Evening star., 1899-04-14
A DEATHBED CONFESSION.
A Tragic Occurrence in Russian In
trigue interestingly Recalled.

From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
AT Zverevo, a little town in the govern
ment' or province of Voronej, in the Don
country Russia, there has just died Osen
lvanovitch Schtchotka, a gray-haired teach
er' who. when he felt death approaching
called for priest, though he had pre-
viously never professed religion His
father, he said, had been a citizen of ST.
Petersburg up to the end of March. 1901.
lie died in Zvereyo in 1860, making DEATH
bed confession to his son.
Ihls was Ivan ShtchOtka's S deathbed CON
fession, according to his son, Osen Ivano-
Vtch
In 1901 l was one of the most promising
pupils of the ST. Petersburg Academy of
Sciences, government institution which
was under strict military rule. Il was not
particularly noted for my work with the
brush. but despite my youth had already
gained some reputation portrait
painter.
During the night of March % or the
morning of March 23 | was awakened by
CosSacks, who ordered to dress take
my brush and palette and follow them.
After a rapid drive of few miles we halt
ed before palatial building, into the Gel
lar Of which 1 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 d stately room half filled by
solemn! ooking men in rich dress The
floor was covered with rags that seemed
to have been thrown down without regard
to decorative effect
"A tall man, in whom I recognized Plato
Zubof, the great GATHERINGS lover ap-
preached me and said, pointing to a divan
covered with a black cloth, over what
seemed to be a giant figure in an attitude
Of repose: rs ,:o,, .,.,,,e, .,
lace OF a dead man who suffered violence
cuts and stranguation, 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
died of apoplcxy.'
Remembering the threats of the Cos
SACKS dld not hesitate to answer in the
afirmative Very Well said Zuboff, you
Will go to work at once And in a low
voice he added: That your conscience NAV
not prick you. understand that the late car
was not Romanoff. He was only the nat
urai son of Catherine IL and Soltikof'
With that he removed the black cloth
and | saw the body of the Emperor Paul /,
dressed in full generals panoply He was
gloved and spurred. His neck was swollen
ana his face mass of bruises
Il can well realize the report afterward
spread, viz, that he sold his life dearly.
The emperor had been sleeping in the ante
chamber Of his wife's bed room on a hard
lounge. as was his wont to do. when the
consprators came upon him. The guards
IN and around the palace, and Darticularlv
IN the corridor leading to the cars private
pay, with the exception of a huzzar whom
Zuhof cut down with his saber before he
entered Paufs chamber. The emperor. |
was told, offered at first no resistance On
his bended knees he begged and imnlornd
that his life be spared promising to sign
any instrument of abdication they might
choose TO submit. More, he would himself
proclaim his son (afterward Alexander u
ear
But the murderers advanced fierce!y.
and Pau attempted to escape by way of
the window. Prevented. and bleeding from
a cut hand. he defended himself with a
chair, killing one of the assas ssins But
now the rest assaied him with their sabers
heavy blow on the temple foored him.
ana again he suppcatcd for his life with
outstretched hands.
Then Zuboff tore off his sash wound 1t
twice around the emperors neck and, taxi
ing hold by one hand, commanded another
officer to help him strangle the unhappy
monarch.
IN the struggle preceding the final act
paufs face had been hacked and cut and
1t required four hours work on my part
to get 1t into presentable shape. When l
declared my work finished a handsome
young man was ushered in with great cere-
mohy-the new emperor, Alexander. I
heard him say in French:
1t Is we'll The widowed empress, too
passed through the room, but could evil
IDENTIFY not bring herself to look upon her
husbands face. Poor woman she had tried
to come to Pauls assistance, but had been
prevented by threat of instant death
After that two soldiers took me, and
between them l was marched out into the
corridor and down the stairs. When we
reached the cellar / was ordered to wait
and person whose features l could not
make out approached me.
Would you like to become an imperial
drawing master, with salary of 2.000 ro,l-
bles per year for life? he asked l was so
astonished that l hardly knew what to saw
in reply.
Decide quickly spoke the stranger
again. assured him that 1 was at his
orders.
ION March %. at am, was speedine
toward the Don country" concluded the
deathbed confession. 'I have kept faith
with the government, and the government
has kept faith with me-
The men-of-war of the ancient Romans
had crew of about 225 men, of which ia
were oarsmen working on three decks The
sueed of these vessels WAS about six knots