The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-24
LIFE WAS A BURDEN
STARTLING ROLL OF SUICIDES OF
MODERN ROYALTY.
The Late Gar Claimed That Self Destruc-
ton Was Not Forbidden by Divine Law.
Why Life Has No Charms to Royal
Blood-Many Gases Cited.
Especial Correspondence

why Lie 61s NO Snarfos ~ Aso- ~
BIood-liany Gases Cited.
Especial Correspondence
BERLIN, Nov. I2.-Not the least sad
feature of the malady to which the late
car succumbsd was the constant dread on
the part Of his family and physicians that
he might destroy himself in one of the fire.
quent paroxysms OF agony and despair
that marked the progress OF his painful
disease, for they were aware that the
emperor entertained peculiar ideas on the
subject OF suicide. A deeply religious and
cevout Christian, he always stontly As
serted that there was not single word In
the whole Bible from the book OF Genesis
TO that of Revelation which could be taken
TO imply that suicide is forbidden. and he
further added that, as self destruction was
a common practice among the ancients, II
it had been contrary to divine law it
would assuredly have been condemned by
Moses in the first place and at a later pc
Rod by Christ. Protesting such doctrines
as these, aware that the disease from
which he was suffering was incurable, and
that the extension Of his life could only
tend to prolong in corresponding degree
his own intolerable sufferings, the terrible
10 WHICH llt
strength of those nearest and dearest TO
him was subjected and the disorganiza-
ton of the government entailed by the alb
sence of any hand at the helm, it must be
confessed that he had much TO tempt him
TO seize upon the first opportunity to put
himself out Of his misery.
Nor would his suicide have been alto
gether without precedent in the annals OF
modern royalty. There are at least dozen
members of reigning families who are Of
ficially admitted to have destroyed them
selves, while 20 or 80 more are known to
have taken their own lives, although their
death has been attributed to natural
causes. 1t was impossible, however, to put
forward any such plea as the latter in the
case of King Louis Of Bavaria, who eight
years ago, driven 20 desperation by the &C
ton of his relatives and ministers in plac-
ing him under restraint on the score of in
sanity, drowned himself in Lake Starhem-
berg, dragging with him into watery
grave the elderly physician intrusted with
the medical charge OF the sovereign.
Another monarch whose death Is like
wise recognized by his government TO have
been self inflicted was the late Sultan Alb
dul-Aziz of Turkey, who, having secured
possession of a pair Of those daggerlike
and concave 3laded scissors that are 10 be
found in every Levantine bazaar, literally
larded himself with thrusts, no less than
% wounds being found on his body. SO
great was the shock which this tragedy
created upon the mind of his favorite
nephew and successor, Sultan Murad, that
he lost his reason within three months
after ascending the throne and had to be
deposed and placed under restraint.
Although at first there was "a disposition
on the part of the authorities to deny that
the Austrian crown prince committed
suicide, yet Emperor Francis Joseph him
self insisted that no concealment should
be made of the fact, rightly judging that
any attempt at secrecy would merely give
rise TO stories even more painful than the
true circumstances of the tragedy. AS in
the case of King Louis of Bavaria, the self
destruction of Crown Prince Rudolph was
preceded by murder, the victim in his case
being his inamorata, the Baroness Marie
NetZera.
Yet another royal suicide which it was
TO conceal was that of Prince /
Gaetan of Bourbon, brother of the ex-
king of Naples and son-in law of old Queen /
Isabella of Spain. Married to the latter's !
eldest daughter, that Princess Isabella |
who has played so conspicuous part in
the history of Spain during the last 20
years, ne developed within couple OF
years after his marriage the dreadful dis
ease of epilepsy, which is more or less
hereditary in his branch of the family. 1t |
was during a fit that he cut his throat
with a razor in tho presence of his wife |
while STAYING at Geneva for the sake Of /
bis health.
Finally there was the suicide in the /
Tuileries palace of that Bonaparte prince, /
a nephew of Napoleon III, who used TO go 4
by the name of Count Cammerata, and I
who blew his brains out owing TO his in |
ability to pay liabilities incurred at the
ard table, and which his relatives had re
used to assist him to settle. Nor should
omit mention of the suicide OF the step
ather of Queen Marguerite of Italy, the
second husband of the dowager Duchess
# Genoa. He bore the name of the Mar
luis Rapollo, had been her chamberlain
Turing the lifetime of her first husband,
he younger brother Of King Victor En-
manuel, and married her a couple Of years
Alter the dukes death and just a few
weeks prior TO the birth of Queen Marpue-
ties stepbrother, who would otherwise
lave been illegitimate.
Besides these officially admitted cases Of
elf destruction on the part Of royalty
here are many others which are more or
ess known in court and official circles
hOugh perhaps hidden TO the ordinary
Iublic. Thus Queen Victoria's youngest
on, Prince Leopold, duke Of Albany, is
,nown to have inflicted such frightful
Wounds upon himself with pair of sois
ors IN a fit Of epilepsy which preceded his
udden death--he was at the club at
'annes three hours previously-that IL is
lot certain whether his demise was due TO
he injury or TO the disease.
Duke Eugene OF Wurttemberg, whose
wife, a Russian grand duchess, is a sister
4 Queen Olga Of Greece, is known 10 have
hot himself through the heart IN ORDER u
void the discraceful consequences of a
errible scandal in which he had become
involved az Dusseldorf, and the same story
: current at Brussels and Paris with ~
ard 10 the otherwise unaccouDtahly sud
cn demise OF the late Prince Baldwin OF
landers, nephew and heir 70 the throne
I King Leopold Of Belgium Gar Mich
las i popularity believed 70 have poisoned
imself IN despair ~ the reverse= sustained