RUSSIAN MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 185, 8 August 1927, Page 7

RUSSIAN MYSTERY.

REAL QUESTION MARK Woman Believed To Be Anastasia. DAUGHTER OP CZAR. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, August 7. A special effort is being made to solve the mystery of a woman who is called Frau von Tchaikovsky. Many people think she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the late Czar Nicholas of Russia, who was born in July, 1901. It had previously been believed that she had been murdered with the remainder of the Royal family at Ekaterinburg on July 17, 191 S. The victims included Dr. Botkin, the Czar's physician, whose son Gleb was Anastasia's playmate in childhood, and who shared part of her exile in Siberia. Gleb Botkin was recently sent by the North American Newspaper Alliance from America to make investigations in Kurope. His inquiries convinced him that the claim is genuine. Frau von Tchaikovsky is at present a half-crazed invalid, and is the guest of Horr Kuko Leuchtenbeig at the Castle Secon, in Obing, Germany. After the massacre the Grand Duchess Anastasia was, it is alleged, rescued by a Pole named Tchaikovsky, whom she married in Bucharest, under the name of Anastasia Romanoff. She bore a child to Tchaikovsky, after which the Bolsheviks killed him. Anastasia went to Berlin, and left her child in an orphan asylum. She suffered great hardships and attempted suicide, but charitable people gave her assistance. Madame Oilliard, Anastasia's former nurse, visited the woman and said she positively identified her by birthmarks, but later she recanted. Then the "mystery woman" went to Bavaria, where a friend of her childhood again identified her as Anastasia. After that she became the guest of Herr Leuchtenberg. A Berlin paper was the first to champion the cause of the woman, but afterwards that paper said she was an impostor named Francesca Shanskowsi, an insane Polish working woman. Gleb Botkin interviewed the woman at length, and says he is absolutely certain that she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia. She recognised him and discussed his relatives, and recounted matters which only the Grand Duchess Anastasia could have known. Her handwriting was the »ame as Anastasia's. Frau von Tchaikovsky seemed to be hopeless regarding her future, as she knew she must remain an "eternal question mark." Gleb Botkin departed, feeling depressed, as he believes line woman is being persecuted by persons who are determined to discredit her, and to put her out of the way at any cost.—(A. and N.Z. and Sydney '-Sun.'")