The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-04
Guarding the Car.

A correspondent of the London Tele.
graph & ives the following account of the
precautions taken to protect the life Of
Alexander Ill: "a few days after the
fatal catastrophe of the 18th of March. the
Russian Ministers resolved on begging the
Emperor to reside in one of the numerous
places outside his capital. The explosion
in the Winter Palace, the mine in the Ma
lala Sadovala, many other attempts Of
which the public knew nothing, and, above
all, the tragic death Of the late Car, has
proved to them beyond doubt that in St..
Petersburg neither tho devotion of nine
tenths OF the population, nor the increas-
ing vigilance Of Ministers, police and 5O,-
OOO soldiers could guard their imperial
master from the murderous attacks of 4
small band Of desperate men and women.
| The Emperor showed some reluctance at
first to leave Anitchkotf Palace, where he
has spent SO many happy days as Czarvitch
but consented when Lord MolikOff remind.
ed him that he was surrounded on three
sides by private houses from the cellars of
which, ut that very moment, Nihilists mis-
creants might he cutting their way to his
palace in spite of the greatest watchful-
ness Oh the part of the police.
As the Emperor has decided never to
live in any Of his fathers favorite resi-
dences, tho Winter Palace, Tsarskoe Selo
and Livadia, for reasons easily guessed.
orders were sent to- prepare the palace at
CATCHING "a small town about thirty
miles to the southwest of St. Petersburej.
tor tho Imperial Court. Several hundred
artisans and mechanics, all soldiers Of the
Preobrajinsky regiment-the Russian SOL
der is thoroughly taught some trade, and
allowed to earn money by it while off
duty-were selected to make tho neces6a-
ry alterations. At midnight they Assem-.
bled in the church at CATCHING, and SOL
EMMY swOre never to reveal the nature of
the work they were about to undertake.
Death or Siberia was the penalty il they
broke the oath; q ''krassnY no roubles.
q shillings), the reward if they Were
silent and industrious. The alterations
were made in forty-eight hours, but Co.
crecy was not keptimuch longer. Vodka
loosened the tongues Of the soldiers, and
soon all CATCHING was telling in whisper
Of the precautions taken to preserve the
life of the Car.
"A subterranean passage leads from his
bedroom to the stables, where number
OF horses are kept saddled and bridled
day and night. Sentinels are posted 1t
intervals Of twenty yards all round the |
building. The imperial bedroom, which
has two windows protected at night BY !
massive iron shutters, can only be reach
ed from the outside by passing through
three spacious anti-chambers, in which
are posted eighty Cossacks armed to the
teeth. They are allowed to speak and
move about in the two outer rooms, but +
in the hall adjoining tho Cars bedroom
perfect silence is maintained al nipht. F
The General on service for tho day sits in i
an easy chair, his Cossacks on : divan,
which runs round the whole room. At |
the Generals right hand is the push Of an |
electric apparatus, which rings bell in |
every guard house within the palace
grounds. When the Emperor is about to !
retire to rest, before shutting his door he |
removes the outer handle, 60 that no en-
trance can be effected till he himself nor.
sonally opens the door from the inside.
Unlike his late father, he can not endure
the presence Of an armed soldier in his
bed.chamber."-(St. Louis Republican.