The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-02
HOW THE LATE CH4IR DIED.


 Earth-Queen olga of Greece Gives .
 Graphic and Affecting Description.
 The only authentic account of the last moments of the late czar of Russia | (Alexander III.) has been, until the present, that of the physicians who ats tended him. In the dry phraseology of | their description there Is little that | touches the heart, but among the royal witnesses who were constantly with l the czar, and who watched the slow ebbing away of his life, was a queen who each evening returning to her apartments in the Chateau of Livadia, wrote down a record of the days sor- rows and sufferings. She was Queen l Olga of Greece, the sister-in-law and cousin of the emperor.
 Her description, taken from the Fig arc, is as follows:
 "On the evening of the 18th Professor Leyden declared to-the emperor that he must keep his bed during the next four days. The august patient consented but having lain down, he became ex- cessively nervous, and wished continu- ally to thrust his legs out of the bed Dr. VeliamInoff at once had Professor Leyden summoned, who, when he ar- rived, arranged the emperor more com fortably, placing cushions under his knees, and begged him not to rise, or at least to wait until daybreak.
 "The doctors remained some time with the emperor but on his insisting that the empress take little rest, they retired and the empress lay down for two hours. When she awoke she saw that the emperor was still much agita- ted. He asked her several times to look from the window and see if day break was not at hand. Towards sev- en o'clock the emperor was assisted to rise. His dressing gown was put upon him. and he was helped to an armchair placed near the door leading from his bedroom to the balcony. There he re- mained until he breathed his last.
 'The empress went into the next room to dress, but the czareyitch came to her presently, saying that the empe- TOT was calling for her. On entering she found him with tears in his eyes, and his first words were (speaking al- ways in French;
 I know 1t is the end
 '1ne empress eACldllHeui NO! uO Hot say that; you will recover
 "'No' answered the august patient, it has lasted too long already. I know it is the end now
 ''The empress. seeing that his respira- ton was difficult and that the emperor was growing weaker, sent for the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovitch. Towards nine o'clock we were all to- gether. Remembering that it was the birthday of the Grand Duchess Eliza beth Feodorovna, the emperor wished to give her his greetings. When In my turn I approached the sick man, he held out his hand and said to me in a feeble voice: Olga Constantinovna,' as was his custom, and kissed me.
 "He was seated in his armchair, the empress and all of us on our knees about him. He said in distinct voice (still speaking in French; T wish some prayers Father Yanicheff came and commenced to pray; little later the emperor said: T wish to receive the sacrament He asked again, seve- ral times, that they hasten to bring him the eucharist When Father Yam icheff gave him the Holy Communion the sick man repeated after him in a distinct voice the sacramental words: God, believe and confess, and made the sign of the cross. Father Yanicheff read another pray CT and then retired. Soon afterward the emperor expressed a desire to see Father John of Cronstadt (whom the queen of Greece and her mother had | brought with them to the Crimea near ly a fortnight before).
 "They sought and found him saying | mass at Oreanda, in the church that | my father had built long ago. Tn the | meantime the emperor showed a desire | to sleep. The doors were closed, the | the czarevitch and his fiancee | (the present Empress Alexandra Eco l dorovna) and the other children of the | remaining alone with him. "Then Father John, having finished | his mass at Oreanda, arrived and, in | the presence of the empress, ezarevitoh | and the other children of the emperor, | began his prayers, and followed by ad- | extreme unction to the em- | peror. We were all kneeling in the adp joining room, and heard plainly the | voice of Father John. The priest | placed his hands upon the emperor's