The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-02-27
Former Gar and Czarina Have
No Gas, Electricity or
Bathroom.
FARE OF MOsTFRUeAl NATURE
Practically Condemned to the Life OF
HecIuses-Dauohters Allowed to
Come and Go Freely, but Son
10 Closely Guarded.

account Of the life led by the Roma
noffs. the former imperial family, may
prove of interest.
Tobolsk has been called the "City Of
DEATH" Its temperature rarely rising
above the freezing point. Most of Its
houses are built of wood, the one
where the imperial family lives being
one of the few brick buildings In that
part Of the country. It's ground floor
is occupied by a company of soldiers
Installed there as a guard. The two
upper floors. consisting of IA rooms
most simply furnished, constitute the
apartments of Colonel Romanoff."
There Is neither running water nor
gas. neither electricity nor bathroom.
The servants are obliged to draw from
q nearby well the water needed for
household purposes. The rooms are
heated by brick ovens which burn
wood. The largest room Is not mere
than 10 feet by 10 feet.
The windows Of the house look out
on an unattractive landscape. There
Is not even a garden where the ex-
car might dig and forget his bore
dom. A narrow balcony and a court
yard inclosed by high brick walls fur
nish the only breathing spots for the
imperial prisoners.
Live Life Of Refuses.
Nicholas Romanoff and his wife ara
practically condemned to the lives of
refuses. Their sole outing consists In
attending mass at the cathedral of the
AAnunciation or at a neighboring mon
astery or going to the public baths,
where as a special favor the revolu-
tionary authorities permit them to
battle once a week. Whenever they go
out they are escorted by a platoon of
soldiers commanded by four officers of
the guard.
The fare imposed upon the prisoners
Is Of the most frugal nature. Once ac-
customed to the delicate refnements
Of French cooking, they are forced to
be content with ordinary Russian
dishes: pling. a sort Of roll covered
with caviar; bortsch, a thick soup
made Of beets and other vegetables;
kaiacha. a cheese paste.
The people Of Tobolsk show neither
hostility nor sympathy toward the ex-
He'd family. Life in the small town is
consistently monotonous. The exist
enc Of the former emperor drags
along In drab sadness. Now and then
he II authorized to receive the visit of
two faithful high fu~nctionaries whom
thn ovo1vtinuorv uovorumopt paro,lt-
ted TO accompany him In his exile
Count Frederiks and General v~oyekov.
To them he confdes his regrets, his
memories and his hopes.
Nicholas Romanof said recently to
General voyekov In an accent Of pro-
found resignation:
HAS my life not always been that
Of q prisonerf I do not regret my lost
power. All I ask Is to be allowed to
retire to Crimea, where / could live
surrounded by flowers. / feel more
than ever that / would be peaceful and
happy n . simple citizen Of a repub-
lic."
His resignation In no wise Is shared
BY the former Czarina Alexandra. Ev-
erything In her new mode Of life
wounds. shocks and i~rritates her.
Nowadays Alexandra devotes herself
to her children, whom she teaches not
to resign themselves but to remember.
What makes her most indignant is that
h is allowed neither to write nor re-
ceive letters that are not opened by
the revolutionary officers. She con-
stantly repeats to her daughters:
"Never forget what we are forced
to bear at the present moment"
Her only ~conidante is Countess Ma
rischkine. who was her lady in waiting
and who was allowed to follow her to
Tobolsk.
Aisxls Closely Guarded.
II the grand duchesses r allowed
to come and 60 freely In the town
lance, the same thing il not true Of the
e~x-czarevitch. Prince Alexis. who Is
Familiarity known as Alioscha, can go
out and play In the public parks when
ever he likes, but he Is watched by
guards specially attached to his person.
The daughters Of the former CA
lead : simple life. Grand Duchess
Olga. the most serious of them all, has
enrolled herself among the voluntary
nurses of a military hospital to which
are eent eonvalescents from Siberia
and where she conscientiously passes
several hours q day.
Grand Duchess Marie has taken up
stenography and typewriting to help
her father write his memoirs. But he
dictates nothing and writes nothing
Sometimes he leans out Of the only
window, which Overlooks the town
and watches his children when they SO
for = walk. He wears the undress
unifern Of . colonel Of the Prevbajen'
akys and puts on . dignined air al
500 - he thinks he II being observed
But when he thinks himself alone bill
back looes IL stiffness. he hides hil
eare&1ned fhco In his hands and thii
mnn. whose hair has turned quite
W&aHn. III 1uto molnnch0ly broodluD