The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-06-21
PRINCELY SCANDAL,
The Late Poisoning of the Heir of the
German Crow n-Pauline WeiGel and
Her Imperial Lover.

The Late Poisoning of the Heir of the
German Crown-Pauline WeigeI and
Her Imperial Lover.
Some startling facts have recently
become known In regard to the poison
ing of Prince Frederick William of
Prussia, for which the Jesuits were
denounced In unmeasured terms. AL
though the German newspapers have
not ventured to publish line on the
subject, it is no longer a secret at the
capital that the Jesuits had nothing
whatever to do with the poisoning, and
that the real criminal, who was not
prosecuted at all for the offense, was
woman. The first suspicious in regard
to this mysterious affair were aroused
by the appearance IN January last, In
Berlin newspaper, of the announce
ment that Henry Peltzer had been
married to Pauline Weigel. Peltzer
was middle-aged attendant of the
household of the Grown Prince, and
Pauline Weigel, who ostenslbly carried
on the business of a milliner, had for
years been the mistress of the Crown
Prince. The Crown Prince, it appears,
formed the acquaintance OF Pauline
Weigel shortly after his marriage to
the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria
Pauline at that time was dashing,
spirited beauty, dark blonde, of slen-
der, graceful form, an expressive, viva
cious countenance, and engaging
manners. The Crown Prince meeting
the fair Pauline, who was then but
twenty years old, ut a popular ball, fell
in love with her A week afterward
| she was his mistress, and from the first
she gained an ascendancy over him
which she managed to retain until a
very recent period. In the course Of
time she bore several children to the
| Prince, who provides for their wants.
This lIaison did not long remain a
secret to the Crown Princess Victoria,
and it led to many angry alterca-
| tons between the Princess and her
hayward husband. In 1860 definite
rupture between them WAS averted only
by the efforts of the Crown Princess
father, Prince Albert, who hurried from
Windsor Castle to Berlin, and succeed
ed in effecting a reconciliation between
his daughter and her husband. The
latter promised to behave himself il
the future but although FOR a time
he acted with more circumspectiop, he
did not by any means break of will
Pauline Wiegel, who, knowing full
we'll her great power over the Crow
Prince, lngeniously stimulated hi
jealousy of her, and thereby strength
ened the meshes III which she held hin
captive.
Pauline Weigers beauty was no
sensibly impaired in the course o
time, and it was not until 1866 that tn
Crown Prince made an effort to shak
off her yoke. The death of his Qegit
} imate) son, Slgismund, which occurre,
Just at the breaking out of the wa
with Austria, made a profound i'm
preston upon him. When hereturne,
to Berlin, after the conclusion Of peace
, he told his mistress that they mus
lpart, had become pasoionately attaehe
to him, succeeded, by dint of tears, re
proaches and threats of suicide, i
keeping him attached to her. Th
{ Crown Prince succumbed again
but thenceforth visited her nor
rarely. Finally, in November last
he resolved upon rupture.
He visited her one night in the earl
part of that month, and told her, wit
o Hohenzollern brusqueness, that tbei
lason must come to an end: that sh
. must marry that Henry Peltzer, VIII
!, had frequently acted as go-between fC
them, had consented to become he
husband that he would literally pro
- vide for them, and that they mus
leave Berlin and Germany after til
;, wedding. Vainly did she try TO shak
his determination. Tears and suppl
cations proved unavailng. The cnl
thing which she extorted from him wa
l the promise that he would visit he
! again on the following evening, but h
\ told her most emphatically that woul
be for the last time.
At half-past eight In the evening tn
; Prince arrived in public hack. Whs
occurred between him and Pauliu
/, = Weigel during this their last intervie
y is a secret, except that the Grow
Prince took cup of tea just befor
: leaving her, which was after tie
0 O'Clock. When he arrived near hi
, palace, the hack driver stopped, as h
i had been ordered to do, and, upo
opening the door of the coach, fount
to his great alarm, that the Prince ha
Il suddenly been taken seriously sick. H
: carried the patient to the door of tia
palace. where he was at once take
y care of. In a few moments the SCI
wants were alarmed, the Crown Prir
cess made her appearance, til
Prince was taken to his bee
1 room, and the court ply
: slcians We're sent for. They unhesitf
+ tingly declared that the Crown Prime
q had been poisoned. The patient rt
t fused to tell where he had been, an
e what food he had taken last. Emetic
1 were freely applied, and immediat
fatal consequences were avoided. Bu
the Prince remained in such
grave condition that his imperial fathe
was burriedly summoned to his bee
! side. The Emperor remained for a
: hour alone with his son, calling, how
: ever, the physician frequently into til
room. 1t is probable that the son the
told the father the whole truth. Mex
day the prince was little better, bu
; still remained very weak. Two week
after he had recovered so far that h
could be removed to the climate @
Weisbaden, but months elapsed befor
he was restored to full health.
ii the old Emperor knew all abou
! it, it must have been sorely Perplexin
for him what to do with Paulin
Weigel under the circumstances. L
have her arrested would have give
rise to terrible scandal, and he coul,
, not even order her to leave Berlin i'm