The morning news., 1892-03-13
Is THE KAISER MAD?
The PECULIAR FREAKs OF SOME
OF HIS ANCEsTORS.


leslie Knocked People About Like
Niuepins-The Killing Of Count Won
Gravenstein-A Nero on an Obscure
Stage fl .cted With Acute Meealo-
mania-The Great Electors Morgan
attic Wives.
COPYRIGHT 1899, BY the United Press.N
BERLIN March 12.-The question of the
German ksiser's sanity, now freely dis
cussed In Europe, has naturally called at
tention to the mental peculiarities of his
ancestors. The insanity of George Ill is
too notorious fact in history for extended
reference, butit is not equally well-known
that several of the kaiser's Hohenzollern
progenitors we're either insane or very cIose
TO the verge Of lunacy.
Frederick /. of Nuremberg, who is re-
garded as the founder of the house of
Hohenzollern, was ore of the most eccentric
rulers of his time. 1t was he " no invented
the Nuremberg madden so-called, au in
strument Of torture IN the form Of a woman.
The victim was embraced by arms, studded
with sharp spikes of steel, which pierced
his body, and held him until he died.
The MarRrave Frederick had mania for
scenes of suffering, and would sit all day in
the chamber Of Justice, listening to the
shrieks and Witnessing the agonies of the
victims whom he doomed TO punishment.
His disposition In this respect was so well
known, that accused persons had terror
Of being arraigned before him, as he would
sentence them to death merely to crafty
his appetite for butchery. There is little
doubt that Frederick was insane, although
he is not put down in history as of unsound
mind.
The next in the line to show peculiar men-
tai symptoms was Albert, the grandson Of
Frederick, surnamed tie German Achilles.
He was man of great strength, which
he used with the utmost brutality. He
often knocked people down for mere amuse-
ment As rule he chose TO exercise his
extraordinary physical power on peasants
and others Of humble station. But on one
occasion he struck. without any provoca-
tion whatever, the valiant Landgrave Philip
of Hesse. The latter pretended to ignore
the blow, but retired to his own dominions
at the first opportunity, and declared war
against Albert. In the struggle that fol-
lowed, Albert was badly worsted, and would
| have lost his ele torate of Bradenburg, had
| he not, on bended knee, begged Philips par
don, and sued for peace.
Albert showed more and more signs of
mental disorder, US he grew older, and it
was proposed to put him under a regent.
He heard of the intended action, and, arm
| ing himself from head to foot, with crown
on his helmet and the sword o. state in his
| hand be suddenly rushed in on the council
OF mobiles, which was debating the question
of regency. They were affrighted when
they saw their sovereign. his face bearing
evidence Of the anger that ragged in his
| heart.
Albert turned TO the Count of Craven
stein, who presided over the council, and
with one blow of the sword laid the upf rt-
| uuate nobleman dead at his feet. The others
| protested their loyalty, and threw the
blame for the proposition to depose Albert
upon the dead Gravenstein. The eiector
forgave them and allowed them to retire
From that moment he was absolute master
| of his subjects, not one OF the nobility dar-
| ing TO interfere with him. He caused the
| castle of GTavenstein TO be leveled to the
| ground, the vaults filed up and crop of
| nemp 10 be grown where the feudal home of
the proud family had stood. He took The
name of Gravenstein as one of his own titles,
and 1t has ever since been handed down in
| the house of Hohenzollern. The widow and
| children of the count were forbidden, under
penalty of death, to bear the name of the
husband and father, and one of the chill
dren was actually put TO death for assuming
| 1t.
Albert reveled in cruelty. He now
| treated noblemen as before he had treated
peasants. knocking them about as if they
were toys, and severely Furnishing any i'm
| patience or wincing under bis attacks He
drowned people by wholesale, and in vari-
Gus ways proved himself madman as we'll
| as q tyrart.
But for the very slight figure which
| Brandenburg then occupied in European
affairs, Albert would have taken place in
infamy with Nero and Ivan the Terrible.
| But his performances on small and OBJ
Scure stage excited little attention.
(Iapr0a William coOnud n4,Ha Of
| Prussia, spent conside able portion OF hi
reign of nineteen wears under restraint for
mental disease. There could be no doubt
about his lunacy
He sometimes imagined himself the deity,
and demand that people should worship
him. Following the example II several of
the Roman emperors, he had chapel
erected With figure Of himself as the OBJ
| ject of alteration. There was nothing about
him to suggest supernatural ability, and he
was, in fact, weak and stunte1 physically,
as we'll as disorderei in mind. Ia Some re-
spects. as history described him, he bore a
remarkable resemblance to the present
| kaiser.
He was continually making speeches to
his mobiles, magnfying his own importance,
and suggesting the littleness OF everybody
| else by comparison. But with all his folly,
he was the real founder II Prussian great
ness, as he organized the first effective mill,
| tary force that the dukedom p ssessed, and
thus made it possible for his son, THE Great
Elector." TO assert the independence of
| Prussia.
The Great Elector." Frederick William
was not without remarkable peculiarities in
| private life, although able and successful IL
his public career. During his long reign Of
nearly half a century he had no less than
| fifteen Inorgauatic wives. Indeed, his con.
duct, as regarded the opposite sex, more
resembled that of a Mohammedan prince
than of Christian ruler. He had a wife OF
concubiue in every place OF consequence in
his duminions. and in Frankfort-on-the
Oder he maintained palace harem of FIVE
History has passed lightly over this feat
ure of an otherwise brillians reign; but The
fate OF pretty Christina Zelle Is still popu
lar and touching tradition in Prussia
| Christina was the daughter OF q widow a
! Frankfort -on-the-Oder. She was pointed
out to Frederick William by one of hi
courtiers, who understood the MONARCHY
weakness. Frederick william was charmed
on sight, for Christina had the reputation ol
being the lovelest girl in Frankfort, If moi
in all Brandenburg. He caused her TO b
abducted, and placed in his palace a
Veringen. Three days later her body wa
found floating in the Oder.
The mystery Of her death W IS never ex
planned, but the report accepted for genera
tions has been that Christina was murdered
by Elizabeth OF Annstadt. a mistress OF the
elector, who was at the palace OF Veringel
when the girl arrived there, and who wal
probably inspired by Jealousy. she herself
| navfny bapn for gOffaa time the favOrite Ol