New-York tribune., 1922-12-01
Mons Iliodor
Comes Here to
Turn Preacher
v...;ap Priest, Noted War
S'f, f;sSre. Forced by Reds,
ne Says, to Serve as Is, Head
ofCreek Orthodox Church
Hope. to Join Baptis's
r.,.,ed Via Riga After
''ls Failing to Tns'ilI T, Prot
! sslan, Ideals in Slavs

49,, Trgfanof' pet'e' ""VN " 20
n.osor Who was 3 eonso'euous
~, ~, before the overthrow Of the Car ar
tf'n s,.'.,.. arrived terc yesterday on
y 49, 80, American liner Lithuanis
y. w., RIA, making his I, teeSnd ono trip RIP. TO
ifen eastry IN the last fosr years
ns Co., hers in 1918, when he became
He W. the Baptist Church nno
s7tfIss's. nianning unnecessarily the
very w. an NJ the Russian Church tr-
cea tsy.iiSS' ~ immigration officials and
nc a he Department or Just oe
retAaels ..',rsd him osely yesterday
yhe s,,.odel 10 become an Ameri-
ttts ns .sii ioin the Baptist ministry
can eivss.' wang the Russians IN this
bnA Ne'A S,mpcrsrly he declared he
eose,1ify. y...iSs n the home Of Josopa
,,sslss,sv 49, ssr Of a Baptist minister
,So Isst Eleventh Street fod'es-
-, kini at the pier.
IL f.,mer monk. IN the Gago OF 3
- h aim st sx feet tall, nas q
~ 1-ss,e6 Slavic countenancr with a
li,,ar eouplexion and appears 70 be-
"a efty years o d. lie weara Van
t.,-f beard. Although he speaks sev.
language fuently, 4e has on,y
sra,terine Of English. SO the author
lies called upOr an interpreter me
crk INSIGNIA that might have revealed
a. iSestit, was an embossed white
ercss On a gold ring he VIA wearing
shc nsrk Of bishop IN tnc Russian
pelormed Greek Orthodox Church. He
vas accompanied by his wi e, about
fafen years his junior. and his three
children, ScrCius, seven years osdi
gepe, FIVE, ard lliodor. four.
Met Car in Ekaterinburg
Through the Interpreter ne told re-
oo,ters that he left Russia IA 1916 be-
cause Rasputin, the monk and conldant
o. the Czarins, had turned Nicholas
aga nst hir. Rasputin was later assaf-
slnated by the nobility, who contended
that ne was men &C 70 the country.
Iliodor left the United States in
March, 1918, and proceeded 10 Vladivo-
vtok, whe'e he was taken into custody
Is an enemy Of the Reds, but wss re-
leased shortly after on orders from
Moscow and permitted TO enter the
Soviet Republic. On May 3, 1918, ne
said he was IN EkaterinbUrg, where he
met the Car, the Czarina and their
children shortly before they we're put
70 death.
When Iliodor reached Tzaritzin he
ss.d he was requested" by repreGenta-
tiyes Of the Lenine government 70 as
sist the Reds il preaching 70 the Boil
sher.st army, threatening the soldiers
With accommodation and other re-
ligious penalties in order to hold their
loyalty. This behest he refused, he
ssid, because he had become incensed
sg1inst the Bo.shevists for their NAL
Treatment Of the royal family. He
sysded further demands by Disgusting
sinself as q religious pilerim, and in
TINS manner visited both The Red and
White armies.
In tho fall Of 1919, in Saratov. his
identity was revealed. and he was
placed under arrest. He was informed
tnat the bolshevik government desired
nlm 70 become head Of the Russian
church sd u5e HIS influence in that
capacity to undermine its organization
sho personnel 50 as 90 make IL inef-
;ee.iye. Being incarcerated at the time
ne mad no -'ternatiye but to accede, and
was released TO plan his campaign, but
was constantly under surveillance.
Family Joins Him in Riga
he explained that ne then vns
elected Patriarch OF the Russian Re
FORMED Church, although Tikhon al
Ieeoy held that Office. IN October, 1921.
ne was summoned ~ @Ia o"a-i-'- :
y government, who tolo him that they
iihteneed dispensing wi,n l,a.Vn
oy falling or Killing him. The reason
ior ihis was that they we're goinr 20
enforce reformation in the Church
tthiough Hiodor. The two Patrisrehs
eeihg friends. lliodor again fenced
Ier IIer Tine until June Of this year, when,
niougi o clandestine aource. he wss
TIA. un,ess he vac 10 take
iseN0n nc would be executed. nc bid
VIE ard tRo children lad. Accom-
pshiaa - his son, Sergius. escaped bv
to Riga.
eoout month later his wife ard tne
Oslef children arrived in Riga, having
covered much Of thcir 'org and
psIilous journey Oh foot.
- L.eatfnant Clinton Wood. o. tire New
ioi1 Pol &C Department, also arrived
On On inc Lthuanis after seven months IN
,.ossis Polund and other countries.
= y IS believed he was following clews
N N connection with the Wall Street
pom Dono explosion. bit hc declir9dr to