Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-09-09
Mile, Virubova, for Years Con-
fidant of Former Czarina,
Tells of Nicholas in Inter
view,
SAYS HIS FAULT WAS 0
INC0RRIGIBLE WEAKNESS
Partly Result of Training by
DoWager and Tutors Who
Were Instructed to Crush
r Initiative, She Says.


Petrograd, Sept S.-The first exiles
among the adherents of the old i'm
berial regime were sent under a
strong escort today to the Swedish
frontier, where they will be released.
Extraordinary precautions were taken
to guard the exiles and access to the
railroad station where they boarded
train was forbidden.
At the head of the party was the
famous Mile. Virubova, for twelve
years the bosm friend and confidant
of the former empress and who has
been called "the female Rasputin of
the revolution With her were the
entriguer, Manseevich Manuilov, and
the Asiatic Badmayeff, to whom the
former Emperor Nicholas gave di-
ploms as a "doctcr Of Tibetan medi-
cine" in recognition of his success in
curing all imaginable diseases of the
courtiers with certain cordial.
Tells Inside of Court.
On the eve of her departure, Mile.
Virubova was interviewed by the AS
sociated Press in the presence of
detective. She is a strikingly hand
some, somewhat stout, black-haired
woman, resembling the portraits of
Catherine the Great. She limps and
uses a crutch as the result of rail-
road accident. There is scar on her
forehead which she asserted was in
flicted by the guard at the Fortress
of st. Peter and st. Paul, from which
she was recently released.
Mile. Virubova who is personally
fascinating but apparently not
clever woman, gave striking outline,
of the last years of the court of EN-
peror Nicholas, declaring that me-
moirs which she intends to write Will
startle the world.
Truth About Nicholas.
THE truth about Nicholas, sne
said, lis that he has good character
and a quicker and better mind than
the good -for-nothing grand duke. His
fault is his incorrigible weakness,
which is partly congenital and partly
the result of the crushing training py
the mother dowager and his tutors,
who were instructed to suppress every
manifestation of initiative.
Nicholas hated to hear bad news
and reports against others. Until the
last he had not the slightest notion
that all the nation detested and de-
spised him. He told us only a few
days before the revolution that he was
pleased with the conditions in Russia
and would grant a responsible cabinet
after the war. He was positively dunn
founded with the sudden revolt.
Rasputin's Hold on Gar.
s'Rasputin's name is wrongfully as
sociated with mine. Having been at
court during the entire time Rasputin
was a power there, know that his
political influence over Nicholas and
the empress and his alleged despotic
authority over the ministers are pure
legends. Alix (the former empress)
was busy all the time with me in man.
aging hospitals, of which there were
seyenty-nine at Tsarskoe Selo. Ras-
nutin. as already known throughout
the empire. assured Nicholas that
daily nrayers would cure Grand Duke
Alexis, his son. The illness of the
grand duke was not caused, as mas
been alleged, Dy IeTEOiiot heNSiiifSS -
his life but through defective protec-
ton of the blood vessels, which caus-
ed a hemorrhage at the slightest eN-
ertion. a disease universal in the Bat
temberg family.
Cars Son Recovered.
Daily Rasputin prayed, first alone
and later with the emperor and em-
press, who were intensely pious ana
shared his prayers. Alexis suddenly
recovered two years ago and he now
is in perfect health. The accusations
against the personal character of my
self and the empress in connection
with Rasputin are infamous. When
/ am allowed to return to Russia
shall bring my calumninators to JUS
tice."
virubova added that Nicholas was
not pro- German and did not intend
to make separate peace. Immedi-
ately before the outbreak of tht revo-
luton she heard him make the fol-
lowing statement:
II believe and hope we will soon