South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-04
EX-PRINCESS TELLS
UNUSUAL STORY TO
PORT AUTHORITIES
Former Member of Russian
AristOcracy Seeks Admit
lance to This Country.

WASHINGTON. June Princes
Ivan Tachernitachev of the former
Russian aristocracy. who claims
American citizenship and who has
been denied admission 20 the United
States by port authorities OF New
Orleans. has succeeded .n getting her
case before Sec'y of Labor Davis,
who is expected 20 render a decision
within "a few days.
The story told by the princess to
the labor department was said TO
deal with "the murder and cruel
hxion of her husband by the bolshe-
Wiki. the disappearance of her eigns
year old son. a black dispatch box
containing secrets of the lost royalist
cause in Russia, a flight across Eu-
rope on foot 90 evade the secret
agents OF the Soviet and a trip across
ihe Atlantic partly as a stowaway
and partly as a stewardess."
The labor department statement
said.
The princess claims that she Is
a native American, born in Louis
Vile. Ky. Aug. Is, 1881. She says
her mother was Countess Potenpkin,
connected with the Russian royal
family. who renounced her rank 20
wed her father. Frederick SchIich.
a German. naturalized as an Ameri-
can citizen. She SAYS her father
vanished when she was two years old.
Lived I'm New York
The princess says she lived with
her mother I'm New York at S6 w.
Thirty Fourth ST. until 1895. when
she was i years old Then her
mother took her 90 Europe and in
Berlin IN 1902. she says she was mar
ried 20 Prince Ivan Tachernitschev.
a Russian. She spent but one day
with the prince returning 10 her
mother in Berlin Mother and
daughter returned 90 New York and
lived there until 1909 During that
year the princess says. her mother.
III in health. returned 20 Riga 10
visit her relatives. taking her daugh-
ter with her
AT Riga the mother effected "a
reconciliation between her daughter
and her husband and then died 40
Riga the princess claims. her son
was born and the family lived lh
peace until the holshcvik uprising.
During the early days of the revolu-
ton, she says her father sent hey
son away 20 place of safety and
she has not seen him since In 1919
her husband was taken hy the boil
sheviki. and she tells narrowing
tale of his death by cruCdxion Be-
fore his death she SAYS her husband
with the strictest injuncuous or Sc
crecy. entrusted 90 her a black iron
dispatch box. which ne told her con-
tanned papers ~ vital Importance 10
he voyallst rcgime I'm Russia.
Attacked by BoIshcvists.
with Esr dispatch box the prin-
cess SAYS she lied 90 the estate OF a
Count Dlsterlohe. where she re-
NAMED Unul in 1921 The boIsheviiy
forces attacked the estate She saws
she FED. leaving behind all Of her
possessions including The mysterious
dispatch box. which she believes con-
tanned f1pers relating Co the secre.
diplomatic dealings OF various Eu-
ropean and Asiatic nations with Rus
sian royalty she lof- DustcrIohe ON
foot. she says. an. made her way
across Germany followed every FOO,
81 the way, she says. by agents OF the
Russian reds who were under orders
go Kin her rather than 10 permit her
10 reach America with the secrets I'd
the Jos, dispatch box she made her
way 20 Nassayc1. Belgium, and
reached Antwerp, Nov. g. 1921
The princess SAYS that in her de
sire 20 reach America. penniless and
Gistraught with her pursuit across
Europe. she slowed away aboard the
steamship Gasconicr. Five DAYS al
sea. without food and water. forced
her 60 reveal herself TO the ships
officers So weak she could scarcely
stand. she was nursed back 20 health
and transferred az sea 90 the steam
ship TeNnrdrier. bound hack 90 Ant
werp. she succeeded in convincine
the captain OF the TeNa ndrier that
she was an American citizen. and ne
assigned her az a stewardess for IN,
return voyage 20 America.
prior % her arrival the princess
communicated with the American
authorities seeking perm isslon O,
land she IS highly educated and
has more than ordinary command
OF the Engllsh language"