The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-02-26
SECRETS OF the HOUSE OF The Gar


q Story of the Romanoffs.
occasion he was wounded in one hand.
and one foot. For this splendid exploit
he was awarded one Of the two crosses
allotted by the car to his regiment
crosses of st. George. But instead OF
permitting himself to be decorated, nd
confessed his secret to his colonel, en-
treating him to seek from the car his
pardon in place of the cross. In re-
Spouse to- the petition sent to ST.
Petersburg, came a stern command
that the young soldier should be in7
stantly sent back to the hell on earth
from which he had fed to shed his
blood for his country. His comrades.
disguised at this cruel tyranny, con-
set out to tramp through Russia by
side roads for the capital.
On that day in ST. Petersburg the
car, returning to the winter palace
after reviewing troops on their way to.
the battlefields, found his passage in,
terrupted. A soldier, holding in his
right hand a revolver, lay in the snow,
disabled by the whips of Cossacks who
had trampled him down. Stopped thus,
again-for the second time that day
the car, who dismounted from his
sleigh, was so struck by the appear
ance of the soldier that he ordered him
also to be conducted to the g~uardhouse
of the winter palace. There, lying in
bed, the disabled soldier was examined
by Bashanoff, the cars priest and
confessor. Astounded at the young,
mans resemblance to the emperor, thet
priest, more deeply conversant With
the imperial secrets than any other,
person in the world, extracted from;
Savelieff all the story of his life. Hei
that the lost son Of Marie A~ssenkova,
was the prisoner, who might have been,
the assassin Of his own father. !
w.
A Cars Deathbed.
In a few hours the czar was i'll and
took to his bed, but his doctors could
find no symptoms of disease on &C,
count Of his gradually increasingly
weakness. The confessor came from,
the imperial chamber with his eyes,
streaming with tears, and a series Of.
touching scenes followed. Nicholas,
went through n last struggle to as!
sert his will. He himself had stepped
on the throne in place of his elder and;
weaker brother, who had abdicated all
claims in favor Of Nicholas. And the
dying czar, knowing the character of
his second and favorite son., Constant,
inc, ard that he, so much like himselfi
in ambition and strength Of will, was,
universally expected to make strenuous
efforts to seize the crown, summoned
him to his bedside and ordered him to
swear that he would never attempt
usurpation. The naughty Constant
Inc, pretending that his elder brotherJ
Alexander, would probably prefer to
retire from the storm n stress of SUI
preme authority, Nicholas threatened
to order his obstinate son to be put to-
death. Il am still emperor, and you
know that once already in our race a
rebel son has been executed Thus
was Russia saved from a terrible COM
%plication at a time Of crisis.
The end came. The strongest mar
in the empire had passed away. And
as Alexander II. passed from the death
chamber to receive the homage Of fam
lily and servants, all, like himself, in
now, stood before him, clad in white,
with her crown on her head, in accord
ance with ancient custom. Taking the
crown from her brow, she laid it at
his feet, rendering to her son this tok-
en- Of allegiance as his first subject.
To young Savelieff was given by
Bashanoff a secret message that the
deceased czar had ordered to be con-
ferred on Mm the decoration of st.
George, with a good pension, but he
vas to quit Russia, never to return
Though the young nan, who confessed
that he had intended to slay first the
emperor and then himself, never sus-
pecleu the secret OIL MS paTenlaSe, lie
knew that, as he had openly threat
ened the life Of a monarch he could not
live in the land in peace. He married
and became consul at one Of the petty
German courts. Alexander II. enamel
!. pated millions of serfs after concluding
the war, but he scandalized Russia by
his profligacy, n it was chiefly or ac-
count of his domestic infidelities thai
the Nihilists pursued him with such
relentless hatred until his aSsassina.
ton. Then, though autocracy was sus.
: tanned in full blast, the court was puri.
! fled and the reign of dissolute czars