RUSSIAN SECRETS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1931, Page 2

RUSSIAN SECRETS

INFLUENCE OF RASPUTIN. ROYAL FAMILY’S ACTIONS. While Rasputin’s body, taken from the river Neva, was undergoing a post-mortem examination in wayside building between l’etiograd and Tsarskoe Selo, during the night, the CV.ariua arrived from Tsarskoo Selo and demanded that the body should be handed over to her. The Czarina did not then get Rasputin’s body, biit she took away his clothes. Rasputin, when lie was killed, was wearing a blue .shirt embroidered with yellow corn (lowers, which the Czarina bad given him. Two days afterward, wl en a small periodical operation was being performed on the Czarevitch's knee, the surgeon noticed Rasputin’s blue shirt under the operating table. 'rinse astounding disclosures 11 re made bv Sir Samuel Roai-e, Air .Minister in the late Conservative Government who was chief of the British Secret Service mission in Retrograd for a year from March, 11)1(5, until the eve of tin? Russian revolution. They aopcnr in a notable book, “Toe Fourth Seal,” which was published recently i t Sir Samuel does not indicate his view as to what Rasputin’s shift was doing under the operating table, hut the obvious conclusion, bearing in mind the Czarina’s superstitious belief in tin' “holy man,” is that she put his shirt there as a talisman, and supposed that it would have the power of “magic.” Such was the Czarina. wm> twisted the Czar round her little finger. A R for the Russian Church. S’r Samuel Ifoare savs, in one of the letters Ir* reprints : “The scandals that have taken place are almost beyond belief. Bishops have been appointed by tin* help of the ‘Dark Forces.’ who could nut even read or write. “After Rasputin’s, the most active personality is that of Pitirim, j the Metropolitan of Retrograd, a notorious intriguer and joboer.” AY hen the jobber was attacked in the Duma, the Czar issued a rescript “thanking thy Metropolitan for ins services.” When Princess Yassilshchikova wrote to the Czarina imploring her j to get rid of Rasputin, she received I an order “from the Ministry of the Court that she and her husband should leave Retrograd in disgrace.’’ corruption rife. Sir Samuel Hoare, in letters to the War Office, faithfully painted the rotten state of the Czar’s Government, ;uid predicted that tilings would go front bad to worse, dust after this panto the first explosion—-the murder of Rasputin, the Czarina’s “holy man,” and the figurehead of the “Dark Forces.” .Sir Samuel gives many details of the murder of Rasputin, which he gathered on the spot and sent in his letters to the War Office. Rasputin’s real name was, lie says, Gregory Efeniich Novikli. “Rasputin” was a nickname meaning “The Rake,” which he gained by “his excesses in his village.” Sir Samuel was on a committee when an official entered with the news that Rasputin had been murdered that morning by the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and Prince Yusupoy. Afterward it was said that the Grand Duke drew the lot to kill Rasputin, hut that Prince Yusupov undertook the duty. Sir Samuel describes the scene in the almshouse where, by the light of two small lamps, th c surgeon began the post-mortem on Rasputin’s body. Ho found three wounds, one in the hack and two in the head, all made by shots at close range. Sir Samuel says:— “While the. examination was proceeding one of the gorodovols (policemen) announced that two ladies had come for the body. Sereda and Kosorotov declared that this was impossible. “A message then came back that they must give up the clothes. They did.”