The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-10-17
EXECUTION or MACMILLAN.

: CarlOtta's brief deIirium Of ioy had
began to be clOuded with otner sor.
rows before she had found cause 10
suspect the loyalty OF their new sub.
Ject to fne empire. Almost at the be-
ginning CT the signs Of coming troub.
lesr news came from beyond the sea
OF the death OF her loved and honored
father, Leopold, King OF Belgium
The emperor, left alone, and beset on
every hand by those whom he could
not trust, while the whole country
seemed 10 be going over to the enc
my, felt, as never before, bis Ioneli-
ness, and the need OF the support that
the presence OF the empress might
have afforded him. Bot not only
was she gone from him, but after 3
few months the ssd news came to
nlm that she had become demented,
and her speedy death was expected.
Then, II is said, for the first and only
time IN his sad experience the power
OF hls nerves gave way, and with
streaming eyes and trembling voice,
he paced the floor, moaning contin-
ually, Poor CArlOtta! poor CarIottaI"
Ii would be alike unpleasant and un-
sdltying to follow him to the tribunal
before which he was summoned but
to which summons he responded only
by saying:
'If am 70 be condemned, then
my presence or absence will make no
difference"
His condemnation ensued, as a
matter Of course but that was fol-
lowed by repIieve, but soon the fatal
sentence was pronounced and exseut-
ed. 1t Is said that Juarez would have
been glad to spare his life, but for
reasons OF state, and out of regard TO
the voice OF his chief supporters he
gave his sanction to the execution.
A little before this time might have
been seen away beyond the ocean,
another scarcely less tragIcsI scene
IL was the young apd beautiful, but
now almGst demented, Empress Of
Mexico, Frustrated before the Holy
Father Rt Rome, intercedIng for the
pope's Interference in behalf OF her
husband, betrayed and abandoned
among his enemies. But the pope
was pOwerless in the case, and he had
indeed consented to the arrangements
that now threatened TO terminate so
fatally. Then came upon her the
sudden frenzy of fear that she would
be poisoned II she left the protection
Of the Vatican and this was followed
by gradual sinking away OF the noble
and refined spirit into a quiet, mop
ing madness from which not even
the sweet familiar scenes of her loved
Miramar sufiiced to arouse her. She
saw nothing more Oi the dark cloud
that was gathering around her hus-
Oandi nor was she aroused to CON-
sciousness by the tEunder-crssh that
soon after sounded through the bril- |
liant halls Of the Tuileries, and the
more majestic palace OF Schonbrunn,
announcing that the stern decree Of |
death had been executed upon the |
brave and accomplished young en-
peror, That sorrow was spared her, |
which, had she been capable Of feeling
1t, must Itself have driven her to |
frenZied madness.
How sadly dramatic was the scene |
OF the execution Of Macmillan, the /
more so because all was so entirely /
unstudi0d and sincere He handed |
his marriage ring to DIR. Bascke, to be
conveyed TO his mother, the arch
duchess, for he believed that Oarlotta
was already dead. He carefully pre-
pared his toilet, in preparation for his
destS, dressing himself in q plain,
single-breRsted, black frOck-coat,
closely buttOned black neck-tie, and
lower garment, and q broad.brimmed
Mexican hat. He, the chief actor 10
the sad scene, was calm while his
attendants were so completely un-
nerved, that they were near fainting,
as they witnessed the placid bearing
OF one so beloved and revered.
Slowly the cortege Oithree carriages
with the escort OF five mounted SOL
diers, and the battalion OF Infantry,
guarding the road, moved toward the
"Hill of Bells" where Macmillan
had been captured, and where he was
to be shot. The three victims stood
side by side Macmillan placing
General Miramon in the center, as
the post OF honor, himself taking the
stand on the left, with General MeIia
on the right. Then followed the dis
tribution of the twenty dollar gold
ef1gy, which he left for his execu-
tioners. The picture grows more and
more vivid, as placing his hand on
his heart in a calm, clever voice, the
imperial victim uttered the fatal com.
mand
"Fire 70
Then followed the discharge of three
guns, the instant death OF the two
generals, the reeling OF the chief vic
tim with his life not yet extinct,
when he was heard to murmur in
distinct words In Spanish. Some as
serting them to have been, 10 man
o man r' others thinking it, "POor
CarlOtta 90 A second shot through
his heart, q eoDvulsIVe shudderinR,
and Macmillan, Archduke Of Aus
tria, and Emperor OF Mexico, lay dead
on foreign soil.
Tho wife, once so full of enthusi-
ssm at her transfer from beautiful
Miramar TO an imperial palace in far
oil Mexico, had no intUiEiOn of the
sailing from Vera Cruz, or arrival on
the Austrian coast, of the ship NOUdrd
with its bands Of music wailing forth
a funeral dirge OF mast and spar,
pennOn and flag, OF the incoming yes.
sci, and Of all others lying moored in
the harbor, draped in black, and the
cannOns from ship and fortress firing
funeral volleys. Nor did she,
in her wild dreams, behold
the monarch, her husband,
cold and stark within his zinc
coffin, clad in his military costume OF
blue and gold nor was she witness
Of the last dOleful scene, when they !
laid the body Of the royal victim In
the sepulcher of his fathers, amid the
sighs and tears OF thousands who !
loved him, aud over whose dust, now
noldering in decay, q never-dying
memory is preserved by nations who
never saw his face and have no part
10 his life or people,-NafiORdl Re
OositOTy for September.
A. A.. = -.