The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-23

Ine secret Reasons Tor his Deposition from
the Bavarian Throne.
Berlin Letter in New York " orld.
With view to counteracting the unpleasant
impression created both at home and abroad by
the mytcrous circumstances attendant on the
deposition and death of the late King Ludwig,
some details. contained in the secret report on
,.he subject presented by the Ministry to the
Bavarian Parliament. have been allowed to
transpire. The fact that they have been pub
lshed in the Cologne Gazette, which is Prince
Bismarcks official organ. gives them a stamp of
authenticity and Importance which they might
otherwise not possess.
In the first place, matters which have hitherto
been only timdly limited at are now openly pub.
lished to the world. 1t appears from the secret
report that the King addicted to the species
of immortality SO graphically described by Sue
tonius in his Lives of tho Roman Caesars. !"
Upon this point the Gazette makes revelations
which are really unfit for publication
Guarding the door of the Kings private rooms
in the Castle of Neuschwaustein was a curious
ornament of the Kings own design, consisting
of magnificent silver palm tree eight feet high
laden with fruit, at the foot of which crouched
horrible gray dragon, sapping the roots. Who
knows III the poor mad King did not mean to
illustrate his own magnificent physique and in
teligence attacked by that most terrible dseas-
es hereditary lnsanity2 Neuschwaustein is
built on the extreme edge of the plateau, and
when the King on the balcony of the fifth
floor ROOM above mentioned, he was able to gaze
down into a chasm over 900 feet deep. With
his horror of daylight he would retire to rest at
daybreak, and remain in artifcially. darkened
rooms all day.
The ceilings of each of his bedrooms were
painted dark blue and through little pieces of
glass, cut in tho shape of stars. soft light
shown on the royal sleeper. An artificial moon
was likewise arranged IN the ceiling, artificial
palm trees surrounded the bed, and through
branches thereof might be seen at one end of
the room an artificial waterfall. He would
never rise until o'clock in the afternoon. The
whole palace had to be brilliantly lighted up
every evening with some eight thousand wax
candles, at nightly cost of over 81, 600 One
of his pet crazes about King Louis XIV of
France, and on the anniversary of the latters
birth he would dine en- tete-a-tete with a marble
bust of the Grand Monarque," to which he
would address the most 'talou rouge" compli-
neur.. On these occasions ne would be dressed
in Louis KY costume and was very proud of
his shapely leg, which, however, ended unfort
unately in an unusually big foot.
In his Cabinet de Toilette at Neuschwaustein
are some rather frisky but nnagniicently exc
cuted frescoes, representing scenes from the
'Droit du Seigneur." In room there was
fine portrait of Marie Antoinette. of France,
which no one was allowed to pass without pros
trating himself before it. He insisted that the
servants who waited on him at table should do
SO on their knees without looking up. If they
forgot this injunction by any mischance his
Majesty would box their ears, kick them, or else
spit in their face Latterly it appears that he
nsed to suffer terribly from pains in the back of
his head, which were so severe that he used to
wear kind of gutta percha cap filed with ice
at his meals.
With reference to his urgent desire to obtain
funds for the continuance of his building opera
tions, it is shown that he sent emmissaries re-
questing loans. among others TO the Emperors of
Austria and Brazil. to the Sultan, to the Shah
and to the King of Sweden He succeeded in
obtaining money from Queen Isabella, Of Spain,
and from the ex-Khedive Of Egypt His ennis.
saries had commenced negotiations with the
Comte de Paris for loan of So 000000 which
the Rothschilds had agreed TO advance on the
French Pretenders guarantee The loan was to
have been made on the condition that the King
should DO his best to neutralize Bismarcks pol
icy in case of a war between France and Ger
many. It was probably partly due to this and
TO the complications which light have resulted
therefrom which melted the Chancellor 70 give
his consent to the deposition of his most devoted
admirer. 1t may be added. as indicative of the
diseased state of the Kings brain. that be was
greatly interested IN the perfection of flying