Evening Star Newspaper, May 16, 1924, Page 19

LAST DAYS AND DEATH OF THE RUSSIAN CZAR How Family Was Shot to Death and Bodies Destroyed by Fire and Acid. BY F. A. MACKENZIE. NCorrespondence of The Star and the Chicago F3 Da‘ly News.) . PART 1V, MOSCOW, April 25.—For an hour ‘on most days all were allowed to go into the garden or stable for exer- cise. The garden was fenced high all round and hemmed in by trees. 1 saw one little snapshot, that has not Teen published, showing the emperor and one of his daughters digging. They looked very shabby and the em- peror very hopeless, Can one wonder? und relative: All his friends seemed to have deserted him Since the day of his arrest b~ Kerensky's orders not a word had come-from them. Even his cousin 1he King of England had been silent. ‘That, let me add, was not King George's fault. He had tried to write and his advisers, who had stopped at Jeast one m e en route, played a very mean role in their attitude to- ward the fallen emperor. For food the family and attendants were allowed two portions of a meal each per day, from the communal dinner room at the corner of Vos- nesensky and Glavni prospects. 1f 1he meals were like those I ate in later, they were a and poor as could be as a stove on which uld heat the food. great convent outside now used as a bar- hool. The nuns there brought bread, and rooms their servan There is aterinburg, ks and regularly « for the prisoners. counts declare that nothing was lowed to reach them: the guards took the food. My information is that du ing the first few weeks the food w frequently delivered to the ) on Easter day they pascha and the kulich, the and eggs which all orthodox Russian treasure at that time. ~ Some Musings of the Czar. Nicholas assumed an air of indiffer- would_try to pro- voke him with taunts and stings. He went on_as though he did not hear their gibes. He tried to talk in friendly fashion with his guards, but they were forbidden to reply He was idiotically indifferent to uround him,” his captors angrily were wrong. After his seraps of paper were 1, with some of his en’on them bbing the exchequer. re at the head. While and foreigne trouble they The country n 1hinking only of hemselves, * Teace and prosperi must come. * + ¢ To be shut up in a monastery ~—to have a terrible death. * * * The righteous have no crown. The eriminal has no end. What a difficult ; every one does what he pleases. a picture of our time. The ¢ corrupted, the throne of the czar is snaken, and when it falls it threatens to destroy for all _time power and glory of Russia. There are ot only little pictures on the window, but whole icicles.” The empress took her captivity im- patient At every turn she showed Yer contempt and scorn for her guards. She continued to comp n of her trea ment. She sought sizus and and drew the swastika on her wall a symbol of k. She wrote much— mystical, rel us reflections. continued iliness ept him from fee! did the others. papa now more with him. Nicl as would take the boy in his arms and carry him from ropm to room. Insults for the Daughters. On the girls, imprisonment fell hardest of all, They tried to amuse themselves in every way they uld, and the guards, wonde & th: they could sometimes laugh and romp, re- | tailed amazing tales outside about | their conduct are m girls were them with loud o seemed to take delight in drawing st obscene pictures in places where the young women would not fail to see them. When darkness came on the family would gather in the sitting room and simg in low tones, the voices of the girl® now and then risi ove the others, Sometimes it was often the “Cherubim’'s Song, times melancholy Russian songs. They asked to »wed to g0 out 10 church. T ed, 7 the neighborhood | | | the | | were allowed to come and hold serv- ice in their rooms. After a time the council grew dis- satisfied with Abdiev, and a new com- mandant was appointed, Jacob Yu- rovsky by name, He was forty years old and the son of a dealer in second- hand metal. He had lived for some time in the United States, and despite his name he was declared to be a Lutheran by religion. He kept a wateh and photographic material shop and lived with his wife and three children. During the war he had served in the army as a medical assistant. Fleree New Jailer. Yourovsky was to become the regi- cide in chief. He was high up in the councils of the Ekaterinburg reds, a Commissar of justice and a member fof the presedium (the executive). He Was much harder and stricter than Abdiev. The Ural counci! constantly de- bated what to do with Nichclas. One section was in favor of killing him and unceasingly urged the others to consent. He has lived too long,” they said. ‘When he was czar he killed the workers by the hundreds of thou- sands, choking, shooting and hanging them. He even shot down peasants when they asked for his help. Now it's his turn.” They tried to make Moscow order the execution, but Moscow refused. Finally, however, the Extremists won the consent of the rest of the Ural council. Nicholas was to die. The presedium was ordered to carry out sentence and it entrusted a an. Petr Zakharovitch, of arranging the necessary Petr gloated over his task. He would get rid of them all so thoroughly, he swore, that no cne would be able to find a trace. He ob- tained three iron cylinders of sulphu- ric acid and a number of cans of cerosene, He would burn the bodies first, and eat up what was left with the acid. The decision that Nicholas must die was reached late in June. By mid-July events were happening to hurry things on. The power of the Bolshevi was being threatened. The Cossacks of the Don were in re- bellion. The Czechoslovak armies were pushing on. Let there ba much more delay and Nicholas might mount his throne again. Summoned for the End. On July 15 the little boy who play- ed with the czarevitch was sent cff and told not to come buck. Lat the evening of July 16, 2 night by soviet time, Yurovsky e tered the Romanov's rooms, and told them to make readv for immediate departure. They were to be moved elsewhere. They might take their doctor, the sailor nurse and the maid with them. An hour later they were summoned downstairs. The emperor led the way, carrying his son. He was an old, shabby army wni- . without decorations and his ts were down at the heel. Follow- him came the empress, then the and after taem Dr. Bot- tred and stout, the sailer Anna Demidova. stout, big ; fair. Anna was carrying a pillow for the czarevitch and some necessary domestic articles. Outside they could hear the noise of an automobile engine, running | with clutch out and without exhaust. Although they did not know it, the engine was running to drown the noise of the bullets and their cries. The impatiev mansion is on a hill s and the back entrance to the street goes through a cellar. When the party reached this cellar, an arched and good sized room, some one shout- ed to them to stand against the far- ther wall. There was a chair there and Nicholas put the sick boy on it. Plain, Bratal Slaughter. Four men, leaders of the reds, with Yurovsky at their head, entered the ceilar. ~They were all armed with Nagan revolvers, the heavy Russian army weapon. Behind them were sol- from the cheka, armed with The soldiers kept mostly in passage. urovsky evidently been drinking, themselves for the occasion. Yurov- sky carried in his left hand a paper, the order of the presedium of the Ural council decreeing the death of Nicholas. “You Romanovs have been sen- tenced,” he shouted. “There is no hope for you. You all have to die.” The empress and one of her daugh- and his comrades had 1o _nerve ters fell on their knees and crossed themselves. Nicholas seemed as though he could not understand. “Booked" for Individuality ). ERVE, charm, sophisticated smartness—is instinctive to fas- cinating woman! And she takes a long step toward it—when she steps into this Daring new creation for the fashionable. “Lorraine™ $12.50 Patent leathier, Black Satin. The “City Club Shop” of 1318 G St . Aso at our Tth St. and Sth St. Stores “So we are not going some where else,” he said, in a half dazed voice. nas nidkua ne povetzu?') Be- fore the last word was finished, the four revolvers were fired simulfane- ously at him. Then the four shot the czarevitch and then the others. Anna Demidova jumped to one side with a loud cry. She held up her pil- low and tried to rush for the door. A bullet to the side brought her down. They finished her off with the butt ends of their revolvers. Anastasia, the youngest daughter, fell to the ground and feigned death. They beat her head in with the metal shod ends of the rifles. . The room was a shambles. Behind was another cellar, firmly locked. 1 have seen the big, deep stain where the blood ran under its doorway. Rescue Party Too Late. The victims had not yet ceased to breathe before the men fell on them and tore their garments open in a search for hidden treasure.¢ They found a number of jewels sewn in the clothing of the empress and her daughters. But they were too excited to find all. They were like drunken men, drunk with blood and wine, and now and then one of them would be forced to pause and go out dripping Wwith blood, for a breath of air. Then they dragged out the bodies May-Days are Play-Days! AYS when mothers most appreciate reliable, wear-defying ‘quality. And when your boys THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, and flung them into the waiting anto- mobile. In the darkness they rushed for a place already selected in the woods. Guards had been stationed at a distance around to keep the curious away. They piled the bodies up and poured kerosene over them and watched them burn. Then, as planned, they tried to eat up what re- malned with sulphuric acid. What was still left, they gathered up with the ashes apd buried in a pit. And they had left much more than they thought. A few days later the Czechoslovak soldiers, who had been eagerly press- ing forward to effect a rescue, en- tered Ekaterinburg, the reds having retreated before them. In the cellar they found the blood soaked sham- bles. In the wood they found the remains which fire and acid had failed to destroy. (The End.) FIREMAN SLIGHTLY HURT. Fire last night in the bakery of Frank Grasso, 704 O street, resulted in slight injury to Private Steve Pope of No. 4 Truck Company, and damage to the building and contents of about $800. Pope cut his hand while tearing away a portion of metal ceiling. D. C, HONORS MME. TSAMADOS. Mme. Tsamados, wife of the Greek charge, who leaves Washington for Russia in a few days, will be guest of the Greek Girls' Club of the Y. W. C. A. at a farewell party tonight In connection with the party special business of the club will be transact- ed, including election of oficers. Mis3 Elizabeth Eastman will preside and Miss Ruth Woodsmall, member of the world committee of the Y. W. C. A., will speak on the organization of the survey committee in Greece. — Drexel Alumni Organize. Graduatés here of Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, organized the Washing- ton-Drexel Club last night, and in- dorsed the million-dollar campaign RENTACAR AND DRIVE IT MAIN 622 AvroLvey @ and girls are attractively shod in “HAHN" SHOES—QUALITY is absolutely assured! Same as it has been here for nearly 50 years! Y N White Shoes This White Calf Pump for striking, O very 720777727, % A, Adapted from moccasin, here's Play Shoe. ble " soles. and_girls. 72227 7 % 777 77 Every boy and girl wants a about. extra heavy brown or pair for knock style, white duck, 10 6, $1.50 the Elk. Flexi- leather trimmed. Sizes1to 6. zirls, all pate but = $3.50 pagne Kid. 5 8% te 117%: to Indian splendid Girls' Pump. looking, ing. 8§12 to 2. 2% to Boys’ Oxfords Real for bovs! a punch. Good ice. Mannish Red or 11 to 131 This $2.50 Others $1.25 and Up Summertime “Hahn Specials“ to take Smart women thriftily thru every Smart activity! 55/ + MILADY is shod to win—in this swagger tan calf sports shoe. $5.95 Crepe rubber sole. n at "City “Gro-Nups” Extra Quality Pumps with colored suede trim Red, White or Cham- to 8. “Hahn Specias’ 2, Extraordinary. Go g00d- lasts. for leather or Also $3.25 oy Cool. med. or Suede o Kid trim. 31 5 chase of value in a we. Leather, FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1924. being conducted by the institution. The alumni of the institute here num- bers more than 200. Miss Grace E. Goodpasture of 1417 Park road is cor- responding secretary of the club, to whom application "for membership should be made. 0OAL Reduced prices for delivery during May only. W. A, Egg, $1420 W. A. Stove, $15.20 W. A. 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PURE LARD 2 Ibs., 25¢ GRANULATED SUGAR 5 Ibs., 35¢ KELLOGG’S Toasted Corn Flakes POST TOASTIES 2 pkgs., 15¢ UNEEDA BISCUITS 2 pkgs., 9¢c FLOUR A.&P,51lbs. . .. 24c PILLSBURY’S 5 lb S Y OCCIDENT “Fit for YOUR Table” FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Carefully Selected From the Best the Market Afords g Selected Fresh GRAPEFRUIT | EGGS 2 cans, 35¢c E 30c¢ Doz. Luscious—Healthful California % Q,,f,l,,: PRUNES % “Pretty Baby” Brand MILK 3 Ibs., 25¢c { 3 Cans, 29¢ Fresh, Crisp Pretzelettes 21bs.. . 25¢ 3 Deliciously Browned . Fig Bars IZ Ibs.. . 25¢ 8 0’Clock Coffee Ne Carefully Blended POTA'}VOES Bracban - 41bs.. . 25¢§ Lb., 30c Fancy Eating APPLES 3 lbs., 25¢ Cooking Apples 6 lbs., 25¢ 25¢ i Fresh Creamery BUTTER Cut From the Tub 46¢ 1b. A&P GRAPE JUICE ATLANTIC & PACIFI THE GREAT On Ev Corner TEA co} In Every Community