EX-TSAR KILLED BY BOLSHEVIKS

OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION

The following Russian Government message, describing the assassination of the ex-tsar, has been received by the Admiralty, per Wireless Press: “At the first session of the Central Executive Committee elected by the Fifth Congress of the Councils a message was made public, received by direct wire from the Ural Regional Council, concerning the shooting of the ex-tsar, Nicholas Romanoff. Recently Ekaterinenburg, the capital of the Red Ural, was seriously threatened by the approach of the Czecho-slovak bands. At the same time, a counter-revolutionary conspiracy was discovered, having for its object the wresting of the tyrant from the hands of the Council’s authority by armed force. In view of this fact, the Presidium of the Ural Regional Council decided to shoot the ex-tsar Nicholas Romanoff. This decision was carried out on July 16. The wife and son of Romanoff have been sent to a place of security. Documents concerning the conspiracy which was discovered have been forwarded to Moscow by a special messenger. “It had been recently decided to bring the ex-tsar before a tribunal to be tried for bis crimes against the people, and only later occurrences led to delay in adopting this course. The Presidency of the Central Executive Committee, after having discussed the circumstances which compelled the Ural Regional Council to take the decision to shoot Nicholas Romanoff, decided as follows: ‘The Russian Central Executive Committee, in the persons of the Presidium, accept the decision of the Ural Regional Council as being regular.’ “The Central Executive Committee has now at its disposal extremely important material and documents concerning the Nicholas Romanoff affair; his own diaries, which he kept almost to the last days; diaries of his wife and children; his correspondence, amongst which are letters by Gregory Rasputin to Romanoff and his family. All these materials will be examined and published in the near future.”