Evening star., 1923-12-21
Fate of Grand Duke Michael
Again Matter of Controversy

mostly toward him manifested by
the soviet authorities to leave for
England. and two passports, one for
himself and the other for his secre
were placed at his disposal by the
British embassy. But he absolutely
declined 20 make use thereof, firmly
convinced that he was in no danger
of any harm, and that his duty was
TO remain Within call of the people.
But in February, 1918. he was
suddenly arrested one night, along
with Johnson. and conveyed. as a
prisoner Of state. to Smolensk. Sew
eral weeks later. thanks to the in
fiuence. of the soviet commissioner,
Joffe, he was transferred, with his
English secretary. to Perm. and, In
stead of being lodged in prison. was
permitted to establish himself in
relative liberty at the leading hotel.
where he was visited, not only by
his wife. but also by Princess
One day, toward the end OF July.
1918, Basil Tchillicheff, the valet, and
Baronouff, the chauffeur of the grand
duke, arrived at Petrograd and re-
ported to Princess Olga Poutiatine
that a few nights previously a large
troyka had arrived In the middle of
the night at the hotel with five men,
strongly armed, and who had made
their way into the bedroom of the
grand duke. declaring that they had
orders to arrest and seize Michael
RomanofT. When the secretary,
Charles Johnson, attempted to in
tervene, and TO resist on the ground
that, as being under the special pro-
lection Of the soviet of Perm. they
were immune from arrest, the leader
of the band whispered a few words
into his ear. The fears manifested
on Johnson's face at once gave way
to an expression of profound relief,
and, indeed of delight. He whispered
a few words in English to the grand
duke, and then turned to the valet
and muttered to him: TITS all right,
Basil It's the best thing that could
happen. I am delighted" intimating
that the armed men disguised as
bolshevist soldiers were monarchists,
who had come to save the grand duke.
The valet and the chauffeur assisted
the grand duke and Johnson to get
into the conveyance. alongside the
driver, the guards piling in on the
other seat. and then they vanished
into the night and that was the last
seen or heard Of them.
X r
Now, In conjunction with Princess
Olga Poutiatine's story. as related in
the Revue des Deux Mondes, must
be taken the fact that, although the
grand duke, while living in England
with his wife and children, during
the interval between his marriage at
Vienna on October Is. 1911. and his
reconciliation with his brother, the
outbreak of the great war, had in
sured his life. in London, for a very
large amount in favor of the Countess
Brussoff and their children, who were
residing with him, at the time, at
Knebworth, Lord Lytton's picturesque
surance has never yet been claimed
by the countess. Indeed, am given
to understand that the annual pre-
miums on the policies still continue
to be paid. presumably by the count
ess, in whose name her husband in
vested a very large amount of money
in England, and In Paris, before re-
turning to Petrograd in the winter of
1s13-14. Nor does the countess con-
vey the Idea Of a grief-stricken
widow.
All sorts Of rumors have been cur
rent to the effect that her husband
is living in the strictest concealment
according to some in the remotest
portions Of Siberia, according to 9TH
ers in Japan, under the protection OF
the prince regent and the Empress
Of Japan. on one OF their more
closely guarded estates; according to
others somewhere in AMMAN. or else
where in Indo-China under the pro-
lection Of the French. Wherever he
is. the secret Of his refuge has been
well kept, the reason for the secrecy
being that, IL 1t were known, the
soviet government, now In the final
stages Of its existence and alarmed
at the rising sentiment against 1t by
the masses of peasantry. would not
hesitate to have him murdered by
one of those INSCRIPTIONS agents
which 1t maintains in every foreign
country, and especially here in the
United States. for the purpose OF
communistic propaganda.
It is believed that the grand dukes
wife, his mother, the widowed Empress
Marie, also the Grand Duke Nicholas
Nicholaiovitch, without being aware
Of his Whereabouts, have assurances
that he is alive and well, waiting for
the time to come for his reappearance
as the hope and reGsueyator of the
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