The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-29

King Otto Of Bavaria's Melancholy Life at
Furstsnried.
Munich Letter in New York Tribune
One of the saddest spectacles which it is
possible to conceive is that presented by
the prisoner of Furstenried, the mad King
of Bavaria. Tall and almost as gigantic in
stature as his brother, the late King Lud-
wig, his appearance is sufficient to startle
any one who sees HIM for the first time.
His hair is long and unkempt, and his
bushy brown beard reaches down below
his waist. There is kind of weird, wild
look in his eyes, the gaze of which remains
steadfastly fixed straight ahead into empty
space. The only person who can succeed in
bringing a CLEAN of intelligence to his face
is the sixty-year-old Madame Marie, who
was his nurse when q child and who has
now becomes one of the principal members
of his household. She is the only one who
is permitted to speak to him, every body
else being under strict orders not to address
a single word to him or to take the slight
est notice of him when he walks about the
park. He is invariably dressed in black
broadcloth, and requires a new suit almost
every day; for, owing to his strange Objec-
ehiefs or table napkins, bis coat-sieeves
aAd ce&t-tails have to do service for
both. For hours he will stand. ges-
ticulate wildly and talk to the imaginary
parsonage created by his fantasy, and then
again for several days together he will re-
main in such a state of iethargy and life
lessness that his physicians become afraid
that he will pass away without even their
becoming aware of 1t. All day long, except
when overcome by one of his bl-weekly or
at cigarettes. of which he smokes almost a
hundred a day. His consumption of
matches is still greater. for whenever he
lights fresh cigarette he delights in burn
seeing the whole bundle blaze up at once.
Two physicians. Drs. Smell and Ranke,
spend, in turn, week at the palace. They
haye supreme control OF the entire estab-
lishment, and not a thing is done either by
servants without the sanction of the ply
sician for the week. Every Sunday the
royal patient is visited by DR.. Grashey, the
director of the principal insane asylum of
the Kingdom. who confers with both the
physicians and takes careful note of their
reports.
At dinner King Otto-when he consents to
appear at table-takes his seat at one end
of the table. Around the other end are
the chamberlains-aII the little court.
in fact. King Otto. however never
takes the smallest notice of their presence,
but preserves .sullen silence, which he
only breakS from time TO time TO shout for
champagne, of which, as also of beer, he
absorbs large quantities. He uses his
knife and fork in perfectly normal man.
ner. and sometimes appears to be able TO
appreciate and enjoy what he is eating.
The apartments which he inhabits are all
situated on the ground floor. and are mag
nlficently furnished, and the strictest
orders prevail to the effect that all doors
should be left wide open throughout the
day. Ii King Otto happens by any
chance to come across a closed
door he Immediately falls into a
kind of epileptic and maniac fury. and
seeks to dash it down with his still power
full fists. 1t is, moreover. impossible to in
duce him to permit himself to be bathed
and he displays an almost hydrophobic an
tipathy for water. He likewise absolutely
refuses to enter any carriage, and displays
signs of terror whenever any efforts are
made to induce him TO enter one for the
purpose of taking drive.
1t is impossible to predict how much
longer he will live. He may drag on his
present miserable existence for years
while, on the other hand, it is likely that
the failure of the natural functions of the
body may bring on q malady which will
carry him off in few days. AS his mad
ness is of an altogether incurable nature
his death can only be regarded in the light
| of happy release.