The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-23

Russians Aided by German War Pris-
Oners In Capturing Russian Tmsie-
stan-Secret Police Rob Former Ruler
of Wives. Gold and Jewels.
MOSCOW. Jan. 23-Robbed. ragged,
starving and forgotten in the big concep-
ration camp of Pokrowsky, a few miles
distant from this city. is the fate of the
Hevdiar. Khan of Khiva, who until a
few months ago. was one of the richest
Of the Mohammedan rulers of Central
Asia As he j. nearly so years old. he
may die there
Heydiar. successor to Tamerlane the
great and Genghis Khan, who ruled
from Germany 10 China, in the Middle
whom the sultan of Turkey is a mere
modern up-start He has been brought
To his present plight through the reVo-
buttons engineered by the Moscow So
Wet in Russian TWrkestan, aided by En-
yer Hasha. rcreutly denounced by Must
apha kcmal Pasha as the arbitrator
OF Turkey.
Thee treatment of the Khan of
khiva not yet widely known by
people of the Nohammedan world. is
expected in time to widen the rift that
has longihrcatcucd between the Russian
Soviet aud he Mohammedans of In
dia and tiFc old Turkish Commons. The
Russians have long been hated for their
conquest Of khIva, Bokhara, and the
rest of the territory known for the past
80 wears as Russian Turkcstan.
Fight of Two Centuries.
For two centuries the Russians tried
in vain TO conquer these war-like peoples
and only i'm 1873 was khiva humhled and
its hhans made subject princes of Rus
STA. But they retained their religious
influence and their vast wealth and
when they came to the Russian inner
lal court at 'ctTOgrad, their presents in
gold aud Jewels surpassed easily the
treas urCS of that gorgeous court.
For the past two years the Soviet In
,iuencc has been slowly tightening its
hold on old Russian Turkestan, under
General Doutof, aided bv 100000 Ger
man war prisoners. First, a Soviet
revolutionary committee was formed at
Tashkent. after the approved Bolshevik
manner, aud later at Bokhara, and fin
1lly at khEa. These committees in
turn gave way TO the formation of
soviet republics. as IN Balu and 'IifiiS
at the point of the Red army : bayonet.
The emir of Bokhara was reduced
20 a fgurehead. though still held as a
1ossibe religious successor to the sui
IAN of Turkey,
IIevdar Attempts Escape
Ilcvdiar was un4catrd in his rule hy
the new ordcs but when his advisers
Showed hiw how the palace walls were
falling about him. he got together the
choicest of his inhprital Jewels, his
tdy0rItC wives. a large stock of his royal
robes, together with l00 pounds avoirdu-
| 2ois. of solid gold, ordered a train nj
Bekhara and started overland TO reach
1t. At the depot i'm Bokhara, the cheka
| or secret POLICE swooped down upon him
! robbed him of his wives. his Jewels and
gold. and made him prisoner. together
with his 20-year-Old SON and heir APP
parent
Both were put aboard the train, un
| der heavy guard, and sent 20 Moscow
| to the old convent prison of PokrowskV
where they have since been.
The VIII Of Allah.
With heavy white beard, the Khar
| maintains his proud bearing and still
| looks the part of great ruler in exile
Silent and accomplishing. after the
manner of his people, he sometimes at
| tends the concerts organized for tn,
| prisoners
| In answer to his request to the Sovie
| hhlya Mission for food, he was sent
| exactly one pound of bread.
| - II Is the viii of Allah, said the Khan
| when the bread came. His son has fare,
| somewhat better. He does odd Jobs
such rs scrubbina floors, for the mort
| fortunate prisoners whose friends sen,
| them food, and in this way keeps sou
and body together.