The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-22
Bolshevist Account
Of Execution

=,
Ekater1nburg, Russia, Feb. ia
BolsBeYist account Of the executionE
of the late Emperor Nicholas and his
family which took p.acc here on he
night Of July 16, 1yi>. has been male
public in pamphlet written by P.
Bykoff, former chairman former chair
man of the Ekaterinburg Soviet.
1t WAS inspired by the Communist
opinion that the story Of the exe"u-
tion should be told from the Bolshe-
visit side. But apparently it did not
meet with the approval of the higher
officials for, although it was published
in the closing days of 1921, It was i,n-
mediately withdrawn from circulation.
The book was printed by the stnte
printing department Of the Ural DIS
trict government in this city and gives
general review of the labor revola-
ton in the Urals. The last chapter
in its records the Emperor's death and
is entitled, "The Last Days of the
Car"
The book was obviously censored
carefully before it was published as
il lacks many details of the execution
which ordinarily would have been CIV
en- by eye witnesses. 1t attempts to
Justify the execution by explaining
that the Orenburg Cossacks were then
threatening Ekaterinburg from the
sotuh; the Czechoslovak forces were
pressing in from the east and letters
had been received showing that plots
were being formed to deliver the i'm
perial family to the counter -revolu-
tionsts. Two extracts from letters
arc quoted as evidence of the existence
of these plots.
According to Bykoff's account the
last words of the Emperor when he
| and his family were led Unexpectedly
into the basement Of their prison and
told that all the Romanoffs must die,
were: "But are we not be taken any
| whcre?"
The Empress and her four daugh-
ters (thc Grand Duchesses Olga. Tati-
ana, Anastasia, and Marie) and the
little Czarevitch and the remaining
members of the household Of IL were
SO stunned that they said nothing
! when Avdieff, the commandant of the
house ordered them to line up against
the basement wall and pronounced the
sent ence.
Bykotf says that firing squad of
four shot the former imperial family
with rcvolvers. The identity of the
| members of the execution squad is not
! revealed
The pamphlet places the response
billty for the execution of the Roman
offs directly upon the Ural district
soviet which decided early in July,
1913, that the Gar and his family
must die and entrusted the execution
of the sentence and the destroying of
the bodies to Peter Ermankoff, an old
workman Of the Upper -Issetsky
Works.
Avdieif, comnandant of the house,
read the sentence, according to By
koff's story, and there were only four
witnesses. But it is not indicated
whether Avdieff shot or even wit
messed the death of the imperial fam
ily.
There were no statements In By
kof's account which indicate that the
Crtl district soviet carried out the ex-
ecution under direct orders from Mos
cow.
The Romanoffs were in their ordi-
| nary clothing when shot. 1t was not
their custom to retire until long after
10 o'clock at night. Consequently all
wcle still dressed when the Inflated
group Of IL was unexpectedly ordered
20 the basement and shot.
Bykoff's story says the guards out
,ide the house and the public were
|ept in ignorance Of the shooting by
p noisy automobile outside which
drowned the pistol reports.
At ! o'clock the next morning the
II bodies were secretly removed from
the house and taken to q neighboring
| wood. There the clothing was remov-
I'd. The bodies were burned first and
hen the clothing. Bykof says the
'ewels and fragments Of jewelry
which Admiral Kolchak's officers lat
II claimed to have found in the ashes
we're probably concealed in the cloth
ng and overlooked by the men who
disposed of the bodies.
In addition TO the car and czarina
| Alexandra and their four daughters
and one son, the persons who met
| leath in the basement were Prince
Dolgoroukoff, DR.. Bodkin, who was
! physician to the Romanoffs, q lady
mating and man who was nurse
to the Czarevitch. The names of the
asst two are not given in Bykoff's
pamphlet.
Grand Duke Michael, brother of the
late czar, was shot at Perm in July,
1913, according to Bykoff's accoutn,
md the Grand Dukes Sergius Mikhai-