Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-04-25

There took place on March II, at the
Hofburg, the grand palace of the EN-
peror Francis Joseph of Austria, an
event perhaps unequalled in the recent
annals of European royalty. What gave
rise to it was the visit which an old
Transylvanian peasant named Herker
Visacky had paid three days before to
the Emperor. The peasant and his SOW
ereign were old acquaintances, and a
very peculiar link existed between the
two. Their connection dated from the
year in which the Emperors second
brother, the ill-starred Arehduke Ferdi-
nand Macmillan. was on the eve of his
departure for Mexico.
A week or two previous TO that event,
Herker Visacky, covered with dust and
bearing every trace of extreme fatigue,
demanded to see his Majesty without
delay. During the interview the old man
told him that he had travelled all the way
from Transylvania on foot to Vienna,
because he had had a strange vision in
regard to the Emperor's brother, the
Archduke Ferdinand Macmillan. He
said he had seen, in this vision, the latter
in a foreign country, standing up before
file of soldiers, who were shooting at
him. Herker Visacky added that he had
repeatedly had other visions of impor-
tant events, which had afterwards turned
out to be literally true. Francis Joseph,
like most of the Hapsburgs, is supersti-
tious, and the words of the old Transyl-
yanian peasant made deep impression
on him. He thanked Herker Visacky,
4 L. IL, 4
him to visit him again if he had any
thing further to communicate.
Whether Francis Joseph communi-
Gated the vision of the old Transylvan.
ian peasant to his enthusiastic brother
or not is unknown; butcertain it is that
he received a second visit from Herker
Visacky in the spring of 1866, immedi-
ately previous to the breaking out OF the
war between Prussia and Germany. The
peasant predicted to him in the m ost i'm
pressive language and with many start
ling details the disastrous issue of the
impending campaign. The Emperor
listened respectfully to the old man, but
did not heed his warning 1t may be
imagined that he looked upon Herker
Visacky as seer when his predictions
few weeks afterward were verified, and
still more so when his unfortunate
brother Macmillan, in the following
wear fell dead under the bullets of
Juarez's soldiers at Queretaro.
After that second visit Francis Jo-
semi did not hear anything further from
the peasant until the 8th of March last.
On this occasion the old peasant said
that he had seen in another vision a
Prince of the IMPERIAL House, as Re-
rent of the Empire, opening the Austrian
Parliament; that the Prince had been
hailed as liberator of the country, and
had pledged himself to rule it thence
forth in a truly liberal spirit. This
Prince. he added. was married to low
horn woman, and for sometime past had
been in Vienna without the Emperors
knowledge. Francis Joseph was startled
He sent for the Chief of the Secret Po.
lice of Vienna, and asked him to find
out whether or not the Archduke Henry,
who, it is we'll known, is married to an
actress of very humble descent, and
who. in consequence, is not allowed to
live at the Imperial Court was secratly
in the city. About noon on the llth of
March, after two days search, the EN-
persr was informed that the Archduke
had been for several weeks incognito at
at . private house in Wieden suburb.
This added to the Emperor's agita-
ton. and he sent at once for the Arch
duke Henry, his cousin. What occurred
next is not accurately known, but after
brief and angry conversation between
he twa Hausburrs the servants in the
sLne snse ogVw ,11o "es nersons engaSed in scnfIe
ua;noIad no w;tb Iond cnrses The door was
ul's J5oSIr torn onen The Fmneror an.
suuue5'J saaueJ Jw;tS bis face finished crimson
seatt4 ~, ~ drssgsa out tha Arch.
WIZ 4i1Est, 1If 90 80 ny ~ biaaJ;ng
duke IeniIi i,S ynO'o oorI5 Ia bo % No don5,
proluiselyiL tne.e E."lLS, 49, ~ LJDooi
out thas s"4 emperor ahu AIS nleuuuIa' pS ~
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