IN A PALACE PRISON

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18384, 4 July 1917, Page 5

IN A PALACE PRISON

THE DEPOSED EMPEROR.

Tsarskoe-Selo, Sunday, 25th March, via Londou, 26th March.—Penetrating today into and under the vast prison-palace of Nicholas Romanoff, the depose? Emperor, the correspondent of the Associated Press to-day obtained from the gaoler the first reliable statement of the former Emperor's condition, (stages a message ta the New York Evening Post). Since the visit paid by the correspondent to the Palace last week severer measure* have* been taken to guard the prisoner. These grew out of rumours of an attempted flight, monarchist conspiracies againsttlie temporary Government, and pressure by Extremist forces. The guards have

been increased, and a special representatiTe of tine Council of Deputies put among them. At the second Entrance were four sentries of the Ist Tirailleur Regiment, from which, out of the five regiuienta now garrisoned in Tsarskoe-Selo, were chosen the guards, as the result of the regiment 5! revolutionary conduct at Kiev 10 years ago.

Inside the second entry, a small hall crowded with soldiers, an ill-painted ikon with red lamp burning hangs over a ding}' wooden.desk, at which the soldiers

note the names of all those entering. At

the back of the hall are two /staircases with a gallery on top, over the rail ot which lean'the imperial cooks and lackeys in pale grey tunics with gold braid and

stamped with the black eagle of Mchuias. All this part of the Palace is dirty, dingy, 111-ligTTted, and unimpressive, not at all such as might be expected of the surroundings of a great monarch. Leading from between the starcases runs a long vaulted gallery, broken by shorter right and left transverse galleries. All are windowless. At neatly every otFer door on the long gallery there is a telephone. Asking his soldier escort if telephones w»re connected with the spy and protective system, the correspondent got the answer: "Precisely so.* The rooms of the gallery seem also to be underground, but, judging by the ornamented padlocked doors, they are not cellars. Twv only bear an inscription. One reads: "Servants of the Most August Children," the other bears a, placard from pre-revx. lutionaxy times showing it to have been the bureau of the officer of fche day .»f Emperor Nicholas's underground guard. In this room, to which he was led by a soldier, €FTe correspondent met the officer of the day, Captain Bowers, who-sharply said to him: "You are the only person other than a soldier or prisoner,who has passed through the galleries since the resolution. 1'

—The Prisoner.—

"The former Emperor '■ is not under detention, but in all respects a prisoner, and is treated accordingly,* said Captain Kotzebue. "He is in perfectly good ariolth, and in fairly' good spirits. Wh<Vn he is with bis own entourage he has tits of crying. He ife no longer allowed in the park; but twice daily, from 11 to 3 o'clock, Ec is permitted to walk for* recreation in the railed garden between the east and west wings of the Palace. Outside the railing are six soldiers constituting the so-called intermediate guard." The first guard is within the v- Palace walls, and the third outside the parkfence. The regime of the imprisonment of Nicholas is applied also to < all couruers and servants*who are prisoners. The former Emperor is not permitted to go ipto the garden except in my presence. He walks frequently with other prisoners, preferring the society of the fornnr Empress, Count Benkendorff (former Marshal of the Court), Madame Narychkin ?, and Countess Hendrikoff. He is requested to converse only in Russian when in the presence of soldiers. The former Emperor's cEief occupation is shovelling snow in the garden, which he enjoys greatly. He shows boyish interest in wh t is s*id and writtenyof him. He does hob resent abuse. At present he is chiefly desiious of receiving foreign newspaper , which axe virtually unobtainable.

—Condition of the Empress.—

''The former Empress is in Defter health, fler real malady is not o! the nerves, but of the heart. She is unable io walk any distance, and is carried in a even from her own suite to n«r children's rooms. Grant] Duke Alexis, t!.e former heir to the' throne, has recovered entirely. He rose from bed on Friday for the first time. When he heard of h.s father's dethronement he cried bitterly, not, in my opinion, from appreciation <<f the situation, but merely because he v. ;ia affecteed by his parents' misery. T.'io other children are better, except Gra:;a Duchess Marie. All letters and communications to the Court are brought here fi-.-it I am the center." Here Captain Kotzebuo shoved tne correspondent a tremendous pile of envelopes awaiting censorship. Many, judging from the handwriting wcro from illiterate peasants. The captain also exhibited bottles of a solution used for nvealing invisible ink.

"My anxiety," the captain continued, "is to reduce extravagance and disore'er at the palace. This morning I discover! 60 men who were drawing pay for moving firewood from one courtyard to ano&Kt. Five men could do the work. This is symbolic <>f the general administration of uur empire under the varnished regime."