Evening star., 1927-05-08
ian Who Shared Czars Exile Tells How Monarch Was Slain

all directions. 1t vas unbelievable,
but none the less true.
The capital of Siberia Omsk had
been captured by insurgents; the Dol
sheviks had fed in panic Thirty
steamers loaded with Red troops and
gold passed Tobolsk during the night
For three days we lived isolated
from the whole world. without any
government or even local administra-
tion. Then arrived the dreaded White
army II consisted Of 80 officers
with two machine guns We were say
ed
LaJe m July the Whites captured
Ekateriuburg / Immediately started
thjther to find out what had happened
TO the imperial family
Arriving at Ekateruburg we were
met with ovations. The city vas fun
of former guardsmen and Courtiers,
who once more parad2d in their bril-
liant uniforms. They met me with
open arms
But none of them knew anything
about the imperial family except
| that their house was empty and its
cellar full Of blood
BY March. 1919. / knew definitely
that the whole imperial family and
my father had been killed on July
| u, 1918. a few days before Ekaterin-
| burg was captured by the Whites.
As later Investigations proved,
| Commissar Yakoyleff had been fooled
| by his superiors. The then German
| Ambassador. Count Mirbach de
| manded the release OF the imperial
| family. The president of the central
| executive committee, Jankel Sverd-
| loft. undertook OstensibIy to deliver
| the imperial family while in reality
/ he organized the murder. He de
/ spatched Yakovleff TO bring the Inn
/ perial family TO Moscow, nd at the
| same time gave secret orders that
| they should he stopped IN Ekaterin-
| burg. There they were imprisoned in
a small house surrounded by a double
/ fence.
THE humil.atlons they were sub
jccted to are indescribable. Their
jailer Avdieff, a workman who was
| always intoxicated. entered their
rooms at any time of the day or
night. annoyed and ridculed his pris.
| oners. But gradually even this brute
began to show more respect TO pris.
oners who could astound him by their
patience and quiet dignity. The result
was that Avdieff was dismissed and
| Yourovsky appointed in his place and
with orders to carry out the plan of
murder Immediately.
Shortly after midnight on July Il
| fOurovsky Informed the prisoners
that they would be transferred 10
/ safer place. He ordered them to 60
down to the cellar and there await the
arrival Of the cars. The prisoners did
sgiI
Suddenly Yourovsky. followed BY
nine other men. rushed into the
room. lie approached the Emperor
: and shouted.
Your people wanted 20 save you,
but they did not succeed. We are go
ng TO shoot YOU"
With these words he fired upon the
Emperor. killing him instantly. Then
! The massacre began. Grand Duchess
7 Anastasia alone was not killed by the
shots, but only wounded. Several
/ soldiers, hearing her screams, thrust
( al her with bayonets.
! Those killed were: the Emperor
( the Empress. the four grand duchess
/ es. the Czarevitch, my father. a maid
/ named Denudova and two servants.
! Haritonoff and Trup. Their bodies
were taken to nearby forest. strip
| ped and burned. But their bones. az
/ well as many small objects. which es-
capped the fire. were found later and
! transferred abroad
By slow and bitter stages 7 made
| my way across Siberia to Vladivos-
tok. After joining in the antl-boI-
| shevist work there with the final
defeat of the White arfnies-made a
desperate escape 10 Japan.
Now that | live in New York. where
! everything is so secure and matter
! of-fact, my past seems strange and
| unbelievable. 4 nightmare. | am glad
| I will never have to live through it
I again