ROMANOFF TRAGEDY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2031, 18 August 1920, Page 9

ROMANOFF TRAGEDY.

EKATERINBURG MURDERS. BRUTAL RED BUTCHERY. By Cubic. — Pme Attociatinn. — Copyright. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Aug. 16. The "Evening Standard" publishes what purports to be the iinal conclusive details of the murder of the Tsar and his family at Ekaterinburg in 1918. The facts were collected by General Diederichs, commander of the Czechoslovakian troops in Siberia, who carefully investigated the circumstances. The victims were harshly treated while prisoners. At 2 o'clock in the morning of July 17, 1918, a Russian named Yourowskyh, with 10 Letts - and five Soviet Deputies, all Jews, entered the rooms where the victims were guarded. Yourowskyh, addressing the Tsar, said: "Your life is finished." The Tsar replied: "I am ready," while two ladies and Dr. Botkine made the sign of the cross. The three Grand Duchesses fainted. The Tsarevitch remained standing, his eyes seeming as if they would start from their sockets. He appeared to have lost his reason. Yourowskyh gave the signal and fired the first shot from his revolver: The Tsar fell dead. Furious killing followed. Those who had-not succumbed to the revolver shots were killed with bayonets and the butts of rifles. The Grand Duchess An astasia was stabbed dead 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 Feodrovna and the Grand Duke Serge and his three sons were executed at Alapaevka and their bodies thrown into a mine.