The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
SHE LOVED THE CAR
THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA,S SECRET
MARRIAGE WITH A BALLET GIRL.
She Died When He Cast Her O6-iis-
fastened the Late Cars Death.

in the life of the man who is now the
ruler of "all the Russias." A beautiful
woman, young, fair and graceful. blond
and with big brown eyes, died ten days
ago in Odessa, all but destitute and Of
a broken heart.
She was Mile. Ksezinska, once widely
known as 1.-The beautiful Labouskaia."
the wife of the present White Gar
welded morganatically to him early in
September of last year, but his mistress
ever since 1885, when Nicholas II, then
Czarevitch and heir apparent. was a
gay lad of twenty, and the flower of
the noble youth of st. Petersburg and
Warsaw.
Only the master mind of the late Car
kept the liaison from becoming one Of
the gravest scandals that modern Eu-
rope has known. Proud of the Roman
offs and proud of the dynasty of which
he was part, mindful, too. of the ira
ditional virtue of his wife. the example
of which had raised Russian morality
to its highest point, Alexander III used
all his efforts to suppress the affair.
The bitterness of the blow will probably
never he fully understood.
his ears by the mereSt chance-the
careless dropping of a word in the
home circle--he fell in apoplectic fit,
and was revived with difficulty. In this
is to be found the explanation of his
long and painful illness, which culmi-
mated at the end of October in his death.
Had the facts relating to Mile. Kse-
Zinska been known to the world three
years ago letter that Alexander III
wrote to his father-in-law, the King Of
Denmark, would have been understood.
Reference was made in it to the repri-
handing of Prince Frederick Leopold of
Prussia, a cousin of the Kaiser, for in
subordination and stupidity. Poor
William. 1t makes him unhappy to
have one relative unendowed with
strategic qualities. He ought to be in
my shoes. with thieves. malcontents.
reds and husbands of lewd women in
his family circle"
THE YOUNG MAN OBDURATE.
For many months the Czarina Marie
Fedorovna had kept the secret of the
liaison of Nicholas, her first born, locked
safe in her breast. When, however. the
Gear insisted upon the young mans
marriage, naming the Princess Alix of
Hesse-Darmstadt as his first choice, the
whole story came out literally at the
mothers knee.
Marie Fedorovna we'll knew the effect
this news would have on her husband,
and how it would crush all his dearest
hopes. She pleaded with her son to
break, once and for all, with Labouskaia
the beautiful, but he steadfastly refused,
threatening to renounce his rights of
succession rather than desert his love.
The situation was complicated. Two
children had been born to the Care
fears as to the liaison's political i'm
portance were only too well founded.
She delayed letting the news come to
his Majesty, hoping that she could per-
suade her boy to let the good of Russia
be his guiding influence.
When the Gear heard. however, and
as soon as he had recovered from the
illness and the nervous shock he real
lied at once that something must quick
ly be done, Deportation to Siberia or
the solitary and lifelong imprisonment
of Martha Ksezinska and her family in
the battlemented and moated fortress
of Schlusselburg were not to be thought
of. for the reason that despite the sys-
tenn of secrecy of the Russian police,
rumors would undoubtedly spring up.
1T is better to let sleeping dogs lie"
communed the Car. But one other
course remained open-to get the Care
Witch away amid new scenes
MARRIED HER SECRETLY.
The famous tour around the world of
the Czarevitch and the noisy Grand
Duke George of Greece was planned.
And the party set forth early in 1891.
By the time they returned the infatua-
ton had cooled, and had it net been for
the pushing forward of the old matri-
monial project it would probably never
have been renewed. But in the same
way that Love laughs at-locksmiths.
it laughed with Prince Nicholas at the
idea of state marriage to a naughty
princess while his heart really belonged
to a pretty woman in villa just out
side of st. Petersburg. With defiance in
his heart he welded his inamOrata, only
two months and half later to be forced
into political marriage and state be-
trothal at the bedside of his dying father
and master.
This romance was one of those that
are worthy to go down as great pas
sion of history. It's end is grave on
the outskirts of Odessa, a provincial
Russian town where mansions in the
italian style alternate with novels. It's
beginning was on the stage of the Grand
Opera House in Warsaw, where the
Czarevitch. the leading figure. in a gay
box party, saw for the first time the
celebrated danSeuSe, Martha KSeZinSka,
otherwise 1.-The beautiful Labouskaia. -
She was the favorite toast for the Pol
ish mobiles at their banquets because of
her SURPRISING loneliness.
Only seventeen when she went upon
the stage, Martha at once danced her
self into popular favor, and her twink
ling feet were the admiration of all Pol
ish Russia. She was but nineteen when
in 1888 Nicholas met her. His rank
gained him that very evening admission
behind the scenes and thenceforward
he let his mad passion take full possess
sion of him.
There is no question but what the
beautiful I4abouskaia loved as deeply
as he did For his sake she gave up the
stage, it's manifold attractions and the
admiration that was hers throughout
all Poland. And there is good reason TO
believe that it was not Nicholas the
Czarevitch she loved but Nicholas the
man. During the years they lived to-
gether she bore him two handsome sons.
who are said to have the physical traits
Of the Romanoffs.-
There were complications regarding
Iabouskaia that were heard with sor-
row by Alexander III when he knew
the whole story. Not only was Mile.
KseZinska of lowly birth. but her moth
er was an Israelite. of the race hated
by the Russian autocracy. Curiously
enough the girl was reareeAin the Cath
Ole faith in this breaking one of the
strictest laws of the Russian code. Her
father was a wine merchant in small
way, and the family at best were hard
ly off the edge of poverty.
THE MATCH WITH PRINCESS .AI4iN.