst 2 mass of verbiage one is able to Giscover lete and there precise landmarks af the Rasputin ory. One sees the ‘saint’ gradually drawn into the ‘multiple cag-ahéels of Court intsigue; bound firmly to the family chariot, as his daughters are pat to fashionable schools; having to make money for the gis; obliged to remain a peasant in garb and language to pease his protectrss. But a peasant who ie divoreed from bis normal occupation and has isobeyed the Voice takes to drink, There is no alternative. ‘The unhealthy lle ofthe city set its marke on him. Fish- soup, bread and knwss with onions, were his daly fare, but be rank red wine and Madeira . - always jelly in his cups, singing and dancing as the villagers do; whenever we remorsteated with him, he would say that he could never drink fnough to drown the sorrow that was to come." That is the ‘description given by his] daugbter of Rasputin‘ at home’ in Petrograd, “But these mild debauches were constantly supple- mented by swinish orgies outside. Many a peasant, placed in the same positon, would have acted in the same wa "Raspatin was just an ordinary peasant. -He was rustic even fn the measure of his * perquisites’ In his native Pokrov- skoe it was not considered dishonorable to cheat one’s neigh- hour, but always in a small way, of course, So here, this man, who could have amassed colossal fortune, contented himself with dabbling ia small ‘affairs’ that brought ia. a few hundred roubles, His whole estate at the time of his death didnot much exceed £10,000. Matrena declares most positively that he never possessed of attompted to display at home any occult gift of mesmerism, healing, or clairvoyancy.42 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS "This drunken immoral peasant nevertheless played a palitical rile, He gave advice to the Tsar om all sorts of important matters. He even had the audacity to stamp his foot at Nicholas for not heeding it. We know that at least on one occasion he dicey influenced the Tsar to take a fatal devsion. For the Imperial fet éay, December 6/19, 1916, al political Russia, nobles, borgesses and peasants, expected the Tsar to go to the Dinma and announce the formation of @ Ministey feoying public confidence. Alexandra was, of course, vio lently opposed to any concession, but she feared the influence of the Army on Nicholas, and Rasputin wes produced for the fceasion. He sucteeded in dissuading the hapless monarch, to his undoing and tothe ruin of the Army and of Rvs, T do not propoze to rehearse the wellknown stories about ‘Rasputi's influence on the dismissl or appointment of mini ters or prelates, Those stories are true only i so far a they represent Grishka acting as the instrument of another person's wil, in most cases Alexandra's. He was too ignorant, too petty, to understand political questions. For instance, he was always urging the Emperer to come into direct contact with the people. ’Get rid of the ministers. They lie to. you Address yourself direct to the people. You will then Know the truth and everything will right itself" Nicholas. became rather tired ofthis parrot ikerepetition. Hehad heard it all so often from his wile, One day he told Raspetin * It sounds ‘very nee, but how ist to be done? You know quitewell that iT tock your advice I should very soon Jose my life” “No, sever, was the reply. ' You willbe killed by an intellectual, not by # peasant "not a convincing or cheerful response (On one point Rasputin took what seamed to be a line of his own he was against the war with Germany. ‘She is too strong. We must be fiends’ he dedaimed. This. view id not reflect the mind of the Empress. Who had instilled it into him ? Tis not dificult to guess, His daughter and RASPUTIN THE PEASANT 8 thee husband ae known to have been acquainted with one of the secret agents of Germany. Besides, there were also Bad- male and a numberof other daxbefl personages around him, ‘When war broke ont Rasputin was lying wounded st Polzoy- koe, The Tsar telegraphed to him about the war. Grishka fell nto such a rage that his wound reopened. Nicholas wrote to Rasputin only one letter. It was stolen from Grishka by odor his disappointed rival, contained nothing of special Importance He served the German interest ina more subtle and redovtt- able nantes, His very existence was bringing about the collapse of Rusia by destroying the faith of the people in the ‘Tear. All the foremost supporters and friends ofthe saint were of the German orientation. That was not a coincidence Every one whoever tolerated Rasputin washelping the enemy. t being pretty’ well established that Rasputin was the direct ‘cause—in the Empres's hands—of the Revolotion and down- fall of Rusia, 1 would ark what the Ludendorls and their Russian dupes have to say in justification of the argument that it was the Entente that brought about the Revolution ‘Rasputin’ relationship tothe defeatists was so clear to every body in Russia that people—Russians as well as Allies —fll naturally into the mistake of supposing that the Empress must be pro-German, since shesupported Rasputin, Who magnified Rasputin before the war? The Cologre Gute. Who was bis arch-apologist >The pro-German Witte, The Germans had almert as much to do with the Rasputin scandal as they Inad to do with Lenin and the exploits of his hundred Jews.* osoverttown by the Hevauton, which was fasoared by te Eater, The Enretesreatoe for tacking the Revolton are ne lea At hything that could be tived and conseqoety, dé aot bentate to44 THE LAST DAYS OF THE RoMANOVS ‘The murder af Resputin evoked the greatest outburst of popular rejsicing that any act had ever produced. * bili!” (they have killed) was the universal greeting, People didnot Stop to ask who had been Killed. They knew, The whcle nation ud desired his death, and one wonders that he s0 long survived, But his murder was, none the less, mistake, since the was merely an ignorant tool, and the circumstances of his ‘end—the lawsss jay that it evoked—only helped the revo tionariesThenceforth, the Empeess's name wasn the gutter, and thre was only one hope of salvation for the Tsar—to disociate himself from his wife, To do that—to put her aay into a monastery 9 Tear Peter Alexeieviteh world have done—was quite beyond the eapacty of a gentle sul like Nichols Alexandrovich, ead been suggested before the Revolution that she should 0 alone to England ‘on a visit” This argued complete ‘ignorance ofthe inner life of the sovereigns. The Rasputin scandal had arisen because Alexandra morbidly imagined that the destinies of Russia depended upon their joint faith and prayers—hers and the’ suint's” Alo she was convinced that ‘witht her coastane presence and support Nicholas would be lost, Sooner would she have died than go away, particularly after the death of her "saint." Speaking to her maid (Tutelber), who had ventured to fxpress some doubts about Rasputin, the Empress aid one day at Tearskoe: ' Our Saviour chose his disciples among simple fshermen and earpenters, not among learned theclo- ans, Tes said in the Gospt that faith can move mountains. 1 believe that my son will rise... 1 know that ‘people think me mad for my faith, but so did they think of the Mariyis...," Another day she remarked: ‘The Revole tion was prepared long ago, Our sufferings are nothing; we Tee Ta who ad gn the war intro peste Hates, RASPUTIN THE PEASANT 4 are ready to offer up our lives and sacrifice everything needs be The same witness deposed that Rasputin came seldom to the Palace—' only when Alexis ws il tis the writer's bolief that Alexandra was tempted todabble in lack magic; her religious faith id not precude knowledge fof occult stience, as witness her predilection for eabalistic signs, the swastika, ete, There were porsons suspeiously like black magicians around and inside the Palace at various times Philipps, Papus, Badmaiev, Now Rasputin boro certain resemblance to Tsar Ivan Groany, and may have been regarded bby Alexandra as an incarnation ofthe Terible Ono—combining im his person the Peasant and Autocrat, the mystic union in Which she stw the salvation of Rossi, ‘There had been plots to ill Alexandra and even the Tser 1 is curious, indeed, that her life should have been spared ae must bear in mind the probability of German ' protec tion.’ Tt is evident that Alexandra's death would. ave put tn end tothe Raspatin scandal and therefore been unprofitable for Germany, As for Nicholas, the paople were on his side to the last—tll the Revolution extinguished in men's minds the lat vestige of all that was scemly. “The manner of Rasputin’s murders known to all, The man who killed hin is no more, His diary has lean published Tegives almost a complete account of the murder. One feature has escaped attention, and I mention it because it gives point to the true version of Rasputin's character as related above ‘The accomplions had prepared a most elaborate scheme for Killing him, yot in the end it was Purshkeviteh with a volar revolver that eflected the deed. Poisoned tarts, "doctored wine, and even a revolver shot had been in vain. The com spirators Nad innocently administered an antidote with the poison the shooter's hand had trembled so that he had filed fo hit Rasputin standing a fw paces away. But why allthis48 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS rigmarole? The fact isthe conspirators were afectod by the Raspatin propaganda ; they albo believed that the mam was tore than moral. Purishkevitch thought that the devil was in bm tthe third bullet brought him down, That was an epoch-making shot Rasputin was fond of identifying his own well-being with that of Russia. In this, a8 in other things, he merely copied the Empress, When Khiona Guseva, incited by the monk ieder, who had fallen outwith Gisha, stuck a kif into the “saint” he annoonoed that “mich blood would flow” and ‘that there would be ’ woe unutterable if and wien he died” Bute was ever prophesying all sorts of things, good and bad, like the proverbial tipster. It suited the interested or super tito to proclaim him infallible. Anyhow, it did not equine much acumen to read he signs of coming disaster in Rui GGrisbka was no fool and hemast have had a sheewd idea what his own fiends and supporters were doing, But chaeatanism " paid’ and he had a family to support and lots of "fiends coming ior assistance, al ofwhich RateredGrishka’s cheap lit ‘soul and kept him on his daly cound of prayer and debach. Rasputin the monster isa fiction, bred in the busy brains of piticians and elaborated by the teeming imagination of sensational novelists, Rasputin the saint i an imaginary pro duct of a woman's diseased mind, “Even the stores of the sansifying' baths and other “fagllant” (AAs) rites, supposed to have been practisad by a demoniscal Grishka, tum out to be imaginary, Tt is not unusual fr the peasants in certain parts of Russia to take the stein bath in common. ‘They adit no strangers, but there 56 nothing unseemly in their intention. Tt was quite appropriate for a native of ‘Tobalsk to practise it, And in thisand in i gros amiiarities with the other sex Grishka was merely Rasputin the Peasant, 4 village Satyr CHAPTER V -FORE the Revolution, propagandists ofall descriptions almed their poisoned shafts at the Empress, Her fatal blot in Rasputin rendered her an casy prey. The reval tionary section watched over Grishka, just as their German accomplices ‘protected’ Alexandra. Nicholas was left sone, comparatively speaking. After the Revolution all the energies of the dark forces invalvad were conceatrated upon him. Te was not enough that he had voluntarily abdicated he had to be shorn of all prestige, so thatthe inveterate devo. tion and loyalty of the people, which had formed the very foundation of Russia's existence, should be swept away for ever, “The Tsar was a traitor; he and his wife hed been in secret communication with the Germans.” In city, village and camp this poisonous rumour spread Blindly, the Provisional Government did nothing to stop. it, ‘The Order of the Day to the Armies, in which Nicholas, bidding good-bye to his soldiers, proclaimed his unshaken loyalty 40 the sacred cause of Russia, and besoaght them never to lay down their arms to Germany, was suppreied by telegram feor the War Offca in Petrograd Evil deeds come back to roost whence they have issued. The people + Hare i the te of the sppcened document — My detty ioved uo, {addves you forthe lst tes AE sy aban forme aad fr ys, fom he saan ‘Throne eeisidasion ofthe Dawa. God belp ther tolend Resa om the wd48 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘who besmitched the Thar fo please the revolutionaries were themselves punished, One does not undermine the faith of a whole nation without destroying all authority. When the Empress and her sick ehilien were proclaimed prisoners of state, and a few day later Nicholas arrived wader custody at Tsarskos, this fal charge of treachery hung over them, poisoning thelr lives by the mental and even physical torture that ensued. I¢ was because of this abominable ie that the ex Sovereigns were fest treated like common male factors, Kept in separate rooms, and forbidden to seo or com. municste with each other; and the soldiers and offices of ‘he guard considered themsxlves jostled in pessecuting and Insulting them, and even thai followers deserted them, Aiter the overhavting of all their private papers by a special cout of inquiry instituted by order ofthe revolutionary che tain, Kiriss-Kerensky, even he fad to amend his demeanour, “Tsar chist” (the Tsar is clean), be declared. The Russian pphrase means more than ‘ianccent"; it i really "beyond reproach,’ But the Jewish Press and the Soviet didnot of sory and prosperity. Go blp you ala, wait tops bold ‘us naive tl try ogo the Gi eueny Dunng two anda hal year you safsre, Gly the badge of ative sence” Asch oo ae boe ted any arts ave eee Tae nd the oot arendy oer hen Resa up to her vast ‘is, ae ere eo wey wt ete tee “Tie yopecedeted_ war most be Yong to fll velory. He who chinks now of de, we wishes fentha an hw beet Tis Fithenand, a tmtor’ T iaow that every boost eer aks thos. ‘Theo fil youe duty dle er antve and vate a yoursves to the Provsonal overeat obey yout emendaey iememor that cvay wakes of disp he vevce 08 "Tiny eve Chat he inl lve of os gret native and bas ot tad cat of your heats" My el se Joust Sent Cag fhe gree "Vangots and arte gue yor a Nrenouae The Over was countersignal by Gener Aleseiey, Chie of Sa, ‘HE TSAR IS INNOCENT recant ther foul slanders. No justice could be shown to the rman whom they hated. Captivity Jost some of its worst forms after the innocence ofthe ex-Tear had been established. But TsurskoeSelo was only prelude to wore martyrdom, do not wish to go over the details of the fast captivity, good deal being slready known bout the five months at ‘Tearskoe-Selo, Only the more important epiodes are given here, based upon the depositions of members of the Imperial household, Bot before relating these sad memories, T would take the reader a tele farther back, and touch upon fateful incidents that have not yet been recorded in their proper bearing T have referred to the estrangement of nearly every one of the ex-Empres's friends as a consequence of her malady. ‘This exodus of intimates incleded kinsfbe a well as humbler people. Even the Montenegrin Princesses Anastasia and Dilitza\ were no exceptions to the rule, Coldness between the wives in this caso was bound sooner or later to affect the husbands, Alexandra resented the populasty of the Grand DDoke Nicholas asa personal afont. Tn the end she succeeded Jn persuading her husband to dismiss him and to assume the Chief Command. But she punished herself, The Tear at the Stavka (G.H.Q)) began to do things without her know- ledge and consent. He actually listened to dreadful stories bout the “saint,” dismiseed Stursmer, and might go farther, [Raspotin’s death helped the Empress to reassert er usal influence. Then, once more, the Tear went off to Mogilev, and anxiety crept again into the mind of Alexandra, ‘The illness of the children—they all contracted messes in 1 very bad form—eaused her worry of ancther sort. For a time the Antocrat was forgotten in the mother’ and s0, Pete sat ters ofthe Queen sty, Aton tte they wee ary ‘tendiy with tho Empress and throagh em Rampatin coe to the notice Hf the Goart." Altertards they beam enemies of Raptise THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOvS ‘hen the rumbling of the Revolution was already loud, she id not discern it, Protopopov, the fend of the departed “saint” was assuring her that nothing serious had cerurred When the chilren were oat of danger, she had lesute to take stock of sits, Realizing that Protopopov was not to be ‘usted, she sent for the Grand Dake Pasl, Rumours about ‘the Thar tormented her, He wae going to abiicate. The ‘dea of such a surrender made her frantic, Paul could not hap. Se tied to get into communication with her husband by aeroplane. A trusty fying offer was summoned, but even this venture failed ‘Remaining outwardly calm, she showed the measure of ther anxiety by abandoning the reserve that she had always splayed, Thus she herself came out to the guards battalions ‘and vnits that had been concentrated around the Palace, snd actully made a speech to them, On the morning of March 21, General Karniloy came to inform Alexandra ‘hat upon him bad fallen the painful uty of announcing the ardinance of the Council of Minster: that from that hour Her Majesty must consider herslf to be under ares.” This annomneement was made to the Empress {inthe children’s play-zoom inthe presence of Colonel Koby. linsky, he new commandant of the Palice, Then General Kornilov asked to speak to the Eimpres alone. He assured her that there was no danger, and then gave instructions for the treatment of the prisoners, bed upon kindness and courtesy The meeting between husband and wile was a very affecting fone. Nicholas came straight tothe nursery, They embraced each other tenderly, "forgetting the word and its troubles in the joy of reunion with their ehiléren” Prison rule, igorosly applied, thencetrth prevented any communication with the outside, and fora time even between the prisoners, “THE TSAR IS INNOCENT’ a Keremky st about trying to denne some evidence of cation ith the eney, Attain wes elt att Rey, med Kav ae ch tment Tee pel feed to ei i, uc ih Foe reba ater wich he et Reroieao Mone Having sted hel tat no uch evidence existed Kercsty somewhat leeds demos. A ht retin wth te exon he ad ped a one of ashy Teng Laer, be tea pole, ven spect, are Ine as "Your Majesty” instead of plan ies ‘Nexen Ath eer ung he Pe wee eed to ene to pecins she pzons id not eno i Truitt tit rng eve an olensive casey Tey Broke ito the Palace an peed, racing rks. On te een they rash te tie sitingronm were he family tat bed. One of the fide sat BaweeD the Tee andthe windom doing same sewing Her movements Showed osde tad ern snes #0 be gal ho fer aceompnnying the Minster of War (Ose) cn one ais vate ov sce the eupets ofthe Pace Of bung "si tothe enemy (Vy ee pros, The fet hat he as inet i st ten the ol Te Showed what worthy suspsnnsasiated people ithe Dinca The gurantee i tivied tht ly Cote of roveonry ne fom the Sve were not beter ce wore than the cco By doing the xT fot Soe when wert out for exec, by shctng he oy’ el gut abn avy toy sil, andy ober aes ream a the solders wee esl copying thee oes Thee cemonstatively doened set badges and ignored the ar alte, " ‘Senseless clamout had led to daily espionage of the family. orien ofthe Bod net int the dng a anh ne52 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘to sce ifthe prisoners were alin the Palace. The Tsar elways greeted them, On one osason an oficer declined the extended Inand, Nicholas, deply hurt, aed him: ' Why?” The ‘man, putting his band behind his baek, declined “Tam of the people. When the people stretched their hands out to you, you did not meet them [AC the end of July the captives heard that they would shortly go away. Te was impossible to leave them the any longer, “The Soviets of Petrograd and Kronstadt had teed to obtain possesion of them by force and by stealth Once fn individual attired in uniform, styling hinwelf Colonel Maslov, tad made his eppearence, and, producing a paper signed Chkedze, damanded, in the name of the Sov Petrograd, the transfer of the prisoners tothe Fortress of SS eter and Paul, threatening to callin the troops it his demands were not immotiately complied with, Te was wth the greatest, iicuty that Colonel Kobyiinsky averted the dangee The Provisional Government could not afford to let the Soviets obtain the custody of such valuable hostages, It had to emove them ¢o a place of saety—above allo a plas where ‘the Soviets could not easily reach them. Perhaps this expaing the selection of such a remote place as Tobolsk twas chosen by Kerensky without the Rnowledge of the captives ‘They. ‘thought, til the train was conveying them eastward, thet they were bound for the south. The ex-Tstr did not like his destination. He suspected a trap, though whet should Ihave made him suspicious is not known Permission tad been given to the banished sovereigns to ‘choose the persons who were to accompany them inte exile, Nicholas sleced his aldedeeamp Naryshkin, but as this favourite hesitated, he at once crossed out his name and ‘Proposed llya Leonidovieh Tatihchey, who, with, Price of ‘THE TSAR 15 INNOCENT 8 Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgorsky, remained with his to the end, paying for thei loyalty and devotion with their ves. Ji separate chapter I shall dexribe the hersiem, sufferings, snd end of those who were faithful uato death—of the two) ‘whom Ihave just named, af Dr. Botkin and of young Coontess ‘Anastasia Vasiievna Hendsykova, angel of purity and grace, ‘whose mere presence at the Court of Alexandra should have kept away all things evil, and of devoted Mlle. Schneier, land of the humbler servitors, ‘The ex-Empcess was not petmitted, for some unexplained reason, to take er favourite said. ‘The evil genius of the housebold, Anna Vyrubova, had been locked wp in the fortes. She and Veeikov, the ex-palace ‘commandant, had been subjected to the most searching intero- ation by the members of the ° Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry regarding Uhe Dank Fores,’ Such was the high sounding title invented by Kerensky to mobilize all method. of bringing home to the Tsar the abominable charges inventou fagainst lim, Nothing could be proved, because there was nothing to prove. But Kerensky had his spies all the time at the Palace and sent one to Tobolsk Young Alexis clbrated his thirteenth bisthday on the eve of departure, ‘The family attended a special service and sfterwacds ofesed! up the customary prayers fora safe journey. ‘They were going into the unknown. Herein ther own familiar sorroundings life had not been so ternible towards the end of their captivity, What had the future instore 2» The war ‘was stil in. progress. They could not leave the country Perhaps when peace came, some quiet refuge would open fates, and they old hve happily together. The girls anc the boy were delighted ike all young things over the prospect cf a journey, Alexis and is siters had quite recovered fom thei less.$+ THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANovS At mihight of Augat 39 Kecesty cme to 4 Pals selec wi hal wen rte eee the fay, and mae te a spr" You have saad She Tar’ eno ao wil hae gu inthe no pe wher thy are gl y de ce Counc of Wines. Remember, one dhe tt ha mee Who it down. Bear yountes kee, aot eae Ms then enced the Pale The ox Tos ly thy the Grand Duke Michael, had been permitted to come to say, fotye, Kerey gave hin ton minutes wih Neboe ering inthe rom wih tem. ‘The bothers me no 0 moet again. “Michael did not see any other be 1 other member of Learning that the Tee's fami a's family was to be removed fom ‘Tearskow Selo the men employed atthe railway station refed tolet out the engine. Alligh he eves waited forthe ra Te came at six o'dock in the morning, - CHAPTER VI HIE period between autumn, 2927, and the following spring furnishes much material for this tragic history. 1 was during thee exile in Siberia that the fate of the Roman ‘ove was decide~notin the Urals. Tewas at Tobolsk, in the close intimacy that misfortune naturally brings thatthe true ccbaracter of esch captive, high and low, asserted tse, Thus, invaluable data have been obtained for the historian "At frst the captives enjoyed the respite of remoteness from the storm centre of Petrograd. But many circumstances gradually imaised this advantage, They began to sufi Drivations even before the Reds captured the government, "The remittances promised by Kerensky did not arrive. After the Bolsevist sarpation, the captives were allowed starvation rations, and had to eke out their livelihood by needlework, Srawings, ete. Then the boy fl ll with one of his periodical attacks, aggravated by the exhausting eects of the Siberian winter and inadequate diet "At Tobolsk Alexandra showed herself to be strong, brave, gentle, Adversity stemed to bring owt all tat was best in hher nature, Yet bere the family physician, who had followed them into eile and afterwards shaved their fate in Elaterin- burg, beesme entirely convinced that se was not quite normal. Ie equired only a chance remark on politica topies to provoke fan hysterical outburst, As usual, she could see nothing bad in the peasants, even when the peasant soldiers of the guard56 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS were constantly behaving “like eads’ despite Kezensky’s exhortations. Nicholas sawed wood and gave lesions to the clildren, Tndeed, withthe help of Mr. Sidney Gibbes and M. Gillard and other teachers, they were making up for time lost in thelr edocation With so many and such poweful induences interested in ‘her existence, it was only tobe expected tha efforts would be ‘made fo enter into communication with the exiled monarchs Each of the parties then fighting for power in Rossa had i spies andemissariesin Tobolsk. Tes certain that the Germans Were represented in many ways. It is equally certain that the Entente hed nobody. The talk of reseue by some bald Englishman ascending the Ob and Irysh rom the Arctic Ocean ‘and wafting away the prisoners is not only unfounded i i the merest moonshine. Winter in Siberia lass seven mont, uring which time theres no means of reaching the northern shores exept om stighs. Any attempt to enter or leave the country would have been easily discovered and noted by telegraph, which was wholly inthe hands of the Soviets ‘One comfort was not denied tothe captives —they sent and received letes, in some cases without censorship, ‘They wice also able to got newspapers and other literature, Thus they ‘were in toush with the happenings of the outer world. ‘These id not bring them much consolation, st must be admitted. Nicholas never recovered from the blow of learning in this ‘manner of the Trety of Brest-Litovsk. Up to that time be dad) inspite of everyting kept alive some hope for the fature ‘of his country. Thenceforth he was & men without hope, afd all that tappened afterwards left him indferent. If be could Ihave dist without causing pain to his wife and chien, he would have died gladly, unable to live down the stain of Alishonous EXILE IN SIBERIA Pa ‘The eles sfondi trom the sence int entre behav of aman inom they maar Uloe pet, Faber Vs” Hse apy may ave bes bs only ste, bot ee cartain tate cased elle acm nd nt be Bld acute forte les of ged pots to sap fen Tosh, "The Rots we a he tet Pehapne wasnt aloe nd. There were "nds" who poner, proved to te worse thay ene On the othe bn many instances of strestllgaley fd devin coll the eave tn thefts From Tate t Tob, the jorty unr ermal en sine vege ot noe tha weeks The Toperal ees reached thir drinaton om ages 1. wibin a ap Aepartice Ty evel income Seige mh wi rine of servant. he Ist of the, pene ficily approved mbes frie al tui Tw na Seavey thon and thefts,” Stopmges ere ot made ithe ge tins Bech ol waren and Soret ee Gepost inert They hed Sone spat Zoo, the Ht important ston on te Vlg Vath sue, by when the party taveli The cepty erin, ho had bough the "harper ta Mops, acted aunt tne eco repeetative of the Pisonal Covent dung ts journey. He bad the grate dieuly im overcoming the Teinane a Zvan,” The workers id sot wiht ao the "A Then two steers ava the party forthe vet tip to Tobe They pel bythe wage ot Paton ‘sani le the chien ok ie bce ee "into fhe ask the ran i wih he had ed She wis tnd of camering him tothe fshermen of Cale, home men Hee bin The siden dtl complied and iene thir mater in prayer—not became they Med58 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOWS ete Gra bt ost of love and beech tthe To br ddan tenons ae thst onan thon of putas et The tye Mad on as pleat a ol oe tatumel he ng days inten ad heey espn ppg ahi fet or fellate ah Cl i td wath te oye sony Sch irs eps yn sie Decendog eu he era ate, wih apne ote faditig rie Ai Toho tey ted erence wot inte ea ton tu hots al hn Dotalove tte exes aoe a AN He On Angst hey movin tine eo, Atmandea sett of are oleh ins covonae sage The ar and fan a Doula wale Wah te expt ote ora Asn aconmotien tno hua tee ws ny ‘ep ailing. omer te ae he Gove ae ote ang aan te Kem ese sone and ttc tnt ap the quate te Sissy a the Gove hse” Hae ee aes ‘ty de bab ofthe impr Soe Ae 408 tthe Grand does Hea ase Geen on, Downs we th shea eee 40h qurtes of he cnmanan st ence on ge ty The we nd te ments eh he a os late tel expel many of then eee wiht ren, ti sine a them ad ee ee htt nh Gove we, the wane Sed a from overcrowding. Sons EXILE IN SIBERIA 9° ‘Both houses faced the main street, which had been re-named. Uiitea Svobody (Liberty Stret). People passing by could see into the lower roms. TU became a eustom to bow to any member ofthe family who happened to be visible, and some of the citizens would demonstratively make the siga of the Cross. Behind the Governor's house was an immense enclo- sure, suToundea by a high wooden fence, Here the family took ther exercise; ere the ex-Tsar chopped and saved ‘wood, and with his own unaided efforts bull «sort of wooden terrace, where the captives loved to sit whenever the weather permite. Ely ising was the rule, All except the ex Empress were ready for breakiast by 8.0. Alexandra's health was so bad ‘hat she seldom: left her room before lench-time. Breaks, fas usual among Rasans, was a slight meal of tea and bread ‘The ex-Tsar adit in his study with his eldest daoghter Olga, ‘who of al the ehildcen most resembled him in character. The other childven and members of the ousehold assembled in ‘te dining-room, situated on the ground for ofthe Governor's house. The Empress had cofie in bed. “Till eleven o'loce Nicholas read or wrote his lary, while the chilcen had lessons, From eleven till noon father and cluldzen were inthe courtyard, He worked with axe or sw tnd the young folks played games. At twelve oloc all went to the sshocl-oom and had sandwiches, after which the Tsar left his children to continue their lessons. The femaly and household met at one o'dock at lunch—a simple meal—after ‘whieh they were in the open air, weather permitting, til 4 pam, The Empress seldom left the house. Olga and Tatiana, ‘the two elder Grand duchess, helped thelr father in his man- tual work, Alexis generally had a shor sleep after Lunch, and then followed the others into the courtyard with his tutors, Five o'clock tea was served in the Tsar's study. Then followed an interval for reading or games, then two hours for60 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS Drcparation of lessons, Dinner at eight consisted of soup, fish, meat, swectish and coffee, It was preparid by the peril cook, Haritonov, and during the earlier period lifer He from the customary repast of old times Every. Dody met in the drawing-oom after dinner, ‘There wee reading and conversation, Court etiquette. being. forgotten, Alexis retired to rest early. At eleven o'clock tea was served, and soon aftewards all lights were out, Despite her poor health, Alexandra was seldom idle, Tn ‘the toring she gave lessons to the ctldren and did nesde. work, When she remained alone inthe houte she would play the piano, Often, when the heart trouble was severe, she had inner also inter room, and then Alenis kept her company, ‘The company at table included besides the family only the persons already mentioned aa forming the househokd—namaely Countess Hendeykova, Mlle, Schneider, Prince Delgoruky, General Tatisheev, Mr, Gibbes, M. Gillard, and Ds. Botkia (On Sundays came Dr. Derevenko and his son Kotla ‘The Tsar gave lessons to Alexis in history, a favourite sub- ject, in which Nicolas was extremely well versed. Alexandra instructed al the eildan in celigion, and taught her favourite daughter Anastasia German—a language thet none of the ctildfen understood, Anastasia was ambitious 10. know feverything, She studied histry with the help of Countess Hendrkova. Another teacher, Me, Bittner, came after wards to help inthe schoolroom. To relieve the monotony of ‘ther lives, the ehldren were encouraged to take wp private ‘hears, Several plays, English and French, were pro. ‘duced with great success, ‘To the Empress intense joy, they were permitted to attend church, Her greatest sorow at Tatrskoe had een the inter ict on churchguing, the nearest place of worship being ‘uta the precincts of the Palace and therefore inaccessible to the prisoners, Here at last they could go to church, efter EXILE IN SIBERIA o 2 lapse of mote tha four othe, But the sacred eice tras con footer worshippers when the ox attended ‘Unhapyly, ths sours ef spinel eoafort was not oo atoyed with temporal drawbacks Tather Vasey, the ambent, dd very rash thing oe day. Wibeat cnsling Saybody he vddely intone te prayers or the soverips BS they were stil on the Throne, The ens were pore teas to intr. Of core, the inset care tothe tow Ieage of the whole garisontmediatelyatrvard and ted tothe sort of repre tha one might have expected hch-ing as stoped fo ere and, what as worse, the sisi on ing «ene ee Sal roo servs, toate that the above named practice trent repeated Th lhe ft of Clonal Kbynty, the goodeared commandant, to Lp the sls ot of the tense were dese Within mths of Cian Toba te exes were placed snr the csrvation of special emia ofthe Pe. sonal Goverment the Kost Pron ands ai nt, Nilo. The former enjoyed igh eonBsence nd re tive in rvoiocary cel, hing pet teen yeas in the Foire of Setborg and twenty-seven years inex in Siberia, A sypieal thes, dangers fn teachings be was pesnaly the bees of men He ane cre, nd wath pymee of he young Romano, whom he ie fy cticalld wit stores pon years His partir favourite was Mare Nikky, on fhe ster band, was t= couth, esate, beta, and cp, and took am apparent delight in baling the youn fs, eapecily Alexis With perien from the Covernert, me medicinal wine bad Teen set fo Totot fom Tans, Misy took the ottes and sashed them fea mattr of ft, he Geightl but nt very farsightedfa THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS anki cad mich eh tha he bil Nkok, “rete revelry pil, be mene poets toad the sles" Perbape he feared the personal into and char of he excTaPaskato tale with {hem yt hor othe wonder of he Scien ry propane, std, sso often happened In Rai, the quent sens, ese met Seat Revohtinaree. et Bales Anpow they very soon ln all pect for auto inthe prs of the commandant an fers and beg ote the pst, Tey snk low that trea he oug grand duchess sed ins Lon dea ingand isp ds disewed he ont he sing hat was ‘heienyotdeor pasting Lats, toe hooligans ke up the Shea ep and he ter apt pin te er ‘he day came wen thy iad the ex Tar in thi fees Net wore th snp arb ses Kho Sire nd ona, aig sly ces sealer trap tod is Gran of 5 Geng. Side) the soles ected {tate mit tke os badge aT vain aby feonstated with thm Thay these vee if the “order wee ot cai ta once. Tur he ex Tee tothe quick oct of hs shoul. "Thenetrth the Cros alte remain o ayn his helty to Rane and bales eget eer on hi tes oh inet Some ofthe al sl remined immune fem Pas tovsinees, and when the ine camefor then tbe eee Shey vst the eur by stealth to bid goodie "Thee wee aeting scenes. Themen lon tht knees and prayed, fd then entacel the apive ad eed him, Of coe Nile etal ts Alsace, whereby hr nme belt in he pst gathered sgt On several casos vent pte soe tween Alena Gian oe of the a,c theater ape of the EXILE IN SIBERIA 6 horrible behaviour of the soldiers, Alexandra lost all contol ‘over herself, and cried “They are all good | They are all ood! They are led astray by Jews... . The people wil tome to their senses, and there wil be order... The sol ‘ders are allright, wish the offcers were more energetic In November, while Keressky was still at the head of the Government, no money hed as yet been rectived, in spite of all his promises. The funds of the household had run ost, and ‘Dolgoruly and Tatishchew, having expended their own sub- stance, had to borrow from charitable cousin the town, giving ‘heir note of band in return, Two months later, word came from the Soviet Government that it had no money to spend fon the prisoners. They would be allowed to occupy their Inowses free of charge, would receive soldiers’ rations, and have to work if they wanted anything more, Sorrowfully, they faced the situation, One-third of the servants were at once released, each receiving a cestan sum ovt ofthe seanty rem- nants, Nickolas and Alexandra never knew how their fith- fal followers had to pinch and contrive in order to keep the household from starvation. ‘exis astonished the household by his precocious under standing. "T begin (0 know the truth here. At ‘Tsarkoe feverybody told les,” he remarked one day. “IFT become ‘Tear, no one will dare to tell me lies. shall make order in the land He combined his mother's will with his father’s charm. Those who came to know the boy at Tobosk are Confident that he would have justified his words. "To a visitor at his bedside when he was il, he spoke his thoughts about Raspatin, ‘The “saint's” portrait had. been placed by Alewandsa neat her sick son's pillow. The visitor Accidentally upset it. ‘Do not pick it up!” cried Alexis “The floor is the place for it."6f THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘Towards the end of their exile, some, if not all, of the cape tives cealized the desperate nature of thee position, and) had scant hope of surviving Bolshevst rule for any length of time. Pathetic evidences of their attitude were found among the papers that remained at Tobolsk and came ito the hands of the investigating magistrate, Among them aze two prayers rien in verse—apparently composed by Countess Hendry- ova and transcribed by the Grand Duchess Olga. Here is an approximate rendering of some ofthe verses — Inher wt ay br seit pesto, A tleotstaised Coase ovr Hoobly skate, O'Seeiue ad ut Ee cee eee CHAPTER VIE HE intimate connexion between Berlin and Moseow yielded many living examples among the visitors to Tobolsk. Many, if not all, of the spies, emissaries, and ‘other agants appearing therehad been at onetime oF anther in theGerman capital, Yakovley,thespecal commissary sent to ‘omove the prisoners fromm Tobolk, was noexception tothe ule His appearance was preceded by certain events which sort be felaed hese, The soldiers forming the guard at Toole grew sired of Pankratov and hie everlasting speeches, By the end of the frst wack in February (xor8) they had de- fded to get rd of him and of Nikosky. On the gth they tusned then out of the Kornloy house and drove them out of the town. ‘They then telegraphed to Moscow, reporting ‘what they had done, and asked thet a proper comisiary-— not an appointee of Kerensky—should be sent. But Moscow ‘remained obstinatdly silent. The time for action had not yet arrived, Mesnwhile, the Soviet at Omsk, representing Western Siberia, sent a representative to Tobolsk. He arrived on March 24, This man was a eettain Dutzman, ‘Jew, He did not interfere with the pison rime; indeed, hie newer came near the governor's house, [At the end of March, Alexis had a severe attack of his itinest—the worst ever Known. Both legs were paralysed. “The pain was excrocating and unremitting. Day and night he cried alovd in his agony, andthe prematurely aged and infirm mother had to sit by and comfort him. After a whole month of suflering the patient began to improve and the pains grew66 THE LAST DAVS OF THE ROMANOVS less, but he was ill a cripple and coud not be moved without secious danger. At this juncture appeared the Soviet emiee sary, Yakovlev. Neither the solders nor the captives ware suprise Only a few days later they understood what an important part he had eome to play in ther lives, Yalovley reached Tobolsk with an escort of 150 horsemen late in the evening of April 22 and unobtrusively took up his residence in the Kernlow house, Colonel Kobylinsky ‘saw hie next morning. Yakoviey handed him an order from the Tk, signed by Sverdloy,itimating that the bearer was entrosted with a mission of the highest importanee and that he must be implicitly obayed, but no hint was given a¢ fo the nature of the mission, Yakovlev then had. the men of the guard mustered and showed them a stilar docunent, by ubich they were informed that any disobedience to hint ‘would be panished with death, To sugar the pill, Yakovlev told them that he had brought them a lot of money, the Soviet having decided to pay at the rate of three roubles 3 ay instead oF 0 kopecks, the rate fxed by the Kereasky Government, Altogether, Yakovley showed himself be fn expert in the at of handling peasant soles, but he had ‘to overcome oppasition of a more subtle kind from a Jew named Zaslavsky, who had insinuated himself among the ards as the representative of the Uralisn Soviet. This man had previously caused no end of trouble by discovering lots’ and had almost persuaded thesodierson one occasion tons that the Imperial eaptives should be transferred to the ‘town lockup. In fact, hee ance more it was only the cool essoftheresouroeful Kobylinsky tht had saved thesitution, Bat this noxious individual aid ot have things all his ‘own way. The Onisk Soviet alzo hd its representative among the guard—a Russian named Detarey, Now the ‘two Soviets—that of Omsk and the one at Ekaterinburg MOSCOW AND BERLIN & wing constantly at os, their eminaes were naturally felons of ath oer, Thur it was enough for Zaaraky to take one vow inorder that Degtire should take the op peste one, Zasaaty had for some reson immediatly Steed ep oposion to Yakovlev and teed to pesade the Solis that he was spy come to deiiver he prisoners ‘With Zany was an Heating workman named Avie, tho fgued prominently in ssvegunt events It note worthy tha Yakovlev came to Took by way of Ule—a Toundabout jormy frm. Nowow—appzeny in oer ta void Elatcnburg. Yakov ad fends in Ula It 8 protuble that he had met Ave there. He appeass Save aid that lay info pre 0 Slay suspicion in Ekaterinburg. Th thse wae mistalen ‘ACA mesg ofthe eds onthe ag, Deere, backer hy Yakove, attacked Zaswaky with sich vit hat the ten thw bon, and he made haste to ecape to Bkate. inburg to velate purely iaginary story of Yakov’ designs to reltase the Remanova. But there is events to stow that he ist communicated by wie vit Sverdov. Za Inveky’spisoows character may have Ben the ony prompt ing eng gi athe may Tae ten "pic" om Mosow to py 4 part inthe intsate contpircy that vas (o exterminate the Romanos, Cx tainly Yotovleyundested ls opacity for tic 8 wil Appelt ‘Sverlov ted to make the weld balve that Nicolas 11 was to. be Drought to Moscow for tal” But this may have nly boen an afterthought. Tn any ea it tras cay to have him intscepted by plying upon loa ignorance and snpicion trough Zale. Meanwhile, during thee two days (he aged and age), YYakovley lad ben repeatedly Snide the gover’ Howse and on each oraon bad gone tthe boy's oom, appeting6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS suing ty a be ptt, and then ging away. Nabe nett his stnge behaviour atthe Ue They temembeed altered, Noone Kew ay what he ha ome fr. On the night ofthe ath Yakovlev went the {eleraph of, aking wih im a expert operate whe had come with tin fom Mow, and fad lng cnvesction ove te wir with Sher the swace of wich a ran siete with he boys eles ed he npssbisty St oving him. Seerorgave im new sroction to the fet that he was To ting Nisha and that Sins the boy Gndanteehewold ave ob ebbing fo he pes Frm the legit af, Yakov went tight to Clone etsy anor he ft in, dled te bac of miso, "But what about Ales? remoratesed the commandant "That the touba'as the ely. Thave ‘Sd myo hat Bere oil to navel 0 ay nda ow eto faethe ox Tear lone ad env he fly hare oe the sent. pops to wat tomorow. Ange for ae {osetia ona’ Tahal be alae thts he sod olin ew days, tame impale, andthe nerace Dre pany moment owing the advance of ping, ose Bezesry to leave Toba once or wat Svea Weck il Ahesves wer clear ofr. Hens Yavles hat Bet oe 4 wos appatetly wel acquainted wie character of the Empes be sed tht Nedas told sie acl The ex-Tur apne to lock onthe flowing day toe the Interview. “Aland bane frm on learn hee 2 wis at to be peat" When Vatovley eee the eving oe heat in with ming eye and sted hr how be dared to spurte ban ad ie, Yatone, wach Aig of he shold are hima to Niue Tee Noveow Coal Executive Canis have sent eos Cone misary Extaordrary with pow to manors the on fom, bts Alen Nike nil T ave wen ns MOSCOW AND BERLIN to leave with you alone.’ ‘The Tear replied: “T shall go no where” Yakovlev remonstrated : ' You must not say that Thave tocarty out orders. Hyon relose to go, 1 mast either ‘use force or sendin my resignation, and than some one else will ‘come who willbe les humane. Have no anaiety ; Canewer foc your life with my head, If you da not wish to go alone, take anybody you like. Be ready toleave to-morrow at fou." ‘Yakovlev thereupon left without addcessing the Empress. obytnsy rine in olan with a eet rm te ceva Alrandce and Taeshey an Dlg stb. Vee 2 they nt fo fake me?” sted Nelo Moscow” wat the ep" Yakoly leit alip ont wien Sng how long be mold be as blr etig fo ech the fay” ‘The ex Tur oes if the news ened hs om tnovldge "Taming tit Slower he dace "ow see they wat met ig the Treaty of Brest att woul sts ct of nyt am ‘Aland, och gine, interpre °T am alo gig Without me fey wil pes into ding something, {hey di ce elo, And see a ley of abe at Roden fore pt inthe sation, tin the se the moment she had forgot ers np “Te hows tat {alowed wil ever be red by al who survive ae hemor Prince memories" Tis dtc mother tote {o stand for more tan five rinses, psd he om Hike + Caged ies” She sumnoved er favo auger ane td burt nto nom of weeping Ee fh it tine bt ttn she oe ll eel in broken ees the dnbudene eel of her sow, eel in er aes the innermost thooghs of er mind: The Geass kom that ety values wit the Tar gmt. They want to separ in om is ly nde to hen Kinin some daa act He wil be aad o ese el eaten of Paks?7 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘She wrestled with herof, praying that she might not have to choote between her husband and her sop, hoping that the river might suddenly open and prevent any travelling At lect she cametoa decison, and, jumping up, cried: Tt is enough, T.go with the Emperor’ Nicholas entered the room, She rected him with the words: *T shall aot let you go alone As you wil’ was his reply, Volkov, the Empres's confidential man servant, deposes ‘that he sw her i the Tsarevtch’s room, and as she wa gong ou inquired what was the matter. Alexandra replied Gosudar (Ghe Tass) is to be taken a Ay to Moscow, ‘They. want him to conclude peace. But Tam going with him, 1 stullnever permit sicha thing. What would out Allies sy Madame Bittner spoke tothe Tsar at this same juncture. She ‘geested that they,’ meaning the Germans, would take him out of the country.” He replied: "God grant that it benot Only not abroad!" This witnes deposes thatthe whole family dreaded th dea of being set abroad, ie, to Germany. Im this connexion I vecall a remarkable passage in one ofthe depositions. Some member of the household at Tobolue wes reading out of a newspaper the statement that the Brest Litowsk Treaty contained a clause assuring the safety of the Impecal family. ‘The Empress broke in with an angiy ex lation in French: "had rather die in Rosie then te saved by the Germans’ (Je rife mourir em Rass gue ‘te taste pour les allemand) 1 was then sted that the pacty with tho Tar should include: Alexandra, the Grand Duchess Marie, Prince Dol ‘goruky, Dr. Botkin, and the servants Chemodurov, Demidovs, ‘and Ivan Sednev, On rosiving the list, Vakovlv said "Ie {salle same to me” The soldiers were again assembled on the evening of the 25th to be informed of the Tsar's reeevel ‘To forestall any objections, « numberof them were selected to accompany the party. MOSCOW AND BERLIN ™ ‘The voice hat were to convey the faves to Ti, were they woud fi a tn dat ie fem the edgy Seran fvtsma large sk sng spo Tog ele ols uning So sings aly, ing led th St. into thee hls the vel obo and aiapsed Chemaler a bot they cola. Alesndz had ok, the tthe «pet hose She beckoned othe Tar fo monn with hr but atovley sent Mane fo jn het ten, 0 ved ts entation. nthe ene ae tible Novels wh ast expe cece singe tal Ran an ave any de then ‘Atsome places the party had fo aight and wal throug ep thst. "The Eran wat eter of tan teers se ad {Seong team akovlr shun as asta osetesh ould ge Relays waite nt sated teres The taels {assed om one lis into anther Te was eto t se te tine a ery ay the roads bcos wore, ut thee ws footer reson? Yakovev was eigen Stopped by te load Soviets aed wished t ath put kre ‘ny he atime to oppose i rena he ih mo ih oa ic, enenvourng fall im ove fo 4 certain pat Siowot the Ta wool mt eve wap. Tie ooh the Geachman who drove them could sweat fo aliough be could tot eat the dal the convertion, He noticed that hls id not" scold the Hlevit” but somebody ee Theyrached Tiemen onthe shat 9pm. Asp an was in wig They stared westward bot ad wo veld far when at sway sation Yakov begd that Eater np wos inestopt hin "What be fared bad happened 2 0 hop ny cueing Haag or orn an thes witch to the Chelast Ula railway, But he was too late, The Soviet at Ekaterinburgrm THE LAST DAYS OF THE RomANOvS ‘had wired to Omsk that the x-Taue was escaping eastward, snd a cordon of Red guards stopped the train at Kalormane ‘Yakovlev detached the engine and went actos the Itych to Omsk, and there, with the help of his private tlegraphise, spoke with Moscow. He was ordered by Sverdov to proceed via Ekaterinburg, As might be expected, they were met by A strong force of fanaticized Red guard t the station at Eka ‘sinburg (April go). Yakoviev's authority was flouted and the escort snd guards that were with mn imprisoned tlhe hed éparted empty-handed on his way to Moscow. The unfor- funate Romanovs thus came into the hands that were to ‘masicre them and ther belongings, ‘Yakovlev had no band in his foul enspiracy, He had been ‘uit sizeere and consistent in his efforts to bring the whe family safely to Moscow. There is no indiceion whatever, ix all he sid, that the object ofthis removal was to bring the ‘Tear to tral. On the contrary, the conversations with the ‘sat, continued in the rallway caiage, where, gain, he was Separated from Alexandra, gave aditional clout to the ver, son already given by Nicholas himselt—that it was intended torestore the monarchy under certain conditions” Speaking ‘of Yakovlev, the ex-Tsar afterwards said: "Not a bad sort evidently” sincere,’ Alexandra did not cease to bewail dec misfrtones, weeping over her son and her husbend. On reaching Moscow, Yakovlev must have had some doubts Covet tue ee Chapter the Bathe ates boas apps Som tina reeves ser a st cet Hen ieead carat a, ear cae Ses" pecctrenat i” Se a aaa rac erchlaagar thats fe cara. atin a sulen toc the Seste House tn Peston by Goris SECS Gy Seca sea ttineies GEES MOSCOW AND BERLIN 3 sort the aieity of te Ta Anyow, be segnd Me ancaaryaip and eval ed the White fo, ad then mytenouly Gapped, An interes, pl Tied na Red ran the tine hs Joey in eure ot the Impellepvs,contis wn very nstctve are Itpune oein sec theattanp evade Eatery aad fais te dls ef ara an depart at Tren shat the ling daropaney betwen hrand ie cial at Hae Inbar vo ayn ofl ay) sold not bent ignores in tal te nl Sovie ing an rote, gle tate, ht he id nt meton pts in hs emveation Winn Nolan Vay Vato Yakov bent neva ec and wat theeero! Kusanebl lod eae ined some poles, aapnt many yer edt Bein, Wh weet rel fs?! est ogc “eo other Comminares went to Tobi to reve the semaine a he family Tatiana tad een ein charge theinvl and hosel Othe lt age dd sot tify het nts cotence inte same dee. She tk far more inert i itetae than ote paca fo Nand wold hide hel nw core with» bok tl stevie tothe sole, aitley rating domenie tle own sill child, and rahe backyard cult Be le i Tanscave. Mae went wih the Inpeal coel bce the wes tv pow tosenain under her astercre_ She tru rery atone fant welt beater te aong the gan duce fo to ete cng” aon the Conmsar ‘the to sucesors of Yabovlv wee: A sor mau ots and cain Redoow. elt vas aca dette oes gendarme oir He vedo tpee the paps tthe Gean oti, ad srved sone te the Rusan Enbosy a Bsns 4 py 0 Ran cea tina. When faxed wt headed te nese74 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS ‘The sar, «typical good-natured peasant, soon made friend ‘with al the ellen. Redionoy, on the contrary, went out of hie way fo torment and iltreat them, He fordade the rand dochesses to lock their doors at sight, informing thers with alee that be ad a perfect sight to come into their rooms Whenever be liked, With every appearance of enjoyment, he announced that in Ekaterinburg they woul have to observe Stricter rules, which he himsalf had devized. Hobriakov was ‘amirallyseior to Rodionov, bat thelatter did what he plead Here must be recorded a circumstance which was destined to play an important part in the detetion of the murders of kateinbarg. Belore separating, it bad buen understood between mother and daughters that they would tle measures for safeguarding the jewels that bad been browght with them from Taushoe, worth not lest than & milion gold roubles, (100000). A etter from the maid Demidova frm Ekatern. ‘burg gave the noctssary indications. The grand duchesses ware “to dispose ofthe medicines as ad been agreed.’ This meant thatthe jewels had to be secreted in the clothing in such a way as to ecape seach (Nicholas, Alexandra, and Marie had ben ‘searched’ very thoroughly and brutally) For some days the grand duchesses and thet trusty servants ‘worked at the task, sewing up the valuables in their bodies, {in thir bats, and even inside their buttons. The Empress had few if any valuables with her—posibly beeaose there had ‘been no the to serete them; But thanks to the precautions row taken, the grand duchess managed to smuggle al that ‘wasol greatest value into ther lst prisom-house, Womsnlike, they clung to these relics of former happiness, and perhaps ‘deep down in ther hearts slambered some hope that the gems ‘might help them to escape, ‘Leaving Toblskby steamer on May 20, he family and hoe: ‘old reached Ekaterinburg onthe 2and without incident. CHAPTER VILL OTHING had been done at Ekaterinburg to prepare for the amival of such prisoners as the ex-Tsar and his family till Ap 27 (Le, two days after the spy Zaslevsky had denounced Yakovlev). The arrangements then taken con- sisted in requisitioning Spatiev’s house and putting a cough hoarding around it. Zaslavsky reached Ekaterinburg in com> pany with a Russian workman named Alexander Avieiev, ‘who had beta with him st Tobolsk and become imbued with 1 Jews tale of Yakovlev’ aleged treachery. In rtutn for his Support and blind subserveney, this man received the post of commandant of the new imperil prison and promises of further promation. ‘Isai Goloshchekin, the intimate friend of Yankel Sverdov, took chasge of the prisoners on their arrival. Isai played the part ofa Boshevist Poot-ba, being a Komisar many times over, ‘but above al he loomed largely inthe local chrerychaita, He supervised the removal of the prisoners from thei railway catrsge, completely ignoring Avdsev, and took them away in bis motorcar, On reaching the Tpatiey house, Goshiche- kin told the imperial trio to descend, then pointing to the oot, sid “Citizen Romanov, you may enter” In the same manner he let the ex-Empress and Marie pass the threshold, Prince Dolgoruky, who was ofthe party, did not meet with Golosiehekin's approval. “You go to another prison,’ said7 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOWS 2e, and straightway Dolgoraky was removed, never tobe een agin. ‘Wen, three weeks Inter, the other children end semsinder of the household ative, the same procedure was adopted, Once more Avdeiev was ignoed, the person in charge being Rodionov. His brats at Tobolsk had earned him dix tinction. Here he excelled himself. It wes raining heavily ‘nd the platfocms wae simy with ad "He would not per, ‘it any one to help the Grand Duchesses to cary theit wn Jgeage. Nagorny, one ofthe imperial servants, was knocked lover for daring to extend a hand to Anastasie, deagping heavy bog Nobody had permission to share the new prison with the Romanovs except the physically weak or mentally undeve. leped, The only exception was Dr. Botkin. Those who did not ema the house wet to other pisos, the two foreigners excepts The family, once more reunited, had need ofall ther love nd faith to endure she sueings that marked this lst stage of tic earthy pilgrimage, Besides them and ther phytic only four servants were permitted toremain—the chamfer maid Demidova, the footman Trupp, the chet Haritonov, and the bey Leonid Sednev, attendant and playmate ofthe sek Alexis Chemoduroy, the Tsar's valet, was transferred to the town ‘son trom the Ipatiev house chive weeks after his aria, He survived, but his mind was affected, ‘This bulding stands at the comer of Vosnesensky Prospekt snd Vosnesensky Perelok (lane) facing a large square in whieh stands the church ofthe Asceasion (Vosneeni}, a prominent Jandmark in the city and suburbs, It a ewostery stone builing with a garden and outhouses Being, to which acsuos 's obtained through a gateway into the square. As the lane ‘ssceads steeply from the square, the lower storey is same VIA cRUCIS, ” basement in front, gradually leasing the surface of the street fon the lane side, “The lower lor was accopied by the guard the prisoners lived upstais in the corner room away fom the stairs and entrance, which were on the gate sie. Nicholas, Alexandra and Alexis shared one room facing the squate: ‘the adjoining chamber, overlooking the lane, was occupied by the Grand Duchesses, The family could not leave these to rooms except for meal, which were taken in the adjoining Aining-rom. Another room, divided into two halves by an arch, accommodated Dr. Botlin and Chemedurov on one side fad the servants on the other. From the dining-room a ‘oor led toa tetrace overlooking the garden. ‘Around the howie, a wooden hoarding reached wp to the windows ofthe upper lor. Soon after the prisoners arrived, anather hoarding was put wp, completely sereening the whole hhouse up to the eaves, and enclosing also the font entrance and gateway, There were double windows, as usual ia Russar houses. Both panes were covered with whitewash, rendering it utterly impossible for the prisoners to see anything ovtside even crow fying, Sentries paced between the hoardings, inside the garden, and were stationed at the stars, beside the lavatory. and_on the terrace, Here, and at other convenicnt points, machine- [guns were posted, The prisoners were in a tap from which ‘these was to escape, The aval thing about it wat the con: stant surveillance, by day and night, There was no privacy, ‘no even fr the glo consideration for decency or modesty. ‘The Ekatevinbuag period was one long martyrdom for the Romanovs, growing worse—with onc short interval—as the hour of thei death approached, Their guards, at frst, wert Rossians, who, bral ns they were, ever attained the fendish Ingenuity in tormenting their helpless captives that eame te78 TE LAST DAYS OF THE RoMANOWS be payed by the alien guards and extionersof he fd week “There ad been provision for gar sion for garg the onte—another pros thatthe prions al not been intended foe Ease, Dug. Alter the it few days egal gard ws gud from worknen employed tthe ll ls and ron were AloanderAvasie reve the syle of * Commandant o fe Special Purse Howse such was the name of the impel pon. His astants were Alexander Mest and Pavel Medvedev, both workmen snd Rustans Awd and in pert fends among the gard ved uptain in the sete and ater ah ig the sq Tiny wer, consent, in immediate proximity to the psn No pen can describe what this meant. - The men wee couse, drnken,eiminal ype, sich at & ‘evo bg 6 he ue, eed ep! rooms whetever they thought ft all hx + at all hour, pring with uaken esting exes into evrything that they might he Song, Thr mee pesence as an alee bat picture the toments ef tecapiestohaveto pup with hi oathsome lamar fies Thay woud st down a the tale when the pnts Spt thr iy hd into the pat si je an reach in font ofthe psonen. Thr easy elbows would Ye thr, by accident or design int the cxTares face les andra wes, of course, specal object of atenton, They wool cow round her eh, ling in such manner tat {ny movennt on a art gh coma evil-smelling bodies, “ “ie sn fae of poms Kind was pred Baka come ate lack ea om he dy bere with a stat For an heya hin soponmete er of doubtful quality. The ex-Empress could eat nothing except VIA cRUcIS: 9 ‘The tablecover was a greasy olldoth, There were not ives ot forks or even plates cnowgh to go round. All ate ‘with wooden spoons ott of ane common dish, By the Emperor's wish the servants sat at table with the family ‘The guards sang revolutionary songs devised to hurt and shock the feelings ofthe prisoners, containing ful words such 48 no man shovld dare to utter in the presence of innocent Gs bot the revolutionary warriors delighted in wounding the ‘modesty ofthe Grand Duchesses in this and in other stil more repulsive ways, by thy scribbling and drawings on the walls tnd by crowding round the lavatory-—there was only one for the prisoners and the warders. They went reling about the house, smoking cigarettes, unkempt, disheveled, shameless, inpiring terror and loathing. They €id not seruple to help ‘themselves Iberlly to the clothes and other property of the prisoners whenever anything came within their reach ‘Only s quarter of an howe was allowed to the prisoners in ‘the open ais. No physical work was permitted. The ex-Tsar felt this privation very much, Alexandra sulflered terribly. Her son remained an invalid, unable to walk. The family seemed to be overwhelmed by gril, But their faith in God find theie love for each other illuminated the gloom of this twful prison, ABove the ribald songs of their tormentors night be heard the chanting of the Song of Cherubirs, the Rossian hymn of praise [Now we come to the finel phase that peecoded the murder It is full of signifeance, Every step taken by the occult powers of the Ekaterinburg chrenyehaiés, which, it must be remembered, did nothing without otders from the central institutions in Moscow—Sverdloy being in direct communica tion with Goloshehekin—falls into its natural appointed place ss part of the cruel fate reserved for the Romanov family.{% THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANovS ‘The monsters who had been placed in charge ofthe prisoners =28 if on purpose to torment them through the agency of [Resslans—did not flfl their mision to the end. Even they became humarized by the spectacle of the sufferings and the patience and humility oftheir formes sovereigns not all of them, of course, but certainly a majerity, including their commandant, Avdeey (One of these men afterwards related how the change came lover im. He had began with hazed in his heats. The Tsar ‘was the head ofthe capitalistic system, the greatest capitalist ‘of them al. To destroy him was to destroy eapitalim elt the SociaLDemocratc progeamme had made it all so plain to him, He watched the crowned enemy of mankind’ the ink ofthe people's Blood,’ 3s he walked about the garden, and listened to him exchanging simple, homely words with the other wanders. His notions began fo waver. This was, not a bad man: he was so human, so kindly, just a man like other men, and even better. Then the idea occurred to him that it was wrong to desire bis death, What harm could he do? Why not et him escape! Yes, it would be much better i he went away, and the children, too; they had done no hharm, and the Tsaritsa also. She was proud, Not simple snd homely, like the Tsar ut le her also go. If she hed done harm, she had also sere, ‘This man epented of the evil he and his fellows were doing “He would sing no more lewd Songs, and tried to dissuade the others, Rapidly the whole of the uard—workmen from the Lokalow and Sysert companies’ plants—were becoming dis afiected. ‘Towards the end of June a secret emissary of one of the Moratchist organizations called upon the Bishop of Ekaterin- Dung and tried to get into communication with the Imperial prsoners through the clergy; st this proved to beim ‘VIA cRvCIS 8 ihe, He then proposed that, atl vet, ome fod and Enmforts shouldbe sent fo the ptom-hous. Dr. Deeveako, sth hod ten permite to remain nthe ty, gave is ane. Thee at ths ject "By soe moans he ws in toch wih the warden, Avdsew aged to fake in ilk snd ther pro- ions if they reached the home wont attracting noe. ‘The nsf the monastery thereon sent wo novice, dressed inlay gument, tothe Ho, wth al maar of dairy gro Shee, Ave cied ten himsell.- These omeys cme frequent. ‘The poo capives it comforted, moray and yay, They bad wot ben frgten sod the men who Td been 2 tere wee so much Kinder. Hope one mere Tsomed, The Grad Dachones looked bight sod ches fe," asi eady tl aye 4 pron who sw them at the tine, The mtn bedened by Aves. sttade Trought even se tobacn forthe ex aa. Aviv seleed ohm she Enero’ In the begining of Joly sre enpicions mt ave arn among the Josh camila or perhaps Moscow had recived "fatormation’ As the tie was geting spe for" action’ no doubt steps ad been taken to very the arrangements td the dacoery of ditlecton among the Raia guards Flows. Avdae ws atone died, the Rosia gone trove cut ofthe hose ite promis on the eppoite side of {he lane a, with one excepto, forbidden a come nt the ewe, This exception wan Pavel Medved, He resid tie pot vce! ward The Resian guard connie to prove sents foe the ote pss ny, ‘They cn do to harm thre, an served to thvow dst im the eso the pa Alte changes wee cried out by the new commandant, a person ith om the render aad aqua rey. “Yanko Yurowaly, the son ofa Jw cone, hms a mystery2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS rman, having obtained money in Germany for wnexplained "servoe,' and presently one ofthe chiefs of the local crea: haiks, Yankel brought with bim a squad of fen ‘ Lets" -as the Russians called them—to mount guard inside the prsor-honse and take charge of the machine-gun posts ‘These men were the bined asiassine of the zed. ofan They were not Lets but Magyars, some of them realy Magyadized Germans. Tt must be remembered that Sibeia vas Sovietized from the east, ot by Russians in the Bret plac, But by the soldiers of Wilhelm and hie Austrian heneh ‘men, who acted under the orders from the two Kaisers.. These sealed Letts had entered the service of the chreroychatba ater helping to carry out the German design to undermine Rusia, Inqumerable evidences prove that the newcomers are cor veotly clasiied, The Russian guards covld tell by their speech that they were foreigners. To designate them a6 Letts was quite natural because the Letts formed the backbone and bole ofthe foreign mercenaries of Sovietdom and there fore any non-Russian Redguard became a ‘Lett’ But a8 a matter of fact, the Mogyars resemble Lats in their ap. pearance and accent. -Yurovsky spoke to them in a foreign language. Besides Russian and Viddish he knew only German, ‘Among the papers found afterwards in the prison: hoose was fan uniinshed letter to his “Tereschen ” from one of the “Letts” Tk was in Magyar, but, according. to the findings of experts, the writer was evidently & German, He used capital letters for substamtives, often employed Gothic char- acters and made glaring blondes in grammar, such as 00 Magyse would make Another of the "Letts left sill more eloquent evidence of his nationality, ‘This man had stood on guard on the terrace communicating with the dining-oom and overlooking the garden—a very important post with a machine-gun VIA cRUCIS. 83 capable of sweeping the interior of the house and sll the approaches from the garden side, On the very day before the morder, this man wrote in pencil onthe wall of the house fa record of his service as follows Verhas Andes Orsegen ox8 Vis Alongside this inscription he had tried to write the Russian fequivalent, but could not spell out the word karan” (guard duty), in Magyar arseg. Scraps of paper on which other “Letts had practised writing Russian words were also found, Weare able ox the date approximately when the German Magyar gvard and Yurovsky took possession. The lay sisters bringing their usual offerings met witha strange reception on or about July 10—about a week before the murder. Avdeiev did not come out to them. Some ofthe Russian guards, whom they knew, were standing near the doer, looking very much confused, and at Gist not dispose to take charge of the gifts Finally, however, they did so. Thesisters then walked away. Prosenlly the soldiers came running after them.‘ Please, will yoo come back,’ they said. The mons retwened, An individoal whom they afterwards identified a5 Yarowsky, inguiea by whose authority they had brought the provisions. iAvdeiev and Derevenko,” was the truthful reply. ‘Oh, they are both in it, are they’ he remarked ominously. He nevertheless permitted them €0 come again, “but with milk only. ‘This ast week oftheir lives most haveboen the est dreadful one ofl forthe Romanovs. Brutal and bestalas the Russians had been in the early part oftheir wardenship, they were pre ferable, even at their worst, to the silent relentless torture applied by Yuroveky, who also was a drunkard, He and his band watched them Hiterally ike a cat watches a mouse. He was polite to the Tsar and spoke softly to Alexis; he even84 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS mie a o come ad ay pray, wie omit sar de pt atv tpn vis Hhat never had they lke sate hoon oth abener tetra on. Thm ttn and sisters describe him as el ty . 2 ‘er tyant who woul hesitate at anything to attain his ends," vee Tie men and sexton only waited tones only waited for the Mat vist cme tem Yank Seen rey fr the mcr The vine ha tetred Gloshchein ples tain Everything was been adequately "he Jew Sadist, Ucked is ips in CHAPTER IX YY PNKEL,YOROVSIY lt ihe pneu on several ‘occasions, Each absence lasted many hours. He was surveying the environs of the city for a convenient place to Aispose ofthe bodies of his victims. His escort consisted of ‘one or two of the * Letts” mounted on horscback, Several wwitneses deposed to mesting kim and his bodyguard in the ‘wocds during the weck that preceded the murder. They were seen near the very spot where the remains were afterwards estroyed, ‘Whenever he had to absent himself, Yurovsky placed Mecivedev in charge, Besides the latter, there was another ron Lett’ in the house, a certain Nikulin, respeting whom ‘tis knowa that he came with Yorovsky from the elrezychait Hie enjoyed Yurovsky's entire confidence, and was probably ‘here to haep an eye on Medvedev. ‘On Monday, Joly 35, the lay sisters came as usual in the rmocning with milk forthe Imperial Family. Yankel tok it himself, and graciously informed them that on the mottow they might bring halla bundsed eggs. This they dia gladly, thinking that the poor captives would enjoy a hearty meal, all unsuepciows of the cynical intention that had prompted ‘Yerovsky’s generosity, (These eggs were boiled by H.ritonov, bt they ner eaten, not in Ipatew’s house, but in the woods) On the Tuesday morning, a whole nine days before the8% THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS arrival ofthe Czechs, Yurowsky made his final arrangements for the mutder of the family. The boy Leonid Sednev was removed eatly in the éay to Popow's house across the lan, hither the Russian guards hed been transferred. There he essen sitting on the windowsill and crying bitterly; whether because he was dall without his ply-fellow or hed some Inling of his fates not known, The boy dsappeaced, never tobescen again. Later thisgave rise toromous that Vurovsky Dba been told to eeseve him for foture vse, perbaps to ine personate his little fiend the Taarevich—in short, to act Whe part of a False Dats ‘Two important vistors came to the prison-nouse during the day-namely, the archingustor, Isi Goloshehekin, and his humble servant, the Ressian workman Bsloborodoy, resident of the regional Soviet. They took Yorowsley away in thei automobile 10 some place unspecifed, presumably to a meeting of the Soviet Presidium (Boat). Yurovsky returned some hour later, towards evening ‘At 7 pm, Vurovsky gave orders to Medvedev to collect all the revolvers of the outer guard. Medvedev complied, “HE brought twelve Nagans (the Nagan is the Russian service revolver) to the commandant’s room and handed them to ‘Yurovsky. The latter then confided to him the plan to shoot ‘the whole “Tsarian family” that night. He (Medvedev) ‘would have to warn the Russian guards later’ when he got word to do so. Meanwhile he must be silent. At nightfall (bout 20.30 pam. in these ltitdesin summertime} Medvedey ‘told the Russias.” The murderer were toe the ' Letts ‘There is no record of any open protests on the part of these ‘men, wito had been ‘disgraced " only a few days ago. for ‘their “friendliness” to the ‘areh-capitalit” and“ drinker of blood” Thee is nothing to be surprised at. Belobocodov Dad been rendered “amenable,” bacatse he had ‘stolen here the crimes aid to these men’scharge wee not onl plfering, CALVARY % bt countersevoluion’ They Knewand we may De sue they wee mate to fetta the sreyehe wold now how to deal wah tem they sbored eee Havig "rsd" the. Rossns, Meaedey vetoed the came nda To ber svanges now made thn sppesrnce. One of tem wes Peer nko, “itary Kose of the Vert Tee Tenwori the ober, hs stan, «ler named Yaruncy, Bath thes men had tinged thomas BY tse ferocity They were profesional aes "wong forthe Red ington ou of ser Ventas Bat ere wes ante aon or initing thse ates othe ppt Tne tut of toa, They were both to ply ng prt the dpa ofthe tion Bot were eas of Yaovay. With hm they had ateady se days ete, soso and Remnged the mle gly pesormane ‘when midnight by ilar Sine ba gone ve mine, oro went tote Impeal iamben. Theft se Fe woke the op, aod fld then hat fhe wee gent evn why they shuld be atone wna tht tae nas ruben they ch igh endanger here, an ht Chey unt dios qucly and come costa. All ream reed theme, the Grand Does doing The eet stedgasments Each mer of the fry td owes pt on his rhe mgt ces sad Tendger, The pres wore Ber overcen. Some of the ones even took thet pilowe—for ana’ ake oc Be Ear hey td reowspeweon ected ihn “Yavovaty Te the may dort, te fay ane alowed sons ecu not walk Hs father eae hm 32 ‘Gimme, Dr Bagne Sreoith Botkin ease dety afer 1 Ein, andar hi come the ebabermaid Deora, {he con Maron, and te botnan TOPE.8§ THE LAST DAVS OF THE ROMANovS ‘The procesion descended by the bark stalrs leading from the upper to the ground floor. The door ftom the lower landing (by the kiehen) tothe roms ofthe ground floor had ‘been boarded up to prevent direct communication between ‘heir formereccupants the Russian guards—and the prisoners, ‘One had to go into the yard and then enter the lower oor by separate doorway. This was the route followed by Yarovaky and his victims. The motor-lorry that had come for the bodies waited outside the gate ofthis very courtyard, and in the dim light ofthe norther midnight the prisoners could probably seo the vehicle and must have felt reassuted, even if ony suspicion of ther imminent end had asiiled their rind Sill following Yurovsky, they traversed all the rooms of the lower floor, now tenanted only by "Lett," and came at Inst othe smal lobby adjoining the front entrance on the lane (puretok) side, This lobby was lighted by a small window, Ieavily grated, ooking into the garden. Outside stood sentzy with a machine-gun, He could see everything that ‘went on inside, especially when the interior was lit up for the fexetution. This man’s account played an important part ia assembling and corroborating the various depositions eaing withthe murder. Opposite the window, a door leads Into a small chamber (18, by 164t) with a heavily gnlled looble window facing the lane. Here also stood sentries| outside, able to seo what was going on within. This chamber is partly basement. ‘The guards hid used i 36 a dormitory. A locked door Ie into a basement chamber situated immed ely under the Tsar's pison-room, Tals comer basement asa store-oom where some of the imperial belongings had been deposited—and pilfered, There was no escape in that Aizection, Besides, there were double barriers outside, inter- cxptng sight and sound ‘The family and their followers were ushered into the se CALVARY % ‘basement chamber and told to wait. They were not suspicious It id not occur to them that they were in a ttap, "AS the room was bare of furniture, the Tsar asked fo have somechais brought. Hee wished the sufering Empress to rest and the sick boy to sit dows, Theee chairs were broaght in. One was passed to Alexindra, who had been leaning aguinst the wall facing the lobby. Nicholas seated Alexis where he had been standing, in the mide ofthe room, and sat down beside him, A pillow was placed behind Alexandra, Two other pillows remained in Demidove's arms, The Tsar and. the Toarevich kept thes caps on, as if expecting any moment to go out. They thought the vehicles that were to convey ‘hem auay hail not arrived, the lorry being there to take the Inggage. On the Empress right stood theee of her desghtes, on her let the other daughter and Demidova, ‘Almost immediataly the door int the lobby was obstructed by Yorovsky, his friends and the “Letts! These were Nikulin, Eemakov, Vaganov, Medvedey and seven * Letts “the remaining Ghee being on guard duty, There. were cwelve mardecers, Each cated revelver, The rifles of ‘he Lett guard were stacked in the adjoining room (where they lived). ‘Yurowsky advanced into the death-chamber and addressed ‘he Tsar. Therearemany versions of thisutterance. According to the most trustworthy one, he said ; ' Vour relatives have tried to save you, But it eal not be managed by them, and 0 we ourselves are compelld to shoot you.” ‘The twelve revolvers volleyed instantly, and al the prisoners fell to the ground. Death had been instantaneous in the case fof the parents and dhe of the cildeen, and of Dr. Botkin and twozervants, Alexis remained live inspite of his wounds, fand nicened and struggled in his agony. Yurovsky finished