New-York tribune., 1910-11-15
TOlSTOY BREAKS
DOWN ON ROAD
Stricken with High Fever at a
Little Wayside Station, Only
Eighty Miles from Home.
HIS CONDITION SERIOUS
His Daughter, Alexandra, and
His Physician, DR.. MakovetsHs
Are His Only Companions at
Desolate Railroad Building.

Tula. Russia. Nov. 14-Broken down
by the hardships Of winter journey.
mental strain and a rupture with his
family. Count Leo Tolstoy tonight lies
with a high fever in the little railroad
station at Asia pova. barely eighty miles
from his home at Yasnaya Poliana-
Tolstoy is attended by DR. Nakovet-
sky. who was his sole companion when
he left his peasant hut a few DAYS ago
and who carried along with him r1edi-
cines for just such an emergency- Toll
stoy's daughter Alexandra is acting as
his nurse.
TelegraphiC reports Of his condition are
far from favorable. Indeed. they are
/ considered extremely pessimtstiC TTe
temperature of the aged writer is f04.
indicating probably a serious congestion.
and Of itself an alarming symptom in ons
of TOlstoy's years The mental anguish
o. the patient handicaPs the efforts ot
the physician to reduce TIE fever
Even if Count Tolstoy recovers there
can be no question Of his continuing ths
journey to the Caucasus. where he hoped
to end his life among the Tolstoy colonJ.
on the shores Of the Back Sea
Tolstoy had hoped To escape notiCe
after his hasty departure from Yasnays
Poliana and spend a quiet week Of fare
well with his sister Marie. a nun in the
ancient cIoister of Shamard1no N the
province of Kaluga, but he insisted uPon
/ leaving Immediately when he found his
retreat had been discovered
He drove in 4 carriage Iast evening
from ShamardfnO TO kozsIsh. accom-
panied by his daughter Alexandra md
DR.. Nakovetskv. in order 10 cover hts
movements. and announced that he vas
going to Moscow. where he has house
Later. however the party changed cars
and boarded slow local train proceed
ing in the direction of the Caucasus
Tolstov. with his two companions.
made his way to an unventilared third
| class compartment. which already was
/ crowded with peasants. The atnos-
/ phere was sitting and he developed
such a fever that Dr.. Makoversky
| thought it unwise TO attempt TO reach
I Dankov. the first town OF any consid-
| erable size along the railroad They left
/ the train at Asia pova, which is merely
! little flag station. There is no hos
rifaI there. and only few peasant huts.
The count was taken into the station
/ building. where he remained during the
night.
No effort will be made by his family
to induce Count TO1stoy to abandon his
seIf-iuposed exile and return 70 the
reasant hut at Yasnaya Poliana, which
he secretly deserted last Thursday His
wishes are sacred to the countess, who,
however. has sent a message 10 her 1us-
band. irnpIoring that she be permitted To
ioin him and share his hardships-
on the way to Shamardino Count Toll
stow stopped overnight at the monas-
terv of Optina. Before entering the
place he announced:
Il am the communicated and anath-
enaJized Leo Tolstoy. Is there any OBJ
lection to my stay here
The reply was. 1t IS both a duty and
. pleasure TO offer YOU shelter
ToIstoy spent the day N the discussion
of religious subjects with an aged monk
whom he had met ON visit TO the
monastery seventeen years age.
The following morning the count re-
peasant's suit OF rough material. and
wears high boots. He carries No pass
ports. and when he left home he took
only S17 with him. However. his daugh-
ter Alexandra. who had learned of her
fathers intentions. contrived 10 secrets
SlJO in d pocket of Dr. Makoyetskys =
clothes.
Shortly after the celebration OF his eighty
second birthday. III August of this year.
Count ToIstoys health caused great con-
Germ to his friends. A dispatch from St.
Petersburg on October Is said that during
that day he had suffered several faint
ing spells and 1GT several hours VAS
unconscious. bat had rallied late III
the day Nothing was heard from him mere
from that day until November L. when q
dispatch told Of his disappearance.
The aged philosopher had left his hons
few days before. accompanied BY Dr.
NIakovetsky. his physician. In letter eft
for his wife ne said:
I cannot continue longer TO live a life OF
Injury and like many other old men,
retire from the world 10 complete my NE
in solitude
soiourn and that you do not come 70 II II
II is discovered. l beg forgiveness for the
grief that ! may cause you
on receiving this letter. u was reported.
the countess sought twice 20 take her life.
but was prevented by her daughter. Alex
andra.
AT frs. many Of the counts friends feared
he had committed suicide Others believed
ne had simply retired 10 monastery. Vari-
Gus rumors were received as TO his where
abouts. \ dispatch of Saturday night re-
ported him round the estate OF the
Abrikosoffs in the Mount Sonsky district
or TuIa province Yesterday A later dis
patch from Moscow located him at a con-
vent in Kaluga province.
A friend made the statement yesterday
that the counts disappearance was due to
unnIeasant relations between the peasants
and the countess or the Iasnaya Polana
estate.
The departure Of TOlstoy. however. Is re-
garded generaHy as the logical climax oc
the counts increasing ecCentriclty. which
led him more and more 10 avoid ordinary