The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-30
A KINGS SUICIDE.
Bavaria's Ruler Drowncd-His Doc
tors Fatal Effort of Rescue.

Bavaria's Ruler Drowncd-His Doc
tors Fatal Effort Of Rescue.
King Ludwig, recently deposed from
the Bavarian throne, has committed suicide.
He had gone out for promenade in the park
of the Berg Castle, accompanied by DR.. Gud-
den, his physician. The King suddenly threw
himself into Sta,nburg Lake and was
drowned. The physician jumped into the
water to rescue the King and was also
drowned.
Dr. Mueller and Hubert, the kings steward.
had the bodies of Ludwig and DR.. Gudden
conveyed to Berg Castle and placed on beds
Although there was neither any perccptible
respiration nor pulse movement III either
body, DIR. Mueller and his assistants of the
ambulance corps attempted to restore ami
nation in both, aud only ceased their efforts
at reSuScitation at midnight, when lie was
pronounced extinct in both cases.
The medical commission which examined
the late King Ludwig report that he ordered
the members of the Ministerial Deputatlon,
headed by Count HolSteiu, who called upon
him to procure his consent to regency, to
he tiogged until they bled and then to have
their eyes extracted. Before his death the
belief was spreading amoug the common peo-
pie of Bavaria that the King deposition was
illegal. The people did not believe he was
insane. Precautions hal been taken to pre-
vent the populace from rising to restore the
King.
The king death occurred on the evening of
the 18th. At 10 O'clock the next morning the
Generals of the Bavarian army met and took
the oath of Allegiance to King LudwlSs
brother Otto. who at one assumes the title
of King. under the name oil Otto the First
He Is three years younger than Ludwig,
having ben born April eth, ISIS Otto,
however. will be simply nolnnally hing, as
he is mentally incapable or governing. and
Prince Luitpold, his uncle, will remain Re-
gent
Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm, Louis II.
o. Bavaria, was born August 2) 1913, and
was, therefore, III his forty-tirSt year at the
time OF his death. His grandfather, Louis
l., succeeded his father on the Bavarian
throne in lS2.j. and WAS Motel for his liberal
patronage of letters and arts, and his con-
struction of so many fine public buildings
and monuments He was mau of Demo-
cratic ideas, although his government as
suned deSpotic character. He was de-
votel to poetry. The disturbance occaSioned
by his infatuation for Lola Montez was the
immediate cause of his retirement in lS4S
He died in Nice in 1854, when he was sue
ceeled on his death by his son, who has just
endel his eccentric career in a tragic man
per His one personal friendship was with
Rlcl,a rd Wagner. and Lohengrin was the
first theatrical performance the King ever
witne Sed This like all the subsequent ones,
was given for Louis sole enjoyment in
darkened theatre. His lavish expenditure of
money for his private pleasure. his erection
of numerous gorgeous palaces, his magnlt-
cent underground retreats, his peculiar freaks
Of riding at breakneck speed through city
after city at midnight the difficulties with
his people, occaSioned by his 'illlmitable
debts. and his behavior frecent years, eH-
hibiting many of the or.. nary traits of hope
less lunacy, are familiar to newspaper read
erS When. after barricading himself in his
castle OF HohenSchwaugau, he was finally in
duced to open the gates and was taken out
and transferred to Berg Castle, it was feared
that he would attempt suicide, and precau-
tions were taken to prevent him. These seem
to have been somewhat relaxed after mis- ar
rival The seclusion and rigorous character
Of his boyhood is SUPP osed to account in some
measure for his boyishnesS in mature life.
His grandfathers eccentricity has assumed
the shape of lunacy in this generation, and
Louis only brother Otto who was next heir
to the throne, has been insane and in con-
fipement for long time past
Outside of Bavaria, Louis was chiefly
known in political way by his friendship
for King William of Prussia 1t was he who
first proposed publicly that the Prussian
King assume the title of Emperor of Ger
many; and at the beginning of the Franco
PruSSian war he was the first to offer the
Emperor armed assistance against Napoleon
III