Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-08-02
a DEAD CARS FACE.
THE STORY OF THE ARTIST WHO
PAINTED OUT THE GAsHEs.

A Dcafhbed Confession That Recall
ed Brutal Tragedy OF Russian
Court Infrigue-rhe hssassinntion
of the Emperor Paul 1.
At Zverevo. little town in the ssgov-
eminent or province Of Voronej, in
the Don country. Russia. there died not
so very long ago Osen Ivanovitch
Schtchctka. gray haired teacher, who
when he felt death approaching. called
for priest, though he had previously
never professcd religion. His father,
he said. had been citizen of st. Pc
tersburg up to the end of March, 1901.
He died in Zvereyo in 1860. making
deathbed confession to his son.
This was Ivan Shtchot9a s deathbed
confession, according to his son. Osen
Ivanovitch:
In 1901 was one Of the most prom
Using pupils of the St Petersburg Acad-
envy of Sciences. a government institu-
ton which was under strict military
rule. ! was not particularly noted for
my work with the brush, hut despite
my youth, had already gained some
reputation as portrait painter.
During the night of March 90 or the
morning of March 90 I was awakened
by Ccssacks, who ordered me to dress
take my brush and palette and follow
them. After 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 / found myself in a
stately room half filed 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
"a tall man. in whom l recognized
Plato ZuboH. approached me and said,
pointing to a divan covered with a
black cloth. over what seemed to be
giant figure in an attitude of repose
".Are you skillful enough to restore
the face of dead man who suffered vio-
lence, cuts and strangulation, SO as TO
regain its 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 given 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, in low voice, he added: sThat
your conscience may not prick you IN
derstand that the late czar was not
Romanoff. He was only the natural son
of Catherine II and Soltikof
with that he removed the black
cloth, and saw the body Of the EN-
peror Paul /. dressed in full generals
panoply. He was gloved and spurred
His neck was swollen and his face
mass of bruises.
81 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 bed
room on hard lounge, as was his won't
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
ments. were all in the conspirators
pay, with the exception of a hussar
whom Zuboff cut down with his saber
before he entered Paul's chamber The
emperor. was told. offered at first no
resistance On his Bonded knees he
begged and implored that his life be
spared, promising to sign any instru-
ment of akdication they might choose
TO submit More, he would himself pro-
claim his son (afterward Alexander y
car.
"But the murderers advanced fierce
ly, and Paul attempted to escape by
way of the window. Prevented and
bleeding from cut hand, he defended
himself with a chair, killing one Of the
assassins But now the rest assailed
him with their sabers A heavy blow
in the temple floored him. ord .-eas asos.O
supplicated for his LIE with outstreccn
Then Zaboif tore off his sash.
wound it twice around the emperor
neck, and, taking hold by one hand,
commanded another officer to help him
strangle the unhappy monarch.
in the struggle preceding the final
act Panls face had been hacked and
cut, and it required four hours work
on my part to get 1t into presentable
shape. When l declared my work fin
isbed. a handsome young man was
ushered in with great ceremony the
new emperor. Alexander. | heard him
say in French:
" 1t is we'll The widowed empress,
too, passed through the room. but could
evidently not bring herself to look upon
her husband s face Poor woman, she
had tiled to come to PauPs assistance,
but had been prevented by threat of
! instant death.
t'After that two soldiers took me, and
between them was marched out into
the corridor and down the stairs. When
we reached the cellar. was ordered to
wait, and person whose features
could not make out approached me.
i" Would you like to become an inn
perial drawing master. with salary of
1900 rubles per year for hfe9' he
asked. l was so astonished that hard
ly knew what to say in reply
" Decide quickly spoke the stran-
ger again. l assured him that was at
his orders
ION March 80, at Z a. M. | was
speeding toward the Don country, =
concluded the deathbed confession. 81
have kept faith with the government
and the government has kept faith
with me- Chicago Inter Ocean.