The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-06-17
NlAD I4INsa LunMIa.s Esd.
Casting Himself Into ihc WW-
ters OfHEis FavOrFse lake
Starmberg.

ters OfHEis FavOrfse lake
StarmberG.
The death Of King Ludwig Of Bava-
ria is sad chapter OF history. There
are suspicious circumstances surround
ing (which irresistibly suggest a
crime byno means rare in the fanii-
lies Of Kings and Princes when it has
been found desirable to get rid OF a
troublesome relative, or when the am
bition Of junior branches has been
equal to the task of rapid removal Of
obstacles to their advancement The
pen of the historian, usually guided
by sycophancy, viii doubtless picture
the double tragedy of Starnberg Lake
as a suicide and a sacrifice. Possibly
this may be a faithful record. But it
will not be surprising if different be-
lief should be impressed upon the
minds of the Bavarian peasants and
accepted by many people in Other
countries as the truth.
Only on Sunday, when the deposed
ruler took his departure from Hohen'
schwangau, the cable told us that
"the utmost precautions have been ta
ken to prevent him from committing
suicide" Why this singular hint al
suicide, and what were the "utmos
precautions" which were to be taller
toprevent it?
On Monday evening about o'clocl
the King was allowed to 90 out in tn,
| park surrounding Schlossberg with
single attendant, his family physician
Their protracted absence causet
alarm. A search discovered thei
dead bodies in Starnberg Lake. The
comes the story that "the King sud
denly threw himself into the lake an
was drownded. The physician jumr
ed into the water to rescue the Kin
and was also drowned"
Is it not singular that no attenC
ant appears to have accompanie
them in their walk, and that never
theless the exact manner OF the drown
ing and fatal attempt at rescue shout
be known, for both were dead whe
discovered? Would not search
. the borders of the lake by InspectC
Byrnes be likely toput different a
' pect On the affair?
1t is not usual for deposed MOI
: archs to commit suicide. They gel
orally take all money out of whic
V they have robbed the people the
a have ruled and go into the Royal Pc
: sonage business on private scale an
spend fortunes in intrigues for rest
ration. Ludwig had squandered h
money and was in debt--a good eau
for self-destruction, it may be sal
But might it not also have been
n good cause for putting him out of IL
n way as likely to prove troublesome
/ poor relation?
l. No doubt Ludwig lacked a sour
d mind. But he had human feeling
n He was less of King and thereto
r more OF a man than any reigniI
0 monarch. 1t is significant that h
= people loved him that the peasan
+ were indignant at his dethronemer
9 and that they "knelt in the roadwa
weeping" when he took his departu
J. for what proved to be his early grav
Is The dead Kings brother, Otto,
'e now nominally King. But he also
u in restraint as lunatic, and hence t
d uncle, Prince Luitpold, will still
\ Regent. He is sixty-fve years of Al
Oh and has renowned all claim to t
n throne. Hence his eldest sob, Prin
is Louis, cousin Of poor Ludwig, and
just the same age, is the heir presum
tive to the throne, and would be XII
if another suicide or sudden dea
should remove the nominal monarc
N Y. World.