The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-23
Famous Men of Russia Impris-
Oned by ReyOlutiOnists.
Nicholas Gymnasium Is Crowd
ed With Prisoners.
PRINCE PUTIAT|N IS THERE
Powerful ReactiOnary Once Had
Control Over Emperor.
Crowded With Chill
dren to See Their Parents.

Tsarskoe-Selo, Russia, March 20
via London, March 23.-Two hundred
adherents and eourtiers of the former
emperor are under arrest here A
of the Associated Press
discovered them in the NfchoiaS gym
nasium, a big building next to the city
hail, where the committee of officers
and soldiers who are now administer
ing -TsarSkoe-Selo has its headquar-
tiers. In a big room on the first floor
were seventy persons in civilian dress,
formerly palace spies and provocative
agents, here also were four Russian
officers with German names who had
been arrested by old soldiers on sus-
picion of having sent communications
from the former empress to Berlin by
way of Stockholm. In a neighboring
room sat the director of the Tsarskoe
Lyceum school, who was a general in
the army and q close friend of Ras-
putin, as we'll as a reactionary mem
Der of the Guma.
Prince Putiatin There.
On the second floor, in a separate
room, Prince Putiatin is held pris-
oner Prince Putiatin was d power
full rcactionary. He was formerly pri-
vate secretary to the emperor and in
recent years director Of the palace
Putiatin is famous for his presence
during the interview in 1905 between
reform members of Zemstvos and the
emperor. The Zemstvos delegation
warned the monarch that a revolution
was impending and before rejecting
their advice, Nicholas listened to the
whispered counsel of Putiatin. Dmitri
Shipoff, president of the Zemstvos
council subsequently reported that the
emperor was under the control of the
prince.
Outside of Putiatin's room three
members of the civilian army armed
with bayonets ere or guard. The pris-
onars are we'll treated and the corri-
doris are crowded with children wait
ing TIC see their parents.
Nicholas Is Guarded.
On his arrival here today in the
custody of four members of the duma
Nicholas Romanoff, the deposed en-
peror was turned over Immediately to
the Tsarskoe-Selo commander and
taken to the Alexandrovsky palace
where the former empress, Alexandra
already was interned.
The special train carrying the for
mer ruler arrived at 1870 o'clock. On
leaving the train, Nicholas entered an
automobile accompanied by his ad-
jutant, Prince Dolgoroukkoff, the only
courtier of the first rank who accom-
panied him and by the four duma
commissioners They were driven to
the palace.
Nicholas was met at the door by
Count Benckendorff, who was his mar
shall of the court and is now under ar
rest. The former ruler held himself
erect, looking calm and Indifferent al
tho he stepped from the automobile
with nervous haste. A battalion Of
the First Rifle guard regiment was
at the railroad depot. The commander
at TsarSkoe-Selo is Colonel
Kobuilinsky, formerly commander
of the Petrogradsky regiment sta
toned in peace time at Warsaw To
him the duma commissioners an
nounced:
Return to Report to Duma
Our mission of handing over the
emperor is finished We now go to
Petrograd to announce this fact to the
duma"
The correspondents drove to the old
Tsarkoe-Selo palace, which is entire
ly deserted and without guards, and
then to the new palace, where the
former imperial family is informed
The palace lies in a large park. which
is surrounded by a plain spiked fence
five feet high
The first noticeable sign of the rev.
oiution was that no imperial standard
floated from the roof. Within the
park over tho broad expanse OF snow
not a single person was visible AID
parently there were no guards within
the park, but outside the fence every
fifty yards along the road way were
double sentries from the Petrograd-
sky regiment in long blue coats, with
fixed bayonets-
The palace is long two