Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1918-03-08
ROMANOFFS ARE
HOUSED PLAINLY.
Former Car and Czarina Have
No Gas, Electricity ,or
5i Bathroom.
AREpFMosTFRuGAL NATURE
Practically Condemned to the Life Of
,RecIuses- Daughters Allowed y
Genre and % Freely. but Son
10 closeIy Guarded.

Paris.---Though things Russian are
rather In disfavor just now, short
account Of the life led by The Roma
noFs, .the former imperial family. may
prove Of interest. 4
Tobolsk has been called the .~City Of
Death" it's temperature rarely rising
above the freezing point. Nest 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. Its ground floor
is occupied by Company Of soldiers
installed there as d guard. The two
upper floors, consisting Of IA rooms
most simply furnished, constitute the
apartments Of "Colonel Romanoff." i
There is neither running water nor
gas, neither electricity nor bathroom.
The servants are Obliged to draw from
a nearby well the water needed for
household purposes" The rooms are
heated by brick ovens which burn
wood. The largest room is not more
than 16 feet by 10 feet.
The windows Of the house look out
on an unattractive landscape. There!
is not even a garden where the ex-
czar might dig and forget his bore
dom. A narrow balcony and q court
yard inclosAd by high brick walls fur
nish the only breathing spots for TIE
Imperial prisoners.
Live Life OF Reciuses.
Nicholas Rpmnnotf anG bis wife are
practically c,ndemned TO the lives Of
,arecluses. Their sole outing cQpsists in
attending mass at the cathedral OF the
Annunciation or at a neighboring mon
nstery or going to the. public baths,
where as a special favor the revolu-
tionary authorities permit them to
hathe once week. Whenever they go
ant they ARG escorted by a platoon OF
soldiers commanded by four officers OF
the guard.
7 The fare Imposed upon the prisoners
as Of the mcyt frugal nature. Once ac-
Scustomed to the delicate refHements
of French cooking, they are forced to
be content with ordinary Russian
dishes: ping, a sort Of roll covered
with caviar. bortsch, thick soup
made Of beets and other vegetables;
kalacha, o cheese paste.
The people of Tobolsk show neither
hostility nor sympathy toward the ex'
lied family. Life In the small town Ia
consistently mohotonous. The exist
ence OF the former emperor drags
along in drab sadness. Now and ther
he is authorized TO receive the visit Of
two faithful high functionaries whom
the revolutionary government permit
ted to accompany him In his exile-T
Count Frederiks and General voyekov
10 them he confdes his tegrets. bill
memories and his hopes.
Nicholas Romanofr said recently b
General voyeI<ov In an accent of pro
found resignation:
sTIas my life not always been tina
of prisonerf I do not regret my los
power. All ask 70 to be allowed .
retire to Crimea. where ! could liv
surrounded By flowers. ! feel NOR
Than ever that would be peaceful an
happy a. 4 simple citizen Of . reput
lie"
His resignation in no wise is share
BY the former Csarina Alexandra. b,
erythipg in her new mode Of 1T
wounds, shocks apd irritates her:
Nowadavs Alexandra devotes herse!
to her children. whom she teaches ps
to resign themselves but to remembe
What makes her most indignant is ths
she Is allowed neither TO write nor r
teive letters that are not opened ;
the revolutionary officers. She col
stantiy repeats to her daughters:
aNever forget whnt we are force
to bear at the present moment"
Her only confidante is Countess n
rischkine, who was her lady In waitir
and who was allowed 10 follow her
Tobolsk.
AIexls Closely Guarded.
II the grand duchesses are allow'
10 come and 20 freely IL the tcv
Without the vexatlon OF any surye
lance, the same thing Is not true Of =
ex-cxarevItch. Prince Alexis, who
Fsmiliarly known as Alioscha, can
out and play in the public parks whe
ever he likes, but he is watched
!, euartis specIaily attached to his persf