The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-07-20
BATHED In BLOOD.
MOST SINGULAR AND HORRIBLE
TRAGEDY In HISTORY.

The Sister of q King of Poland Killed 800
Maidens In Order TO Preserve
Her Youth.
About the year 1910 Elizabeth Batholi.
sister to the King of Poland, and wife of
rich and powerful Hungarian raagnate,
was the principal actor in the most sim
gu!ar and horrible tragedy mentioned in
history. She occupied the castle of
Csejta, in Pennsylvania.
Like most other ladies of that period
she was surrounded by troop of young
girls, generally the daughters of poor
but noble parents, who lived in houor-
able servitude, in return for which their
education was cared for and their dowry
secured.
Elizabeth was of a severe and cruel
disposition, and her hand -maidens had
no joyous life. Slight faults are said to
have been punished by most merciless
tortures.
Que day, as the lady of Csejta was ad-
miring at the mirror those charms which
that faithful monitor told her were fast
waning, she gave way to her ungovern-
able temper, excited perhaps by the mir
ror's unwelcome hint, and struck her
unoffending maid with such force in the
face as to draw blood.
AS she washed from her hands the
stain shei fancied the part which the
blood had touched grew whittier, softer,
and, as it were, younger. Imbued with
the credulity of the age, she believed sic
had discovered what so many philoso-
piers had wasted years in seeking for.
She supposed that in virgins blood she
had found the elixir vitae, the fountain
of never-failing youth and beauty
Remorseless by nature and now urged
on by irreprassible vanity, the thought
40 sooner flashed across her brain than
her resolution was taken; the life of her
luckless handmaiden was not to be COM
pared to the precious boon her death
promised to secure. Elizabeth, howev-
er, was wary as we'll as cruel.
At the foot of the rock on which Csei-
ia stood was a small cottage, inhabited
by two old women, and between the eel
lar of this cottage and the castle was a
subterranean passage, known only to one
or two persons, and never used but in
times of danger. With the aid of these
old crones and her steward Elizabeth
led the poor girl through the secret pass
age to the cottage, and, after numbering
her, bathed in her blond.
Not satisfied with this first essay, at
different intervals, by the aid of these
accomplices and the secret passage, no
less than three hundred madens were
sacrificed on the altar of vanity and SUI
perstition.
Several years had been occupied in
this pitiless slaughter, and no suspicion
I'of the truth was excited, though the
greatest amazement peIvaded the coun-
Try at the disappearance of many per-
sons.
at last, however, Elizabeth called into
play against her two passions even
stronger than vanity and cunning. Love
and revenge became interested in the
discovery of the mystery. Among the
mystery of Csejta was beautiful virgin,
who was loved by and betrothed TO a
young man of the neighborhood
In despair at the loss Of his mistress
he followed the traces with such perse-
verence that, in spite of the hitherto suc-
cessful caution of the murderess, he pen
etrated the bloody secrets of the castle,
! and, burning for revenge, flew to Pres
burg, boldly accused Elizabeth Bathori
of murder before the palatine in open
court and demanded judgment against
her.
so grave an accusation brought
against a person OF such high rank de-
anded the most serious attention, and
the palatine undertook to investigate the
affair in person.
Proceeding Immediately to Csejta, be-
fore the murderess or her accomplices
had any idea of the accusation, he dis.
covered the still warm body of a young
girl, whom they had been destroying as
the palatine approached and had not
time to dispose of before he approached
them.
The rank of Elizabeth nitigated her
punishment to Imprisonment for life,
but her assistants were burned at che
stake.
Legal documents still exist to attest
the truth of this circumstance London
News.
Changed the Subject.
Fred-"How are you getting on with