The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-04-14
purposes of the Queen dowager and of
the Prime Minister.

further strengthen the influence of the
Queen, Juliana and Holck concocted an
infamous intrigue against her. They
bribed s<>ung officer of the Queens
household Baron Moltkens) to confess,
under the threats of sham in
quisitor, that he had illicit intercourse
with Her Majesty, and that he, and not
King Christian, was the father of Caro-
lines child
The story, which was false from be-
ginning to end, was brought to the Kings
knowledge with such diabolical ingenui-
ty that he believed it to be true, and at
first he was so exasperated that he in
tended to throttle the Queen with his
own hands. But Caroline Matilde pro-
tested her innocence with every SEM
blance of sincerity so strongly that his
belief in her guilt was shaken, and he
left her unharmed, although he thence
forth treated her with the most gall
ing coldness.
Baron Moltkens was sent to fortress,
but kept there nominally only as a prison
er, the Queen-dowager having hypocrit-
ically told her step-son that it would be
best to cover up the royal scandal as
much as possible.
Shortly afterward, DIR. Struensee ar
rived in Copenhagen. He had made up
his mind to accept the Kings order, and
become his physician. He found Chris
tian the Seventh prey to the gloomiest
feelings The King, who had liked the
young physician from the start, unbo-
somed himself to him fully. He even
told him all about the Queens alleged
infidelity.
On the following day an event occur
red, which proved the turning point, in
Struensee's career.
The smallpox was raging violently in
parts of Copenhagen. 1t even forced its
way into the interior cf the royal castle,
and on the aforementioned day it at
tackled the Kings infant son. DIR. Stru-
ensee saved the young princes life, and
thereby made both the King and Queen
his devoted friends. The King appoint
ed him as private secretary, with large
salary.
The Queen thanked him with stream
ing eyes, for the preservation of her
sons life, and in that hour of boundless
gratitude she went so far as to protest
her innocence in regard to the above
mentioned charges to him.
Struensee generously offered to bring
about a full reconciliation between her
and her royal husband.
1.-THE King will believe nothing on
that subject except retraction of the
diabolical falsehood by Baron Molt-
kens."
Struensee assured her that he would
leave no stone anturned in order to OBJ
tain such a retraetion. He went in dis
guise to the fortress, where Moltkens
was kept as a nominal prisoner. Molt-
kens said haughtily to him:
''Who are youg"
81 am friend of truth and the deadly
enemy of liars"
:sWhat is that to me?"
'sYou are the most infamous liar on
earthl"
''Sirrah, / will make you eat your
words"
The two clinched, but Struensee,
who was "a very powerful man, easily
succeeded in throwing his adversary.
Then, setting his knees on the fellows
breast, he hissed out:
NOW, Baron Moltkens, shall slowly
strangle you to death unless you confess
that your story about the Queens Illicit
intercourse with you was wicked false
hood"
The cowardly slanderer was already
turning black in the face. He replied,
in gurgling tone:
81 will confess all"
$50 the Queen is purel7
81 know nothing to the contrary"
'sWho caused you to tell the lie.''
1.-THE Queen dowager did"
What bribe did she give youY"
''She gave Inc fifty thousand rix dol
lars"
''Will you swear to all thisl"
eyes, if / don't endanger my life by
so doing"
''No, you shall have time TO leave
Denmark"
The document was drawn up and
sworn to before the astonished governor
of the fortress. He wanted to detain
Moltkens, but Struensee showed him his
commission as private secretary of His
Majesty, aud so MoItkens was allowed
to depart.
Upon laying the sworn retraetion of
the libel before the King, Struensee
urged the latter strongly to Danish his
step-mother from Copenhagen, and to
beg the Queens pardon tor having un-
justly suspected her
The King did both. Juliana had to
leave the capital, and the harmony pre-
vailing between the King and his wife
became greater than ever He showed
his gratitude toward Struensee by con-
ferring the dignity of Count upon him,
and by appointing him reader to the
Queen.
Henceforth Struensee and Caroline
Matilde were a great deal together.
That they became warmly attached to
each other admits of no doubt; but there
is no evidence whatever that there was
anything improper in their relations
But Struensee's and MatiIda's enemies
insidiousIy circulated this report; and
wher the King, in 177O, became insane,
they asserted that Struensee had inten-
tionally poisoned him in order to be
better able to crafty his guilty passion,
and to attain his ambitious objects.
Caroline MatiIde, having become Re
gent of the Kingdom, appointed Count
Struensee Prime Minister.
He endeavored to introduce numerous
reforms in the administration Of the
State. Most of them were decidedly en-
lightened, but he pursued an arbitrary
and even despotic course in trying to
carry them into execution.
This greatly increased the number of
his enemies, a conspiracy was organized