Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-11-13

The report afterwards denied of the
/ killing of an imperial aide by the car
\ while under the hallucination that the
! former was about to attempt the rulers
/ life, has recalled the existence of heredi-
/ tory neurosis in the ROmanOf family, and
I the fact that the car forbade the rspub-
/ LEGATION In Russia Of DR.. Ireland's "BlOt
on the brain, % one chapter of which gives
/ in detail the progress Of infruity in this
| family FOR the last 800 years.
! The chapter in question begins with
/ the atrocities of Ivan the Terrible, that
! monster In human form, some idea of
whose career of crimes may be had from
| the fact that he massacred q, 600 people
at one time in a single town. He and
his son often had 500 persons tortured
| and killed In a day for their pleasure.
| The refined cruelties of Nero and Cali
/ gula were punny when contrasted with
! the scale upon which Ivan conducted his
| atrocities. He was succeeded by Fedor,
/ his son, a silly and weak-minded young
man, who was subject to epileptic fits.
! Then came break in a family line till
| Michael FeOdOrovitch, the first tsar of
! the Roman family, succeeded 20 the
| throne at the age Of 16. He too was
mentally weak and was supplanted by
| his son Alexis. Alexis had ~ his first
wife Feodor, Ivan, Sophia and several
other daughters, and by his second wife
! Peter and Nathalia. Feodor remained
on the throne several years, but was
| Weak-minded and sickly. HIS brother
Ivan was a hopeless imbecile. Upon
/ Feeders death his sister Sophia tried to
make Ivan the tsar, that she might
reign, but she had to give way TO the
! force Of character and indOmitable viii Of
I her younger brother Peter, afterwards
''the Great"
! In Peter the neurosis showed a tend
ency to commissions, and made his char
! acter a strange mixture of self sacrifice
and tyranny cruelty and humanity.
] Peter had only one legitimate son, Alexis,
whom he put to death. He was sue
ceeded by his wife Catherine, who was
followed by Peter, the son Of Alexis.
I With Peter H., who died young, the
male of the Romanof family became ex-
tinct. he was succeeded by Anna, a
rsputed daughter Of Ivan. She adopted
/ a grandson OF Ivan as heir to the throne.
This unfortunate prince, sometimes
called Ivan VI, was supplanted by
] Elizabeth, a daughter Of the great Peter.
She chose for her successor Peter III, a
grandson Of her by Anna Of HOlstein.
Holstein. Aeter VI was weak minded
and dissolute, and he was dsthIoned and
put to death by his wife Catherine, the
German princess. The unchGstity Of
Catherine rendered It doubtful who was
J the father Of her only son Paul, but as
3 Solhkof was given the benefit Of the
doubt, and she was an alien, it is posi-
bic that the present house Is entirely
, foreign. Paul came to the throne at tie
D age Of 50, and proved petty tyrant OF
the worst kind. He became so obnou.
. Gus that be was strangled by his son
r AleZander's consent, and the latter as.
} eanded the throne. Alexander inherited
. his fathers looks and disposition, and
[ traces Of the hereditary infirmity were
d plainly visible BE died a natural
@ death, however. Paurs second son
g Constantine, who was an Imbeclle, wa
q Judge incapable Of reigning, and hil
e brother Nicholas became emperor il
1928. The insanity which seemed
q latent in Alexander IL Is thought 6,
l. have broken forth IN the present car
He has been subject to epileptic fits anl
p haIlucinations and of late years hii
q troubles have been complicated by hear
Z. disease, sleepieasRess and rheumatism