CZAR'S END

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1920, Page 5

CZAR'S END

THE TRAGEDY RETOLD.' AN AUTHENTIC REPORT. By Telegraph.—Pre«s Assn.—Copyright. Received August 17, 7.30 p.m. London, August 19. The Standard publishes what purports to be final atid conclusive details of the murder of the Czar and his family at Ekaterinburg in 1918. The facts were collected by General Diederichs, commander of the Czecho-Slovakian Siberian froops, who carefully investigated the circumstances.

The victims were harshly treated while prisoners. At two o'clock on the morning of July 17, 1918, a Russian named Yourowskyh, with ten Letts and five Soviet deputies, all Jews, entered the rooms where the victims were guarded. Yourowskyh, addressing the Czar, said: "Your life is finished;" The Czar replied : "I am ready."

While two of the ladies and Dr. Botkine made the sign of the Cross the three Grand Duchesses fainted. The Czarevitch remained standing, his eyes seeming as if they would start from their sockets, and he appeared to have lost his reason.

Then Yourowskyh gave a signal and fired the first shot with a revolver, and the Czar fell dead. Furious killing followed, and those who did not succumb to revolver shots were killed with bayonet? and butts of rifles. The Grand Duchess Anaatasia fainted, and she waß stabbed to death with bayonets. These facts were proved by a priest and the wife of one of the murderers. The bodies; were afterwards burnt, and what remained was thrown into a mine containing water. On the day following, the Grand Duchess Fedor&vna, the Grand Duke Serge, and their three sons were executed at Alapaevka, and their bodies were thrown into a mine.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.