Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-21
MURDER OF THE ROMANOFfS
Gar and His Family Suffered Most
Horrible Fate
BRITISH FANATICS WITHOUT MERCY
Authentic Facts as to How Russian
Royal Family Was Disposed Or
Here is Story Of Fiendishness That
in Beyond Belief.


is Beyond Belief.
From the New York World.
The World has. received from an Of
ficial Of the Siberian government es-
tablished by the Russians at Omsk.
the following vivid resume Of the gov
ernmental Judicial inquiry in the as
sassination Of the deposed czar, the
czarina and the daughter and young
, son. For prudential reasons the name
of the Official is withheld.
By an Official Of the Siberian Govern.
nent.
onsk, Siberia, December IL, 1873
Until recently the fate of the ex-Czar
Nicholas and his family, was uncer-
tain. The shocking rumors regarding
assassination recently decided the
council Of ministers Of the Siberian
government to hold judicial inquiry
on the scene Of their disappearance.
This was carefully and impartially
conducted by men who had no mon
archial sympathies (being themselves
advanced Liberals), verified by wit
nesses and documentary evidence, and
was substantiated by photographs Of
the scenes of the tragedy.
Rufiians for "Guards.
The Bolshevik, drunk with power,
and the lust Of cruelty. took the ex-
car. his wife. and their five children
from the monastery Of Abolak. thirty
miles from Toholsk, to Ekaterinburg,
where they were destined to spend
their last days in physical and mental
tortures. They were interned in the
house Of professor of chemistry
named Ipatieff. The building was OF
two stories with small courtyard
surrounded by high wooden palisade.
The lower floor, comfortably even
anonymously. furnished was occupied
by the guards, men especially recruit
ed from the lowest class of Rolshevik
bullies. The prisoners occupied the
upper floor.
A condemned murderer's cell Is not
more devoid Of comforts than the
small. dark rooms allowed to those
who had spent their lives In luxury.
Once rich beyond the dreams OF ava
rice, they were now made to suffer
the worst torments of poverty; once
supreme in power, they were. insulted
and spat upon by men lower than the
beasts. The comfort Of a single COM
panion, even Of q servant. was denied
them,
Worse stilI, they knew that their
few faithful retainers-Court Physi-
clan Botkin. two ladies' in waiting,
Baroness Buxhoven and Mile. Narysh-
kina; the old sailor Derevenkp, VINO
had deyotedly nursed the delicate
czarevitch from bapyhoed; the former
czar,s fayorite valet and the ex-em-
press's trusted maid Gall Of whom
were with them in the Abolak monas-
tery}-had been shot as a reward Tor
faithful service, while the rest OF their
attendants of less conspicuous loyalty
had been dispersed.
Two Small Beds for Seven.
Only two small beds were permit
ted to this family of seven persons.
The children, therefore, were forced to
sleep on the floor on their fathers
uniform greatcoat and other clothes OF
their parents. No linen, or almost
none, was provided. For air and ex-
ercise they were permitted to walk IN
the little courtyard an hour day. All
the rest Of the time the Rpmanoffs,
once owners Of a score OF palaces,
were kept cooped up in this small nat:
Their meals were taken to them by
one of the guards and eaten on bare
wooden table, sitting on wooden
bench, from a thick bowl with five
spoons among the seven wretched
prisoners. When these humiliations
were not considered sufficient, when
they were borne by the ex-emperor
with patience and the ex-express with
silent pride, even the few spoons were
taken away as an additional vexation.
Or a synically jovial guard, as ne
set down the bowl of food cooked In
the common kettle Of the soldters,
would whIsk it away again, saying, Il
see you have good victuals to eat
which we have not yet had today
and carry it OF down stairs.
At other times one Of the guards
would come UP while the family was
seated at table and fish the best pieces
Of meat and cabbage out Of their bowl
With his dirty fingers, chiefly for the
pleasure of exulting over his victims.
Torture Of Daughters.
In the evening the guards" bFutes
Ia human form, would carry the yeung
ex-grand duchesses down stairs to
their rooms, whose walls were covered
with indecent drawings and obscene
inscriptions. One can imagine too'
well what went on there-the poor,
innocent girls shivering in the icy chill
of terror while their captors glared at
them in triumph, the coarse jests-
and worse-all literally within earshot
of the agonized parents.
Nor was this barbarity due to the
savagery of isolated individuals. The
soldiers, if one may dignity such brutes
by such a name. were under the orders
OF a special Bolshevik commissioner
responsible directly to the local com
missieners Of justice and public in
struction, who had full powers on all
matters pertaining to the housing and
treatment of the prisoners, and who'
in their turn, reported personally to
the president of the Bolshevik govern
ment of Ekaterinburg. 1t would be
mistaken charity to imagine that any
or all OF these leaders were not fuliy
aware of what was going on. and PROB
ably nearer the truth to say that the
barbarities took place by their orders
The martyrdom ended in ghastly
tragedy on the night of June 16. For
about "a week beforehand the guards
had been systematically kept in
ita+a of inebrtety, being encouraged