Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-06-25
A MAD KING'SFREAK.
The Mad Monarch of Bavaria Commits Sui.
eide.

King Ludwig H., the deposed king of Ba.
varla, committed suicide on the l4th inst
by drowning himself in Lake Staelburg.
King Ludwig eccentricities have beenthe
subject of much comment for several
years and for many months the belief has
been very general that the monarch was
insane. \ few days before his death steps
were taken for his disposition. When the
news was brought 10 him he shut himself
up III his castle. and also caused the I'M
prisOnmeut of the messenger who brought
the word to the castle, He was finally
prevailed upon 10 60 TO another castle on
Lake Starlbcrg. accompanied by his medi-
cal adviser.
while his attendants were momentarily off
their guard. Tho king was prOmenadlng in
the park grounds surrounding Berg
castle The attending physician was also
IN the park watching the patient. The
KING. awaiting favorable moment. made
a dash for Lake Starlberg. near which the
caStIe grounds are situated. and threw
himself into the water He was almost
instantly missed 10y the doctor, who at
once gave the alarm and dashed off after
his royal charge. The latter however,
reeched the lake before anyone could inter
ccpt him and when the doctor had reached
the edge of the lake the king was strug-
Cling in the water. The doctor sprang in
10 the lake IN hopes of rcsCulng the drown
ing sovereign. and in the desperate strug
gle which enSued both king and physician
Went down and were seen no more.
King Ludwig was born on August %.
lN45 and succeeded his father. Macmillan
H.. on March 10, 1864. He was a bachelor,
an enthusiastic lover of art. especially
music, and theatricalS, an eccentric man,
loving solitude and pursuing even his rec
reatlOpS alone, caprlclOuS as sovereign
and giving little time TO the duties of his
kingly office. During the early years of
his reign his constant companion and
friend, probably the only man whom he
ever loved, was Richard WagLer. and it
was due TO this intimacy that Wagner had
opportunity to develop his own theory of
musical composition. The popular clamOr
caused 10y the intimacy led To its termina-
ton. Ludwig was at the Paris exhibition
in 1861 and fell over head and ears in love
with Empress Eugene. When She parted
with him at the station as he was about 20
return home, she kissed him. He never al
lowed the lips Of another woman to touch
him since that occasion. One tried, and
received ducking for her reward She
was an actress, and had created the role of
"Isuelt. The king invited her to take a
turn in his boat and made her repeat her
great aria. Becoming too enthusiastic,
she was about TO fling herself into the
royal arms. Their owner merely threw
h9r into the stream and left her to get out
as best she could.
Notwithstanding his Pc suliarities, the
King of Bavaria was looked up TO with
awe by the masses of the people. He
squandered his revenues i'll foolish pro
lects, and recently had to bar his palace
doors against architects, builders and 9th
er creditors whom he was unable to pay.
His debts footed up Sl0O00,00O, and the
Kingdoms eXChequer was eXhaused. At
the time of his deposition architects were
engaged on six different castles An army
of maSOns, sculptors. carpenters. joiners
and iron workers swarmed about these i'm
mense piles of stone and marble heaped
together in the most solitary and out-of-
the way places. The King was crazy about
The moon, whose presence was indispensi-
able TO his happiness. Artificial moons
were to seen arranged in almost every one
of his sleeping apartments.
Ludwig was not in youth allowed single
amusement of n boyish kind. As soon as
he became his own master he INDUCED in
the games from which he had been debarr-
ed 10y his tutor. He knew nothing of real
life. After he put away childish things he
did not becom man in point of inoellect.
All he cared TO do was to realize artistic
fantasies.
As soon as the news of the suicide had
been received in Munich, the generals of
the Bavarian army met and took the oath
of allegiance TO King Ludwig's brother,
Otto, who at once assumes the title OF
king, under the name of Otto the First.
He l. three years younger than Ludwig
was. having been born April -, lsIS. Otto,
however, will simply be nominally King.
ns he is incapable of government, and
Prince Luitpold, his uncle, Will remain
Regent The generals of the army have
taken the oath of allegiance TO Prince
Luitpold as Regent. The Bavarian troops
oaths are similar 10 those sworn 10y the
generals
Both i'm Berlin and Vienna painful inn
preston was caused 10y the news of King
Iudwig's suicide. Emperor William was
deeply grieved. The Crown Prince Will go
TO Munich to represent his father. All the
German courts have gone into mourning
for the dead King. IL was stated that
Ludwig had for long time contemplated
suicide He told his mother of his inten-
ton and asked the royal physicians TO
give him something that would gently
terminate his existence The Bavarian
Ministers were fully cognizant of these
requests.