Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-05-16
BY IVAN NARoDNY
IX2l5zGZ.A5 2QfZ41Yl<5' 90 y


" WAS as a measure of safety for the
q ! J ! 4 : ]!
@7 r. life of the dethroned car and his fam
E4sI ID lily that the Russian government
ESSl t4a9 thoriteS decided that the former ruler
kNA ~ and his family be sent to Tobolsk, ST.
PSI / al Deria till the constituent assembly
E6<.SkaSI could determine how best to solve the
problem of their future.
lAerensky was then premier and 1t fell upon him
70 denver the Hateful decision as politely as posi-
Ole. He called personally at the palace of Tsar-
skoe-Selo and gave twentyfour hours to the royal
eAlies to pack their trunks and make themselves
.eauy TOT tnelr Journey The exczar turned white
ana stammered in answer to Kerensky:
II 1t Is Gods and the peoples will we shall
obey"
a Gay thereafter the premier again called on
me ex-czar and informed him that the train which
was TO take him and his family to Siberia was
ready. ID four closed automobiles, guarded by
company of Cossacks the royal exiles left their
stately residence and drove to the railway station
where they were met by Baron Frederieks, the for
mer minister Of the court; General Voyiekof, 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 q
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 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 Romanof has suddenly undergone.
From household expenditure Of $12,OOO,OOO q year
be has now been reduced to about $1,000 a year.
From having twenty palaces at his command he
was at first cut down to eightroom 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
l have succeeded in receiving considerable de-
tails concerning the ex-czar's manner Of life and
Views at Tobolsk. 1t is only short while ago
that he was permitted to move from the small fiat
Into the monastery. Here he Is 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 really exiles, guarded
carefully by the soldiers over whom he used to
possess command of life and death.
In this dreary town Of 5000 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 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 floor of the
former governors house at Tobolsk. It is rather
roomy house, built in the stately style of Russian
institutions, Of brick in white stucco, 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 former czarina occupied room
each and two rooms were put aside for the daugh-
tiers and the son Alexis the former heir apparent.
There were dining room, wide kitchen and q
general sitting room, and the rest Of the fiat 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-Selo, Peterhof
at the Winter and Anichkova palaces in Petrograd,
at Livadia, in Gatchlna and the twenty-odd pal
aces they possessed. The Peterhof palace was so
large that person could lose himself in 1t, and
200 servants were employed solely to steer guests
through It, The Hall Of Mirrors in the Winter pal
ace o. retrograd is 200 feet in length and is con-