Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-20
CAR IGNORANT
OF REVOLT OEND
Turmoil in Capital Kept From
Emperor Until Last
Moment
BY .issoeintcd Press

Petrograd, March 19.-The history
of the last hour of Emperor Nicholas
as ruler of Russia is related by a
correspondent of the Outro Rossii, of
Moscow, as follows:
Two trains arrived at the station at
Vishera (on the Moscow-Petrograd
Railroad, 125 miles southeast of Pet
rograd), on the night of March IA.
The first train carried the emperor's
suite, the second the emperor, Gem
eral Baron Fredericks, minister of the
imperial house: Rear Admiral Niloff,
General label and others. Nicholas,
called from headquarters by the en-
press, was on the way to the Tsarskoe-
Selo.
None of the kilograms about the
revolution sent by President Rodzi-
emperor. Every effort was made to
keep him in ignorance of these affairs.
General label protested. declaring
that If the others refused to inform
the emperor he would do so. Nicholas,
who had been sleeping, was awakened
at 2 O'Clock in the morning. He went
to the dining car and demanded that
Admiral Niloff tell him what had hap
pened in Petrograd. He was told that
crowd of students, hoodlums and
young soldiers had terrorized the
Duma but that a few detachments q
troops would be able to put them
down.
Just then Commander Voyzekoff, of
the Imperial train, entered with a
telegram stating that 700 of the st.
George cavalry were on the way to
TsarSkoe-Selo to present cross to
the emperor and had arrived at the
nearby station of Ono, headed by
General Ivanoff
Your Majesty" said Voyzekoff, lit
is enough that you appear at the
Tsarskoe-Selo in the midst of these
heroes and with the Tsarskoe-Selo
garrison, go to the Duma. All the
troops will remember their oath. 1t
will be easy to overcome these young
soldiers"
1T is lie. your majesty" shouted
General label. you are deceived. Read
these kilograms. Here is the order:
TO the Imperial Train at Vishere: Do
not send the train to Tsarskoe Selo,
but to Petrograd.'
The Emperor arose and exclaimed:
What does this mean? Is 1t revolu-
tion? Is Grekoff (who signed the or
der to divert the train) commander in
Then General Zabei spoke out, say
ing:
First News to Czar
There are $4,000 troops with officers,
backing the temporary government.
Your Majesty has been declared de-
throned 1t is impossible to so further"
Nicholas, completely nonplussed, ex-
claimed:
why was l not told before? Why
tell me now when all is finished?"
After moment he added with a ges-
ture of helplessness:
Let it be so. Thank God. I will
abdicate if that is what the people
want. l will go to Livadia (the estate
of the Russian imperial family on the
south coast of the Crimea), to my gar
den. l am so fond of flowers"
The train moved toward Bologoie.
At Dno a telegram was received stat
ing that the Tsarskoe- -Selo garrison had
revolted and that the Empress had
appealed to the Duma for protection.
Nicholas pondered the situation, then
said:
Il shall go to Moscow. Mrozovski
commander of the Moscow garrison)
used to say Moscow always would de-
fend me-"
At Bologoie was received a telegram
stating that the Moscow garrison had
joined the revolution. The train re-
turned to Ono, where it met the train
bearing General Ivanoff. The general
related everything which had taken
place, adding: There is only one thing
to do now; it is to open the Dvina
front to the Germans and let them
quiet the canaille."
Never Traitor
Nicholas rejected the suggestion, eX-
claiming angrily:
II shall never become a traitor to
my country"
Then Nicholas broke down and wept.
After a moment he said:
IF only l knew my wife and chill
dren were safe / should go to Livadia
quietly to finish my life and let Michael
govern the country. He is liked by the
people. l will sign my abdication and
then go back to the army. say good
bye to the soldiers and let them do as
they like. 1 shall not stand in the
way"
This last colloquy occurred on the
station platform. Nicholas. who was
dressed in a soldiers coat. with a colo
nePs shoulder straps and a sheepskin
hat tilted back, frequently mopped his
brow. He gazed about in an abstracted
manner and then mounted the steps of
his car. Thereupon the train moved
off.