Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-04-02
Real Facts About the Death of Crown
Prince Rudolf and Els lsarOneSs.


The late Crown Prrce'5 nervous system,
which waa oever strong, had 5eon impaired
by long series OF appalling dissipaton'
gross prodlgacy, and e1cesses of all kinds.
A startling number OF families of all ranks
connected with the imperial court tell of the
shame which the Crown Prince brought
upon them At his debauches he used to
drink tumblers partly filed with champagne
and partly with brandy. Such courses, liz
addition 10 reducing him tc state Of men
tai aud physical wrttchedness, brought
about queries Of q very bitter nature with
his wife and bis father. The Crown Princess
StephaDie is handsome woman Of uncer-
tain temper. She was not the kind 10 over
look ber husbands excesses and there were
violent scenes between the pair Eventual
y they decided to live apart, although they
always went about together in public.
Those who knew the true inwardness of
things were amazed at the play acting
when Rudolf and hie wife kept up before
he world.
About six months ago the Grown Prince
became violently enamored OF Baroness
Marie Vetsera. The family is~ we'll known
generally among the smart people of the
Europeaa capitals. The Baroness was q re-
markably beautiful girl. She was tall, with
long black hair large dark eyes, and irreg-
ular but charming features. Rudof's love
was of more enduring and worthy kind
shan 10 other cases. He oathed the artiti-
cal yoke which bound him TO his wife, and
at an uncertain date he sent formal peti-
ton, drafted by an ecclesiastical dignitary,
to the Pope applying for divorce. The
petition was referred to the Emperor of Aus
tria, who indignantly demonstrated with his
son. Things were in this state a week be-
fore the Crown Princes death.
80 The Baroness, on her part, was encounter
ibg equally great opposition in her own fam
ily; the latter we're determined that she
should marry a Partisan fnancier, but she
was already deeply in love with the heir to
the throne. The angry threats OF the i'm.
peral father and Of the Vetsera family
brought the pair to desperation. Tired of
the world and hopeless OF obtaining the hap
piness which tbeg desired. they resolved to
die. The lovers went off to the isolated
Castle MeyerliDg, accompanied only by
Count Joseph Hoyes, who considered it an
honor to assist two such lovers to meet each
other La Vienna, however, the imperial
family heard with CONSERVATION of the rem
devious, and Prince Philip, of Coburg, the
Crown Princes brother-in-aw, was sent to
bring Rudolf back but Prince Philip met
with such o curt reception that he went
back alone. That night the Prince, the
Baroness and Count Ho5os had dinner to.
gether, and were made merry during the
remainder of the evening by one Craterish,
an outcast cabman of Vienna, who sang
comic songs iu a room adjoining that occu-
pied by the Prince and his quests. The
spectacle of the heir to one of the great en-
pires of Europe sitting with girl he had
wronged, both of them resolved on death,
and both listening to the ribald songs of
drunken cabman before going to their doom
is dramatic in the extreme. A debauch fol-
lowed 1t was the last wild freak Of utter
desperation and selfsbsndonment. On
Wednesday morning the Princes valet
went early to his masters room to in
form him that Prince Phillip of Coburg had
again come from Vienna. The door was
locked. All those in the house gathered
and broke it open. On the bed they saw
the Crown Prince and Marie Vetsera dead.
The girl had taken strychnine. packet
which had contained that poison being
found near by. The Princes left arm clasped
Naries body. The revolver with which
he had shot hllnsell through lne oFaiu 10y
in his right hand. 1t is not surprising
that the horrible death of Crown Prince
Rudolf should have had serious conse-
ouences on the health of his mother, who
has for long time been ailing. The Empress
is now suffering from severe mental trouble
In addition to her constitutional complaint
of rheumatism. How i'll she is is shown by
by the fact that for three weeks the En-
peror never left her at all, even for exercise.
The two have been notoriously in perma.
nent state of quarrelling, induced probably,
by his Msjesty's excessive gaiety, but illness
has drawn them together again. The En-
press will probably 20 to Wiesbaden for
massage treatment before long. A villa has
been prepared there for her. The imperial
pair are now staying at the castle at Buda.
Letter in n. Y. Sun.