The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-05-18
BY IVAN

-
In Philadelphia Public Ledger.
L WAS as a measure of safety for the
ri r. life of the dethroned car and his fam
EpJ III lily that the Russian government au-
III k1 thorities decided that the former ruler
E4 - and his family be sent to Tobolsk, ST.
1S SM IBERIA, till the constituent assembly
E$4J 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-
Die. he called personally at the palace of Tsar-
skoe-Selo and gave twenty-four hours to the royal
exlles to pack their trunks and make themselves
ready Tor their journey. The ex-czar turned white
and stammered in answer to Kerensky:
III 1t is Gods and the peoples will we shall
obey"
A DAY thereafter the premier again called on
the ex-czar 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 Fredericks, 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 car
ina. These were to follow their former masters to
Siberia.
The baggage consisted of fifteen trunks and a
few %suitcases or 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. 1t was a heavy and painful
moment, a moment full of depressing thoughts.
Seldom, if ever, in history has there been a
more complete change in human fortunes than that
which Nicholas Romanof has suddenly undergone.
From a household expenditure of So, 1000 a year
he has now been reduced to about $4,000 a year.
From having twenty palaces at his command he
was at first cut down to an eight-room fiat in an
old Siberian municipal building. From being the
most powerful autocrat of All the Russias he be-
came suddenly plain Mr.. Nicholas Alexandrovich
Romanoff, Siberian exile.
1 have succeeded in receiving considerable de-
tails concerning the eX-cZar's manner of life and
views at Tobolsk. 1t is only a short while ago
that he was permitted to move from the small fiat
into the monastery. Here he is now occupying a
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 e4iles, 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 a special attention had
been paid by the guards to him and the ex-czarina,
the daughters are free to come and go as they
please, and from them the townspeople have
learned a great deal about the household and life
of their dethrOned rulers.
The residence determined for the ex-czar con-
sisted of eight rooms OF the second noor or the
former governors house at Tobolsk. 1t is a rather
roomy house, built in the stately style of Russian
institutions, of brick in white stucco, with a 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 former czarina occupied a room
each and two rooms were put aside for the daugh-
ters and the son Alexis, the former heir apparent.
There we're a dining room, a wide kitchen and a
general sitting room, and the rest Of the flat was
given over to the servants. The revolutionary gov
ernment allowed three servants. a butler and two
maids.
Contrast these quarters with those the Roman
offs formerly enjoyed at Tsarskoe-S elo, Peterhof,
at the Winter and Apichkova palaces in Petrograd.
Mt Iivadia, in Gatchinn and the twenty-odd pal
aces they possessed. The Peterhof palace was so
large that n person could lose himself in 1t, and
900 servants we're employed solely to steer guests
through II. The Hall of Mirrors in the Winter pal
aco nj Petrograd Is 200 feet in length and is con-