The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1918-05-18
BY IVAN NARoDNY

In Philadelphia Public Ledger.
!: j: !: ! z: : J
WAS as q measure of safety for the
RI FN life of the dethroned car and his fam
ERj III lily that the Russian government au-
LEj - thorities decided that the former ruler
k9 II and his family be sent to Tobolsk, ST.
LbE 5M IBERIA, till the constituent assembly
EtAf1$J could determine how best to solve the
problem of their future
kerensky was then premier and it fell upon him
to deliver the Hateful decision as politely as posi-
ble He called personally at the palace Of Tsar-
skoe-Selo and gave twentyfour hours to the royal
exlles to pack their trunks and make themselves
ready for their journey. The ex-czar turned white
and stammered in answer to Kerensky: ...
IF it is Gods and the peoples will we shall
obey"
q. day thereafter the premier again called on
the exczar and informed him that the train which
was to take him and his family to Siberia was
ready In four closed automobiles, guarded by a
company of Cossacks, the royal exiles left their
stately residence and drove to the railway station,
where they were met by Baron Fredercks, the for
mer minister Of the court; General Voyiekoff the
former commander Of the palace, and Countess
Naryshkin, the former lady in waiting to the
ina. These were to follow their former masters to
Siberia.
The baggage consisted Of fifteen trunks and a
few suitcases handbags. These were carried
into the car by the two loyal servants and the
family members themselves A dead silence pre-
vailed on the platform when the once feared and
respected ruler walked to his car. Premier Keren-
sky held his arm. Vice Premier Nekrassov accom-
panied the ex-czarina. It was heavy and painful
moment, moment full Of depressing thoughts.
Seldom, if ever, in history has there been
more complete change in human fortunes than that
which Nicholas Romanoff has suddenly undergone.
From household expenditure of $12, 900 year
he has now been reduced to about 900 year.
From having twenty palaces at his command he
was at first cut down to an eight-room fiat in
most powerful autOcrat Of All the Russas he be-
came suddenly plain Mr.. Nicholas Alexandrovich
Romanof Siberian exile.
I have succeeded in receiving considerable de-
tails concerning the ex-czar's manner Of life and
views at Tobolsk. It is only short while ago
that he was permitted to move from the small fiat
into the monastery. Here he is now occupying
small room in the house of the archimandrite,
while the ex-czarina occupies another room in an
adjoining building. Though apparently free, the
ex-czar and his family are really exiles, guarded
carefully by the soldiers over whom he used to
possess a command Of life and death.
In this dreary town of $4,000 inhabitants the ex-
car and his family have remained the chief OBJ
jects of interest. While special attention had
been paid by the guards to him and the ex-czarina.
the daughters are free to come and 60 as they
please, and from them the townspeople have
learned great deal about the household and life
of their dethroned rulers. .~
sisted of eight rooms of the second floor of the
former governors house at Tobolsk. 1t is a rather
roomy house, built in the stately style Of Russian
institutions, of brick in white succo, with slop-
ing green roof 1t is not situated in the aristo-
cratic quarter Of the city, which lies on higher
ground on the farther side of the TObOl river. The
lower floor was occupied by the guarding officers,
who had been specially selected on account Of
their loyalty to the revolutionary cause.
Nicholas and the forme. czarina occupied room
each and two rooms were put aside for the daugh-
ters and the son Alexis the former heir apparent.
There were dining room, wide kit>aen and
general sitting room, and the rest Of the lat was
given over to the servants. The revolutionary gov
eminent allowed three servants, butler and two
maids. .-.
Contrast these quarters with those the Roman
offs formerly enjoyed at Tsarskoe-Seo, Peterhof
at the Winter and Anichkova palaces in Petrograd,
at Iiyada, in Gatchina and the twenty-odd pal
aces they possessed. The Peterhof palace was so
large that a person could lose himself in It, and
600 servants were employed solely to steer guests
through it. The Hall of Mirrors In the Winter pal
ace at Petrograd Is 200 feet in length and Is con-