Telegram-herald., 1886-06-14
A MAD KING EXPOSED
He Is not Only Crazy, bat BE
is d Selfish Brute.
/ BEAUTIFUL S0Ps!slS TREATMENT


Laslns laa- I-i ihr al.eult tl taraF
fs.l VI raa4a.a overs tle esazF antics ot
hiu. lldNis.. g Bavaria IS regarded as ANUS
.as by tla,e Nho hate sn9Nn of bis mst
bnaHl-s tar tae past t-n years. lie was
ao devoted student of art 0iih bis mind
illy ofer,hrowu oy tae excess 90 bis deFo-
zion. lie was simply mau of common
place MIND. whose God was himself lt was
merely tle ease vi man who lu addition
to uis absolute esagsm. bad wealth and
power enou4nv io carry uut every aei-
n-h aney OF ms mind. The papers
age lul of stories OF his
under the pressure of the monarc-ies lu
waich they are published aud the uideoas
and selfish character of ihe Incidence is
gi0-sed over. one story that las never
been u print is a. follows.
Tue King sent for new soprano who
had made wonderful success al Munich %
entertain him with singing at his castle at
H0heuschinargen When The singer ar
rived the King told her he wanted 90 hear
her singing on the water just 40 midnight
They proceeded % Il shallow lake DO the
castle grounds and King Ludwig produced a
sauty pleasure boat with model somewhat
between a canoe and a g0ndoia lie seated
the singer in the bow of the boat aud placed
himself i'm a luxurious pile OF cushions ln
the stern. The little craft was welded bv
the King There he kept the poor artist
singing for fully three hours At last She
begged % be allowed 90 stop, saying that
she had already contracted "a severe cold and
was unable 20 control her voice. The King
sternlv ordered her 20 proceed but she
could not Then the King said he was
going home, aud he supposed she knew the
way ashore Tie stepped over the
side of the boat into the water,
which was not more than
three feet deep and calmly waded ashore
and walked up 90 his castle. The artist re-
manned ia the boat. filled with despair For
the nrst hour she thought the King would
surely send some one 10 her rescue, but no
one came. and after two hours OF waiting,
she. too. waded 20 the shore. She went 20
the castle. but nobody there knew anything
about her. and she was turned away rs an
mpOster She started TO walk 20 Munich.
Notwithstanding her clothes We're soaked
with water and Dedraggled with mud. For
tunatelv she met hackney coach
which took her 10 her apartments. She
Immediately summoned "a doctor, out tie
fatal mischief had been done. and she died
within week Of pneumonia. The King
sent an eXtravagant sum % pay for her
funeral. All these facts were known TO
theatrical people and society at the time.
but the awe of the King caused the story to
be suppressed beyond these circles. Another
series of his brutalities was the riding al
midnight over the snow and mountains in
"a luxurious sleigh drawn by four
of the finest horses in Europe. He
was snugly escouced i'm multitude
Of furs and the sleigh was brilliantly lighted
by electricity. He always commanded bis
driver % drive at breakneck speed, and be
took no notice OF the suierings OF the
cavalry guard. which was always in at
tendance. in their efforts 10 keep up al
though their horses were no match for
those Of the King and the poor unfortunate
guards were shabby contrast 10
the Kings furs. Almost every
nieht some horse was foundered
OF some guardsman killed but the King
cared nothing for all this. so long as bis
craving COR selfish enjoyment was gratihed
In the same way every act Of tie King de-
srribed I'm the papers here although spoken
of as royal pranks. kingly eccenTicites viii
bee found TO be caused bv his maiestys un
bounded selfshness and 5ristling with acts
OF brutality.