The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-26
SECRETS OF THE HOUSE OF THE CzARI
a Book That Deal. with q Story of In. Romn noff..

A Book That Deals With
The famous German publishing
chief medium Of the issue to the world
of prohibited Russian books, and n
Of three recent volumes lies before me.
1t is a book to be read with profound
amazement, for, though 1t is written
in the style OF a novel, the author as
serts that all the characters are real
historical persons, and all the events
described actually happened. For OBJ
vious reason the author hides his iden-
tity under the initials IN. T."
No reader would dare to be seen
with this volume anywhere in the Rus
sian empire. Were 1t translated from
Russian into any Of the more familiar
European languages it would assurediy
create an immense sensation, for its
romantic realism throws a startling
light on a period of history still within
the memory of the multitudes. The.
title Of the book, I" Tainie Zeemniavo
Dvortsa," is in itself wildly suggestive,
for it signifies Secrets of the Winter
Palace" Nov, the winter palace of st.
Petersburg is too we'll known as the
head center Of the most awful system
Of bureaucratic despotism on earth.
What. that system means and what 1t
involves has never yet been shown,
even by Tolstoy or Gorky, in colors so
glazing as those in this s~untranslated
recital. The period is the reign OF
Nicholas l.. winding up with the Crt-
mean war. England thus comes in for
many an %allusion.
1. +
The Storm.
The real character of Car Nicholas
I. has never before been so graphically
Illustrated. He appears in the opening
pages in his gloomie3t and most re-
lentless attitude. The war had from
the first Inundated Russia in the eyes
of the world, but no reverses could
humble the arrogant autocrat who had
sen by fate to determine the destiny
of Europe. A violent tempest was
raging throughout the north at the
beginning of winter. The car, looking
from a window of the winter palace,
contemplated the scene with morose
reflections. The wave Of the Neva,
dashing against the granite quays and
| Paul, only TO foam back in impotent
rage, seemed to him to symbolic the
tempestuous assaults Of the western
powers on the might and majesty Of
Russia. The fate which had defeated
Napoleon would thwart them. At any
rate, he would never yield. Never
while I live shall Russia conclude a
dishonorable peace!" That was the
only dictum he would utter in the
hearing of the family, counselors, min
listers or friends.
While the storm was raging two
couriers were announced. One brought
news of fresh reverses in the Crimea.
The fall of sebastopol was hourly
feared. The other messenger brought
a letter from Muravieff, commanding
in Asia Minor, relating how, by the
cars infleXible orders, Kars had been
assaulted, against the advice of a
council of war. Though $4,000 brave
Russian soldiers had persisted in the
attempt to storm the Turkish fortress,
1t had defied the fierce attempt.
Tho Witch of kieH.
This double blow filled the cars
naughty spirit with gloom. Disguised
as an officer, he went to consult a
fortune teller known in st. Petersburg
as the witch of Kieff." Russia is the
home of the grossest superstition, and
Nicholas groveled in fantastic credu-
lily. A strange experience awaited
him. The grim old bag by degrees
| stirred him to ungovernab.e fury.
How long do the fates ordain that
I have to live?" asked the visitor.
You will die. as I shall, before the
springtide comes,' was the startling
response; and we shall both die of
poison" But something else was in re-
serve. This fearful Did creature, con-
sulting her necromantic apparatus,
soon showed that she we'll knew who
the stranger was. She proceeded to his
horror to croak out a story OF dark
deeds that would have to be atoned for
by him who had wrought them, she
and those dearest to her having been
the victims. She had in youth been
beautiful, but her husband had been
exiled to Siberia to meet a miserable
fate in the Nertchinsk mines. The
widow and a daughter were beggared
by the confiscation of all the property,
and immured in a nve from which
they escaped. But the girl was kid
mapped, n the disconsolata mother
was unable to trace her. Suddenly her
daughter shone out as the star actress
of the Russian stage; but her triumph
was of brief duration. Compelled to
Assenkova became mother of his nat
ural son.. She died at his birth, and
on hat day the boy mysteriously dis
appeared. The efforts of the secret po-
lice to trace the lost child had never
succeeded. but" said the witch, with
malignant leer. "he lives and he will
be the aNenger of the victims of our
l III liAo W.T. y.
Again and again did the Infatuated
visitor command the woman to desist,
and at length, provoked beyond endur-
nee, he seized her in his iron grip,
hurled her across the room, and left
her senseless or the fioor. Hurrying to
his palace, the zar ordered the chief of
the secret police to apprehend the for
tune teller. He had p%assionately loved
the beautiful actress, and intended that
her son should be found, even If the
secret of his whereabouts had to be
dragged from the witch by torture. But
when the police arrived, old Marfoosha
Knocked them, showing them the glass
from which she had just taken poison.
The most startling part of her COM
munication to the czar was that his
son had actually been, like his father,
sent to suffer all the horrors of exile in
siberia.
The Founding.
The story grows more and more as
founding. Near the winter palace
dwelt the reigning favorite of Nicholas,
the beautiful Mile. Nelidoff, mother OF