The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-26
SECRETS OF THE HOUSE OF THE CAR
4 Book That Deal. with . Story Of III. Rom. noff..

a Book That Deals With
The famous German publishing
house OF Hugo Steinitz has become the
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 it is written
In the style Of a novel, the author as
serts that all the characters are real
historical persons, n all h 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 h Rus
sian empire. Were it translated from
European languages it would assuredly
create an immense sensation, for its
romantic realism throws a startling
light on a period of history still within
the memory of the m%ultitudes. The
title of the book, /" Tainie Zeemniavo
Dvortsa," is in itself wildly suggestive,
for 1T signifies Secrets Of the Winter
Palace" Now, 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,
wen by Tolstoy or Gorky, in colors SO
glazing as those in this ,%untranslated
recital. The period is the reign OF
Nicholas l., winding up with the Cri-
mean war. England thus ONE in for
many an allusion.
The Storm.
The real character Of Car Nicholas
l. has before been SO graphically
Illustrated. He appears In the opening
pages in his gloomiest 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
conceived himself to be a colossus cho-
sen by fate to determine the destiny
of Europe. "A violent tempest was
raging throughout the north at the
beginning Of winter. The czar looking
from a window Of the winter palace,
contemplated the scene with morose
reflections. The waves Of the Neva,
dashing against the granite quays and
the walls OF he fortress of st: Peters
Paul, only TO foam back in impotent
rage, seemed to him to symbolic the
telmpestuous 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
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 Se%bastopol was hourly
feared. The other messenger brought
a lo4<o~ f,.o,, Nd,ypo1,iaqf or,roor1ir
in Asia Minor, relating how, by the
czar's infeXible orders, Kars had been
assaulted, against the advice of a
council of a 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 kieff.
This double blow filled the cars
naughty spirit with gloom. Disguised
as an officer, he went to consult a
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 ungovernable fury.
"How long do the fates ordain that
I have to live?" asked the visitor.
AOl VIII WIG oo i alldl1, 0SA0A0 IN
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 h well knew who
the stranger was. She proceeded to his
horror to croak out a story OF dark
by him who had wrought them, she
n those dearest to her having beer
the victims. She had in youth beer
beautiful, but her husband had beer
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
they escaped. But the girl was kid
mapped, and the disconsolata mother
was unable to trace her. Suddenly he1
daughter shone out as the star actress
of the Russian stage; but her triumph
was of brief duration. Compelled te
become a mistress of the car, Marie
Assenkova became mother of his nat
ural son. She died at his birth, an6
on that 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. n he vii.
! be the avenger Of the victims Of oul
IIl1SGileS anu his OWE.
Again and again did the Infatuated
visitor command the woman to desist
and at length, provoked beyond endur-
ance, he seized her in his iron grip
hurled her across the room, and left
her senseless IN the floor. Hurrying to
his palace, the czar ordered the chief o.
the secret police to apprehend the for.
tune teller. He had ~passionately loved
the beautiful actress, and intended thai
her son should be found, even If the
secret Of his Whereabouts had to be
dragged from the witch by torture. Blu
when the police arrived, old Marfooshs
Knocked them, showing them the glas.
from which she had just taken poison
The most startling part of her com.
munication to the czdr was that his
son had actually been, like his father
sent to suffer all the horrors Of exile IL
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 n