The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-17
A DEAD CZAR'S S FACE.
THE STORY OF THE ARTIST WHO
PAINTED OUT THE =GAsHEs.

THE STORY OF THE ARTIST WHO
PAINTED OUT THE GAsHEs.
Deathbed Confession Thnt Recall
ed n Brutal Tragedy OF Russian
Court 1ntrigue-The ASSASSINATION
of the Emperor Paul I.
At Zverevo, little town in the 'gov-.
ernment" or province of Voronej, in
the Don country, Russia, there died not
so very long ago Osen Iyanovitch
Schtchctka, a gray haired teacher, who,
when he felt death approaching, called
for priest, though he had previously
never professed religion. His father,
he said, had been a citizen of ST. Pc
tersburg up to the end of March, 1901.
He died in Zverevo in 1860, making
deathbed confession to his son.
This was Ivan Shtchotka's s deathbed
confession, according to his son. Osen
Ivanovitch:
"In 1901 I was one Of the most prom
ising pupils of the st. Petersburg Acad-
emy Of Sciences, government institu-
tion which was under strict military
rule. was not particularly noted for
my work with the brush. but, despite
my youth, had already gained some
reputation as portrait painter.
During the night Of March 22 or the
morning of March % was awakened
by Cossacks, who ordered me to dress.
take my brush and palette and follow
them. After a rapid drive of few
miles we halted before palatial build
ing, into the cellar of which / was
hustled through an opening. We passed
through labyrinth of recesses and up
several flights Of back stairs At last
the handkerchief bandage was removed
from my eyes, and I found myself in a
stately room half filled by solemn look
ing men in rich dress. The floor was
covered with rags that seemed to have
been thrown down without regard to
decorative effect.
IA tall man, in whom recognized
Plato Zubof, approached me and said,
pointing to divan covered with a
black cloth, over what seemed to be
giant figure in an attitude of repose:
Are you skilful enough to restore
the face Of dead man who suffered vio-
1ence. cuts and strangulation, SO as to
regain it's natural appearance? Your art
must last three days, for the body is to
be exhibited in'the cathedral You must
not spare the red it will be giTen out
that the person died Of apoplexy.
Remembering the threat of the Cos
sacks, did not hesitate to answer in
the affirmative. Very well, said zu-
boff you will go to work at once.
And, il low voice, he added: '.That
your conscience may not priclSy you un-
derstand that the late czar was not q
Romanof. He was only the natural son
Of Catherine II and Soltikof.
ssWith that he removed the black
cloth, and saw the body of the En-
peror Paul I. dressed in full generals s
panoply. He was gloved and spurred.
His neck was swollen and his face a
mass Of bruises.
II can well realize the report after
ward spread-viz, that he sold his life
dearly. The emperor had been sleeping
in the antechamber Of his wife's bed
room on hard lounge, as was his wont
to do, when the conspirators came upon
him. The guards in and around the
palace, and particularly in the corridor
leading to the czar's private apart
lnents, we're all in the conspirators
pay, with the exception Of hussar
whom Zubof cut down with his saber
before he entered Paul's chamber. The
emperor, I was told, offered at first no
resistance. On his ben6ed knees he
begged and implored that his life be
spared. promising to sign any instru-
ment of abdication they might choose
to submit. More, he would himself pro-
claim his son (afterward Alexander y
czar..
sBut the murderers advanced fierce.
ly,. and Paul attempted to escape by
way Of the window. Prevented and
bleeding from a cut hand, he defended
himself with, chair, killing one Of the
assassins. But now the rest assailed
him with their sabers. A heavy blow
in the temple foored him. and again ne
supplicated, for his lifew outstretch-
ed hands.
.Then Zubof tore. off his sash.
wound: it twice around the empercr's
neck, and, taking hold by one hand,
commanded another officer to help him
strangle the unhappy monarch.
'In the struggle preceding the final
act Paul's face had been hacked and
cut, andit required four hours work
on my part to get it into presentable
shape. When I declared my work fin
ished, a handsome young man was
ushered in with great ceremony-the
new emperor, Alexander. heard him
say in French:
est is we'll. The widowed empress,
too, passed through the room, but could
evidently not bring herself to look upon
her husbands face. Poor woman, she
had tried to come to Paul's assistance,
but had beer prevented by threat of
instant death.
.After that two soldiers took me, and
between them I was marched out into
the corridor and down the stairs. When
we reached the cellar, was ordered to
wait, and a person whose features /
could not make out approached me.
Would you like to become an i'm