Evening star., 1919-12-28
EFFORTS TO SAVE
CzARANDFAMALY:
Letters From Russian Of
ficers Who Conspired TO
Effect an Escape.
Special Correspondence Of The Star
and the Chicago Daily News.

a scheme for their flight was secretly
communicated to them by group of
Russian officers in June, 1918, month
before their execution in Ekaterinburg.
Instead of flight the Romanoffs sug
gested their abduction by force.
I'VE don't want to and we cannot
fee" was the Romanoff message to the
secret organization which conspired to
rescue the ex-czar and his family. We
may be rescued only by force. as it was
by force that we were taken from
Tobolsk.'
Altogether four letters were seized by
the Ekaterinburg soviet from the Off
GERS orga niZation to the RomanoffS. All
the letters are in French and signed
AN Officer" The French is poor; typi
cal of the average Russian officers
French. The replies from the Roman
offs are Scrbbled in pencil on the
seized letters.
These letters are kept in Moscow.
Offers Hope; Bess Cooperation.
A translation of the first of them,
probably written on June or Z, 1918,
follows:
THE friends sleep no longer and hope
the hour so long awaited has arrived.
The revolt of the Czechoslovaks men
aces the bolsheviki more and more seri-
ously. Samara, Tchelabinsk and the
whole of Siberia. eastern and western.
are under the control of the provisional
national government. The army of the
Slavic friendsis eighty kilometers from
Ekaterinburg. The soldiers of the red
army do not effectively resist
BE watchful of every movement
from without, walt and hope. But at
the same time l beseech you be pru-
dent. because the bolsheviki before
being defeated are a. real and ser-
Gus danger togyou. Be ready all the
time. day and night. Make sketch
of your two rooms. the places of the
furniture, of the beds. Write exact
ly when you all go to bed. One of
you should not sleep between 2 and
3 o'clock all the following nights
Reply in a few words. but give, I
beg You. all useful Information to
your friends outside. 1t is to the
same soldier who gives you this note
that you must give your written an
swer but do not speak a single word
Zone who is ready to die for you.
AN Officer of the Russion Army
On this letter. written in ink, are
corrections in pencil 1.-TWO rooms
is corrected to three rooms" Op-
posite the words "go to bed" there
is notation in the margin reading
lat half past H.
Under Watchfu Observation.
Below on this letter is the follow
ing answer, probably written by the
ex-czar:
from the corner to the balcony
five windows face the street, two the
square. All the windows are closed
glued and painted white. The lit
tie one (the czarevitch) is still sick
in bed and cannot walk at all. Every
disturbance causes him pain. A week
ago our leaving in the night for
MOSCOW was being considered on ac-
count of the anarchists. It is i'm
portant not to risk anything with
out being absolutely sure of the re-
suit. We are almost all the time
under watchful observation" -
The second letter, written on June
IL. reads: '''r
do not be uneasy about the nifty
men who are in the small house op-
posite your windows; they will not
be dangerous when it is necessary
to act
'Tell US something more preciss
about your coumandant in order to
make the beginning easier One can
not say at this moment whether It
will be possible to take all your
people. We hope yes, but in any
event they will not be with you
after leaving the house, except the
doctor. Take measures for DR.. D,
(Derevenko).
I'VE much hope to indicate to you
before Sunday the detailed plan of the
operation. For the present It is ar
ranged in this way. Upon the expect
ed signal you close and barricade
with the furniture the door separating
you from your guards, who will be
b1ockaded and terrorized in the in
terror OF the house. By a rope made
specially for this purpose you descend
through the window. You are expect
ed below. The rest is not difficult The
means for getting away are not lack
ing. and the escape Gts success) is
taking the little one (the czarevitch)
down. Is this possible? Answer this
question after considering it carefully
In any case it is the father, the mother
and the son who go down first. Then
the daughters and the doctor follow
Answer if this is possible in your
opinion, and if you can make q suit
able rope. since it is a. difficult matter
at present to get rope to you.
IAN OFFICER"
"Do Not Want to Flee"
The Romsnoffs' answer to the above
communication is striking. 1t reads:
I'VE do not want to and cannot flee.
it was by force that we were talk en-
from Tobolsk. Therefore do not count
on any active aid on our side. The
icommandant has many assistants.
wary. They conscientiously guard our
prison as well as our lives and are
good to US. We do not want them to
suffer for our sake, nor you for u.s.
Above all, in the name of God, avoid
bloodshed. Get informa ton yourselves
about them. 1t is utterly impossible
to descend from the window without
a ladder. Even IL one has descended
one is in great danger on account of
the open window in the room Of the
gun on the lowest floor. which one
enters from the inside court
Give up the idea OF carrying us off
If you are guarding over US, you may
imminent and real danger. We are
fully ignorant of what is going on
outside, receiving neither papers nor
letters. Since it has been permitted
to open the windows the guard has
been increased, and one is forbidden
to put the head out Of the window at
the risk of receiving a bullet in the
face"
0Aeer. Persist in Plan.
In spite Of the unwillingness of the
Romanoffs to become partners in, the
conspiracy of the officers secret Or
ganization. the latter persisted in
their scheme to rescue the former i'm
perial family until the prisoners
xeemed to have acquiesced in the plan.
On June ~ the following communica-
ton was conveyed to them:
With the help of God and your
out any risk. 1t is absolutely neces-
sary that one of your windows be un-
glued. SO that you may be able to
open it at the given moment Please
indicate this window accurately.
"The fact that the little czareyitcb
is not able to walk complicates mat
ters, but we have foreseen this and
I do not believe it will be too great an
inconvenience. Please write if two
persons are necessary to carry him or
one of you may be able to take care
of that. Is it possible to make the
little one sleep for one or two hours