Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-06-04
The story of Casper Hauser.

The story of Casper Hauser.
Our readers will remember some fifteen or
twenty years since, the mysterious tale of the
strange youth found in Lepsic. The mystery
was never explained. Like the man in the iron
mask, 1t excited endless speculation but without
any determined result. The recent death of the
Grand Duke of Baden, with whose family the
tale was associated, has revived public interest
in it. The following are the facts so far as they
are at present known:
In the year 1909, the Emperor Napoleon COM
PEELED the then Grand Duke of Baden, Duke
Charles Frederick TO marry his son, Duke Char
les, to Stephanie Tascher de la Pargesic, a niece
of the Empress Josephine. The fruits of that
marriage were two SONS and three daughters
All of the latter are now living, and one is mar
red to the Marquis of Douglas. The first son
died very suddenly, and when the second dsap-
peared or died very suddenly, no records of eth
er were to be found. Duke Ludwig, the young
er brother of Duke Charles, was exiled from
Court for very considerable period by his faith
| er, the then reigning Grand Duke. A fate;seem-
ed to attend the male children brought into the
world by Stephanie.
Suspicion OF foul play was very general at
the time, and were directed solely against Duke
| Ludwig, who was known to be ambitious of sue
ceedng his father, and who hated the Duchesse
Stephane and her children. Duke Charles died,
and on the death of his father, Duke Ludwig
ascended the ducal throne. Duke Ludwig re-
manned unmarried leading life of the widest
and most criminal character. Some years pre-
vious to his succession, his father, the Grand
! Duke Charles Frederick, having lost his first
! wife, contracted left handed or morgantc mar
riage with Madame Geyer Won Geyersberg, a la
dy of bad reputation about the Court. After their
marriage Madam Geyer was created Countess
| of Hochbe'g.
While married to the Grand Duke Charles
! Frederick, the Countess Hochburg gave birth
to four children, the eldest of whom was the
Grand Duke Charles Leopold, whose demise is
now recorded. Rumor was mysterious about
the parentagc of these children, and dark hints
were thrown out as to their relationship Duke
! LudWig's name being much complicated in these
statements. During the reign of this Ludwig it
! happened that wild diotic youth was found
one morning sitting in the streets at Leipsic, and
unable to give any account of himself His
tongue gave forth only uninteigibe and nds-
tinct sounds Taken care of and instructed by
kind Samartans, this youth, who had given
to him the name of Casper Hauser, gradually
made known to his friends that his previous ex-
istence had been passed in a cell under ground
in which he had seen only one person ; that he
| had never seen the daylight until few days
| previous to his discovery at Leipsic, when his
keeper carried him out of the cell, and transpOr
ted him to the place in Lcipsic where he was
! found.
| Inquiries, public and private were made in all
directions without any result. Suspicious OF
various kinds arose, paper war ensued, some
authors treating Casper Hauser as an ingenious
| mpOstcF, others enunciating boldly the suspicion
that he was heir to the Baden throne. Facts
however were wanting to prove the connexion,
and while the enquiries were still pending poor
Casper Hauser was suddenly murdered at NJ
remburg. The wanting facts have never been
supplied, though the chain of circumstantal evil
dencc has been increased and strengthened. 1t
was known at the time of the paper war alluded
to- that "a pamphlet on the subject, announced
for publication as containing some of the want
ing proof, had been bought off by some I'M
known person
! The unknown person was subsequently prov
ed in a court of Justice to be Major IIenenho-
fer, the creature and confident of Ludwig, the
minister to and parcipator in all his designations.
Major tIenenhofer was also seen in M remburg
on the evening when Casper Hauser was muir
dered. Were an enquiry to be made it is posi-
| bic that more evidence on the subject would be
forthcoming, and the identity of Casper Iauser
with the missing son of the Duel ess Stephane
be clearly established. The Duchess has pre-
served on this subject the strictest silence Her
present position and influence in Paris might per-
haps, if the suspicious which have prevailed are
well founded, induce her to break that resolution
and visit with vengeance the family for whose
advantage her own sons were made away with
" Y. I'rid"ne.