Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-11
MONARCHS IN PRISON,
They Are All Lodged in Magnificent
Palaces. but Are Captives
Just the Same.
King Otto of Bavaria, the Empress
Carlotta. the khedive Ismail. and
Sultan Murad of Turkey.
The Mystery That Prevails in Regard
to Them-4 Belief that Carlotta
Is No Longer Insane.

Europe four unfortunate creatures whC
Notwithstanding their sovereign rights, al
hidden away from public view in magnit
cent but mysterious imprisonment. {
King Otto of Bavaria at Furstenmed, an
Of Emperess Carlotta of Mexico at th
chateau of Borchegrave, near Brussels,
Is scarcely necessary to say much here, el
cept to draw attention to the fact tina
nothing has ever authoritatively been ,ai
in public of the condition of their health
From time to time fictitious description
of their mode of life and their eccentricit
les appear in continental papers. Bu
these are utterly unreliable, and inyari
ably originate in the pen of some imagin
ative writer in search of a sensation.
1t would be far preferable if the Bavar
ian and Belgian governments were to Is
sue periodical reports concerning the stat
of the illustrious patients, and bearing tn
signature of physicians of recognized IN
| dependence and reputation. This woulC
be particularly desirable IN the case of tn
Empress Carlotta, for there are man,
persons at Brussels, Paris and London wht
openly assert that her dementla has dlSap
peared long since, and that she is only KEEP
under restraint by her brother, King Leo
pold, in order that he may retain contro
| OF UIlt vast lpIJuIt NIllGH SIIt lIliIti Iitt
from her father 1t is alleged that the
larger part of the money has been already
spent in connection with the Congo free
state, and that the remainder, too, is EN-
| barked in the same disastrous speculation
Foryears past the king has been making
| desperate efforts to recoup his enormou,
| losses by means of Congo state lotteries
which have been regarded with dlSfavol
| by all foreign governments, and even al
| the present moment he is straining every
| nerve in order to induce the great
| powers to permit him to establish a Gus
| toms tariff in the free state.
| Some appearance Of truth Is given to the
rumors concerning the ex-empress by the
| peculiar fact that an obstinate refusal has
always been returned to Queen Victoria :
| persistent and repeated demands to be al
| lowed to visit her afflicted cousin, CarlOtta
| being the only daughter of her British
majesty uncle, guardian, and most trust
| ed counselor and friend. The two imPer-
ial ladies had been on terms of most sister
| " intimacy until the beautiful Belgian
| departure for Vienna and subsequently fOl
Mexico. Queen Victoria therefore strong
Iy resents King Leopold refusal to permit
! her to see her cousin, and expresses hel
lIlttI u
leave England for the continent the eX-em
press condition is invariably and immedi-
atelv announced as having suddenly be.
come more critical. This she regards as
extremely suspicious, and being convinced
! that there is sonr~ning or other that viii
not bear the light ofday in CarIotta S treat
ment she has displayed toward King Leo
pold for several years past the greatest
| coldness and disfayor.
Far more mysterious is the condition of
! the other two ex-sovereigns now under re-
straint. Their magnificent prisons are on
| the lovely shores of the BOsphorus. The
one is Murad, formerly sultan OF the Otto
| man empire; the other is lsmail, once the
aIl-powerful khedive or king of Egypt
| Both are maintained in the very strictest
secIusion, cut off entirely from every kind
of communication with the outer world
| Indeed. it is only by means of harem ru-
! mOrs that it is known that they are still in
the land of the living.
Nothing is more remarkable than the
manner in which Ismail has dropped out
| of public sight From the time of his ac.
| cessiOn in 1868 to the date of his abdiCa
ton in 1879 he was one of the most prom
inent and important figures on the chess
VI ltiItANo- IliNIC - Aitti "
! lv a monarch or notable statesman in Eu
rope who has not been entertained by hin
on thel banks of the Nile with bound
! less hospitality. And when after his de
parture from Egypt, he'tOok up his resi-
| dence in Europe, he was received at Rome
Vienna. and Berlin as sovereign. and 10y
the prince of Wales at Marlborough house
| with roval hOnOrs. His famous haren
and suite were installed in the beautiful
Neapolitan palace OF King Humbert at Ii
Favorita. and several of the royal Italian
chamberlains and aids-decamp were at
tached to his person. His enormous wealth
he is credited with possessing fortun
of some $40, 900, ,000-invested In Eu
ropean securities, placed practically ever.
luxury and enjoyment of life within hi
reach and vet he was not satisfied.
For some peculiar reason or other whlcI
has never been explained, he yearned t
be permitted to take up his residence Il
Constantinople, and spent vast sums 70
the purpose of bringing about the accom-
plishment of his wishes IN the matter
Sir William Marriott. acknowledgement c
the British army. and the Anglo Egyptian
lawyer. Broadley, whose conduct has re
Gently led to his being bounded out c
London. each received a sum of S36.
600 for their services in the affair. Ih
sultan's reluctance to grant the requlSlt
permission was due to Ismail's reputati0
for being the cleverest and most unscrupU
ious intriguer in the world, and to his az
prehension of the danger which would rt
suit from the presence of such man Z
| Constantinople. At length, however
Abdul Hamid yielded when it was pointe
out to him that it would be far preferabl
to have Ismail withid reach and under hi
own eye at Stamboul than at liberty IN a
the capitals of Europe.
Dec. %. 1887. he embarked his harel
and suite, numbering some 500 persons. 0
board one of the largest vessels of the RI
battino line. and prepared to sail from \;
pies to Constantinople. The voyage bega
under ominous auspices, the ship bein
DELAYED three days within sight of Nesl
vious by the terrible storm which prevailed
At length. on the Both. the vessel cast al
cbor off Golden Horn. and several of Il
sultan's household Immediately proceede
, on board TO welcome Ismai in their master
name. He landed the same afternoon an
took ND his residence at his fairy-ike ar
. exauisitely beautiful palace of ErmeghIa1
| The following day, Friday. Ismal VI
: received by Abdul Hamid himself, WI
| treated him with very great distinction
and even invited him to accompany hl
TO the ceremony of the Selamlik and
pray beside him at the mosque.
At the conclusion OF the ceremony
: mail returned to his palace at Ermeghia
: and from that time 10 this he has new
; been seen without its walls. Two yea
{ ago it became known at the Yildiz kio
! that he had craved the suItan's peTrlissi
" to proceed TO Vichy for the benefit Of
health. His imperial majesty had, hO
ever. curtly refused on the ground that t
air at COnstanrinople was far more cond
: give to the health Of true believer su
: as the ex-khedive, than that Of Frani
4 All attempts made BY former friends a
J. adherants Of Isnlail TO obtain an aEdIeT
i or even a glimpse Of him are DISTRACTED
i the officials whom Abdul Hamld has
: tached to.his person, and this man, WI
i saare than any one else, finds pleasure a
Z amusement in the ASSOCIATION and c0ny'
le sation of clever European friends and !
2f auaintanees. Is reduced To the sole socIt
I. of the stupid Leyantlne women who CO
& pose his haren and to that Of the eunuC
L In attendance. Neither Emperor WillIa
le the duke of Edinburgh, the duke Gem
nor any other of his former In1nlates a
Of friends has been allowed either to see b
z or even To take any notice Of his exIster
during their visits TO Constanunopie, i