The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-02-15

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The death Of the Gkarewitch Alexis,
son of Peter the Great, is ono Of the
most tragical chapters i'm history; all
the more tragical because the unhappy
prince SO nearly escaped his crnel
fate. '.It is impossible, says the his
torian Dutens, 'to collect more au
thentic particulars in regard to the
czarewitch than those which received
from a Russian noble intimately con
nected with Marshal Romanzoff, son
of tho general who was employed to
arrest him. This noble informed me.
that being at Schonbrunn on q visit
to the count of that name, he con.
Quoted him to small castle near at
hand, and showed him the apartment
in which Alexis had lived in conceal
ment for long time after he had been
driven from his fathers court. He,
also told me that the czar, according to
Marshal Romanzof, having resolved
that his son should be brought back
to Russia, and knowing that he was
secluded in some part of the territories
that sovereign, about I'M, To obtain
see. his son, wherever he might be,
oiio PSiooAuO ukut " 10
fathers court, promising to o%use no
compulsion if he fefused.
The emperor, who had daily ex,
Rected this demand, had advised
Prince Alexis to repair to Naples, fur
nishing him with q strong recommen.
dation to the viceroy Of that kingdom.
So that when Gen. Romanzoff arrived
to fulfill his commission, he was in.
formed that the czarewitch was no.
where within the territories of the
house of Austria. He then extorted
from the emperor an order to all the
governors of his Italian states to give
facilities to the general for seeing
Prince Alexis if he resided anywhere
within the limits of their respective
governments.
with this order in his hand he
traversed the Milanese and all TLom,
bardy, and then passed inttS Naples,
but everywhere the same answer met
him, that no one knew the place of tn,
princes retirement.
"One day when Gen. Romanzoff
was conversing in Russian with the
members of his suite before barber
whose services he had engaged, the bar
Der showed so much astonishment that
the general asked him, in Italian, the
reason. He replied that he did not
understand word of the language
which the general had been using,
but that the cause of his surprise was
its resemblances to that spoken by a
great oreign lord whom he often
went to shave at the Castel del Novo.
"The general, much struck by his
remark, continued to question the gar
rulous barber, and having made him
some presents, learned that young
lord, whose person he described, was
served with the greatest rSsfaet by
numerous attendants, and led n very
retired and secluded life in the Castel
del Novo. From the details furnished
by the barber, the general had not the
slightest doubt that he was TIC czarrse-
witch. He Immediately repaired to
the viceroy, and having shown him
again the imperial order, andiassured
him of his conviction that, Prince
Alexis was at the Castel del .Nbvo, OBJ
tanned permission to see him, on the
conditions specified in the czat's letter
to the emperor. He had an Interview
with the unfortunate prince, who ct
first refused to proceed to St Peters
burg. The general, however, gave a
handsome bribe to woman who lived
with the prince, and had much infiu-
ence over him; and he was thus per
suaded eventually to return Ito the
Russian capital, where we know what
destiny awaited him. Nv FL. D.
Adams in Gentleman's Magazine.
50