Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-14
PRINCE RUDOLPH MURDERED.
"A Paris Version of the Meyerling Tragedy

Cableeram to the New York Sun
ferhaps the most remarkable story Of all
concerning the Meyerling tragedy is that which
has just reached Paris. So many ''true stories"
have been published about the mysterious
death OF Crown Prince Rudolph and Baroness
'etsera that it was thought all conceivable
plots had been advanced. The latest story,
however. Is far more tragic and violent in its
details than any of the preceding ones. Gu
rlously enough, the story gets to the knowledge
OF the Partisan public through two OF the most
famous women in France. Madame Sarah Bern
hardt received letter from rather exalted
parsonage in Vienna, whose relations with the
crown prince were intimate. This letter she
showed to several persons of prominence, and
1t has gradually reached the ears of other peo-
pie. AT about the same time, Madame Judic,
who was playing in the Austrian capital, be-
came possessed of similar story from two men
OF notable rank who are more or less in her
train. This story she told in full to Maurice
Grau, who has since found it to be identical
with the information contained in the Bernhard
letter.
The queer story is rs follows A few DAYS ago
1t was announced quietly in the Austrian papers
that the Uncle of Baroness Vetsera had died at
Meyerling. Until that time it known that
the count had disappeared, but nobody knew
where he was. After his death he was buried
without ceremony. The cause of his death was
varlously given, but there nothing in the
newspapers and the count was buried before
even the papers knew of his death.
IN LOVE WITH HIS NIECE.
The accepted story now is that the count was
IN love with his own niece, Baroness Marie Vet
sera. She was. as is now well known, a woman
of singular and remarkable beauty and the
passion which she inspired in her uncle was
apparently of the most violent nature He
was of Hungarian descent and man of strong
will power. The family objected to an alli-
ance between niece and uncle, but the latter
insisted upon having his way. Meanwhile he
watched the baroness closely and was the first
man outside of the personal attendants of the
crown prince to learn Of the liaison between
the heir to the Austrian throne and his niece
lie said nothing but watched the pair mar
rowly, and when the crown prince left the am
bassadors ball to drive out to Schloss Never
ling the count followed in a close carriage He
did not attempt to enter the house where the
lovers were until very late at night.
When he got into the princes bedroom and
found the couple together there was a sharp
alteration. The count. in fit of Jealous fury,
attempted to shoot the crown prince but the
first bullet killed the baroness. In the strug-
gle for the weapon which followed portion of
the counts hand was blown off and it was from
the effects of this wound that he subsequently
died. through blood poisoning The crown
prince was of light build and totally unarmed
The count shot him Just as the attendants ran
into the room. Every effort was made to hush
the matter up, and the murderer was taken to
one of the rooms upstairs and put under guard
pending instructions from the emperor He
went into a delirum in the course of the night
and never left the room alive The story is
worth telling because 1t is the one which is now
believed, but no mans ingenuity can forecast
the next history of the mystery of Meyerling