RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 January 1919, Page 5

RUSSIA.

MORE BOLSHEVIK ATROCITIES WHOLE VILLAGES WIPED OUT. •Received 9.10 a.m. COPENHAGEN, January 26. Finnish volunteers captured Narva. The Red Guards plundered the city before it was taken. They murdered the bourgeoise who could not escape and killed ;the entire population of the neighbouring villages owing to their inability to pay heavy taxes imposed. The Bolsheviks are now advancing on Libau, which the British squadron has decided to defend. SCATHING DENUNCIATION OF BOLSHEVIKS. BY RUSSIAN PATRIARCH. Received 9.15 a.m. COPENHAGEN, January 27. The Patriarch of All Russia, in scathing denunciation of the Bolsheviks, based on the text, “They who live by the sword shall perish by the sword,” declared the Bolsheviks had forced the country into an unheard-of fratricidal strife. All alive were in terror of the inquisition, plunder, rapine, imprisonment, and deaths. Hundreds of defenceless innocents were made to rot for months in dungeons or die on the scaffold without trial. Bishops, priests, arid nuns were slaughtered on vague charges of counter-revolutionary actions. The Bolsheviks had taught the ignorant masses open barefaced robbery. Famine menaces every village.

ALLIED REVERSE IN RUSSIA. Received 10.5 a.m. LONDON, January 27. A British North Russia official states the Bolsheviks continued pressure on the Shenkursk front in considerable force, and attacked on January 22 and 23. After three days’ bombardment our forces, consisting principally of Americans and Russians, withdrew to Shenkursk defences to avoid being outflanked by superior numbers. A later report states they are evacuating the town and defences, taking up a shorter line to the northward.

MURDER OF THE ROMANOFFS. 1 .

A TRAGIC DESCRIPTION,

Received 9.15 a m

LONDON, January 26.

Mr. Forester, in giving further details of the Czar’s death, states that the Czar was living at Ekaterinburg in the house of an engineer named Ignetieff. It was rumoured the Czechoslovaks were coming to set the Romanoffs free, whereupon the regular head of the council decided to execute the Czar and family. The men didn’t wait for written authority, but manifested barbarous joy. Stamping and cheering they rushed to the engineer’s house. The Czar and Czarina had gone to bed, but hearing the noise nastily donned their clothes. The Grand Duchess came in, and the. Czar helped his son into his uniform. Then the family knelt in prayer. The boy was overcome with emotion, and the Czar was forced to interrupt the prayer to go to his son’s assistance. The Czar--1 ina w'as on her knees when the door was burst open. The leader, with a finedish grin, said, T see you have already prepared yourself.’ ’ The” Czar replied, “I am ready.’,’ The leader retorted, “We are also going to wipe out your wife and family,” and turning to the men, said, “Out with them, and no pardon.” The Red Guards jostled the Royal exiles through the door, the Czar bearing his fainting son. His wife followed, praying softly. Then came the Grand Duchess and Baroness Buxherden, all in tears. Thus they reached the cellar in the neighbourhood of the house. On the way they met a batch of friends going to execution, including Dr. Bogkin and Prince Dolguruky. The Czar greeted them with, “And you also.” The Red Guards, afraid the bullets would rebound in such a confined space, shot the victims point-blank with revolvers. The Czar was murdered last.