The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-08
A Fight in a Palace.

THERE took place on March II, at the
Holburg, the grand palace of the Empe-
ror Francis Joseph of Austria, an event
perhaps umequaled 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 sovereign were old ac-
quaintanccs and a very peculiar link ex-
listed between the two. Their connection
dated from the year in which the Empe-
ror's second brother, the ill-starred Arch
duke Ferdinand MaXimilian, 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 de-
lay. During the interview the old man
told him that he had travelled all the way
| from Pennsylvania on foot to Vienna be-
cause he had had a strange vision in re-
| gard to the Emperor's brother, the Arch
duke Ferdinand Maximilian. He said he
had seen, in this vision, the latter in for
eign country, standing up before file of
soldiers, who were shooting at him. Her.
ker Visacky added that he had repeatedly
had other visions of important events,
which had afterward turned out to be lit
orally true. Francis Joseph, like most of
the Hapsburgs, is superstitious, and the
words of the old Transylvanian peasant
ma le deep impression on him. He
thanked Herker Visacky, made him lib
eral present, and asked him to visit him
again if he had anything further to COM
municate..
Whether Francis Joseph communicated
the vision of the old Transylvanian peas
ant to his enthusiastic brother or not is
|
ceived second visit from Herker Visacky
in the spring of 1866, Immediately previ-
Gus to the breaking out of the war be-
tween Prussia and Austria. The peas
ant predicted to him in the most impress
sive language and with many startling de-
tails the disastrous issue of the impend-
ing campaign. The Emperor listened re-
spectfully to the old man, but did not
heed his warning. 1t may be imagined
that he looked upon Herker Visacky as a
seer when his predictions few weeks af-
terward were verified, and still more SO
when his unfortunate brother, Maximil.
ian, in the following year, fell dead under
the bullets of JuareZ's soldiers at Quere
taro.
After that second visit Francis Joseph did
not hear anything further from the peas.
ant until the Sth of March last. On this
occasion the old peasant said that he had
seen in another vision a Prince of the I'M
perial House, as Regent of the Empire,
opening the Austrian Parliament; that
the Prince had been hailed as liberator OF
the country, and had pledged him self to
rule it thenc eforth in truly liberal spirit
This Prince, he added, was married to g
low-born woman, and for some time past
had been in Vienna without the Empe
ror's knowledge. Francis Joseph was
startled He sent for the Chief of the Sc
cret Police of Vienna and asked him tC
find out whether or not the Archdukt
Henry, who it is well known is married tC
an actress of very humble descent, ant
who in consequence is not allowed to live
at the imperial court, was secretly in The
city. About noon on the llth of March
fha2t The haa been
several weeks incognito at private hous
in Wieden suburb.
This added to the Emperor's agitation
and he sent at once for the Archduk
Henry, his cousin. What occurred mex
is not accurately known, but after brie
, and angry conversation between the TIVE
Hapsburgs the servants in the ante-roon
were startled by noise like that of tw'
, persons engaged in a scutlle, mingled will
loud curses. The door was suddenly tori
open, the Emperor appeared with his fac
flushed crimson with anger, and dragged
out the Archduke Henry, whose nose wa
bleeding profusely. There coul1 be n,
: doubt but that the Emperor and his Arch
: duke cousin had been fighting. Befor
the servants were able to recover iron
their amaZement the Archduke had mad
) his exit from the ante-room and the Enl
peror had returned to his cabinet, wher
he remained for several hours afterward
/, , Next day the servants who had hithert
done duty in the imperial ante.room wer
sent to one of the Emperor's castles i
Dalmatia, no doubt to prevent them fror
divulging the scandalous affair. But
has leaked out nevertheless, and the pee
pie of Vienna say that ever since Libeny
n in 1856 wounded the Emperor with knil
t in the neck, Francis Joseph has been sui
: ject to sudden and uncomfortable ebull
tions of terrible anger, and that on sue
y occasions he will at once come from wore
: to blows.-BoSton Globe.