The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-23
OPPOSED RULER OF RUSSIA NOW
 HELD PRISONER
Attended By Only One Cour- fer, He Arrives at Pal
 ace Under Guard

Tsarskoe Selo. Russia. March 2S- On his arrival here yesterday In the custody of four members of the duma the deposed Emperor Nicholas was turned over immediately to the Tsar- skoe Selo commander and taken to the Alexandrovsky palace, where the former empress Alexandra already was interned. The special train car rying the former ruler arrived at 10:30 o'clock on the branch line out side of Alexandrovsky park. On leaving the train Nicholas entered an automobile, accompanied by his ad- tutant, Prince Dolgoroukoff, the only courier of the first rank who accom- panied him, by the four duma com missioners They were driven to the palace.
 Nicholas was met at the door in the left wing of the palace by Count Benkendorff, who was his marshal of { the court, and is now under arrest
 The former ruler held himself erect, looking calm and indifferent, although 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 Col. Kobuilinsky, former commander of the Petrograd- sky regiment, stationed in peace time in Warsaw. To him the duma com missiOners announced:
 sfOur mission of handing over the emperor is finished. We now go to Petrograd to announce this fact to the duma-"
 The Associated Press correspondent drove to the old Tsarskoe Selo palace. which is entirely deserted and with out guards, and then to the new palace, where the former imperial family is interned- The palace lies in a large park enclosed by a plain spiked fence five feet high, coated with silver paint. From the corner nearest the old palace the new palace is partly visible through the thick wood, the chief facade, faicng north, being entirely in view. The first no- ticeable sign of the revolution was that no imperial standard Goated from tho roof. Within the park, over the broad expanse of snow, not a single person was visible. Apparently there were no guards within the park. but, outside the fence every 50 yards along the roadway were double sen tries from the Petrogradsky regi- ment, in long blue coats with fixed bayonetA
 An astonishing circuInstance, in view of the attitude Of Nicholas toward the population of Tsarskoe Se1o, which lived entirely on imperial favor, was the lack of public interest During a drive of three miles along the palace fence the correspondent saw no civil ians and, with the exception of the guards, none but two of the gigantic black Ibearded Caucasians of the fa~ molss convey of his majesty, who. though now fallen from favor and des- tined to be sent as soldiers to the front, were allowed to peer through the fence.
 Near the east wing of the palace is detached building swhich formerly served as kitchen It is now occu- pied by the staff officer in command of the troops guarding Nicholas. Far ther on is the chief part of the palace, long two story building of pale vel low stucco with white Corinthian col umns reaching to the roof, two vast projecting side wings and, in the cen ter of the buflding,l two high a.rched
 
 square windows, which had no sign of curtaining, there could be observed no evidence of life within. The pal ace. when seen through a. blinding snow storm, makes a deso.ate and un-- attractive appearance.
 On attempting to enter the park through the kitchen building the cor respondent was told by the officer in charge that no one was permitted near and that after 5 o'clock all ro;ods ap . preaching the south and east sides of the palace were closed.
 In regard to the conditions under which Nicholas was held in the palace officers declared they knew nothing. Concerning Alexandra and the other members of the family, the following information was given:
 An the five children are in bed with the measles, for which reason Alex andra has not been outside the palace walls for two days. So far as is known no order has been issued pre- venting her from walking about the grounds She has been forbidden to use the telephone or telegraph or have any communication with the outside world This morning she requested permission to telephone to Princess Raratoff, a friend, asking as to her health. The request was refused. Twice yesterday permission to use the telephone was denied her. So far as is known, no attempt has been made by any adherent of the old regime to