The Indianapolis journal., 1898-10-24
HI. P. WaSSO1l Sc @
A BARON in THE ARMY
CAPT. WILLIAM WALDECK A COUSIN
OF AUSTRIA's LATE EMPRESS.
His "Reminiscences of the IIl-Fated
tum, but Fled Before the Massacre.
st. Louis Post Dispatch.

OI Louis POST DlSpatcn.
Capt. William Waldeck, line officer in
the colored immune" regiment designated
as the Seventh Volunteers, is a second
cousin of the unfortunate Elizabeth, EN-
press of Austria. who was assassinated by
the Italian Anarchist, Lucchino, at Geneva,
a week ago. Captain Waldeck was treated
as brother by the Empress. He was prob
ably more genuinely grieved over the lady's
tragic fate than any one in America.
While the captain is for the present only
a company commander iii a negro regiment
assigned to garrison duty in Cuba the mo-
ble blood Of Europe flows in his veins. He
traces his ancestry TO kings.
He is the Baron William Anton Hubert
Waldeck de Villenueve, of Holland. The
arms of his maternal grandmother which
Graded the boy baron served the loving
purpose for Elizabeth before he was born.
and at this good old ladys house the mid
dle-aged Empress and the young soldier
whose welfare she was ever solctous
about, often met as guardian and protege.
The Empress Elizabeth was one of the
prettiest two women that the courts of Eu-
rope ever knew" said Captain Waldecl ec-
staticaly. The other beautiful woman
was Margherta, Queen of Italy. She was
married an Empress-among nations; but
she was born a Queen among people. She
was popular; she was more than popular;
she was an idol. The people of Austro-
Hungary respected their Emperor; they
loved their Empress. Him they obeyed; her
they worshiped. L have just nov received
caDlegram from the Emperor, acknowledge
ing the receipt of my dispatch of condo
ience; he Is most unhappy man. The
HapSDurg house is accursed But all that
happened before was not worse for Austria
IMAM Elizabeths death. Just wait; you
Shall see a war in Austria.
L have photograph of Elizabeth that
was given me when / was at my grand
mothers house in the south of France. The
empress was there also, as she loved 10
visit our grandmother. / was on the eve
of departure to join the English expedition
in the Sudan: William, said her Majesty,
'there is nothing for you to do with that
expedition. You can do no good there |
was not deferred by her advice, although |
often recalled it later. Then she asked What
she shoul1 give me as token. 1 answered
that would prize nothing more highly than
a new photograph OF herself She had a
photograph brought and wrote on the back
of 1t and signed her name.
WITH GORDON AT KHARTUM.
II carried the picture into Egypt with
me. 1t was hidden in the folds of my Arab
costume when 1 escaped from the massacre
of Khartum on camelback, just few hours
before the brave Gordon, who refused to fly
with me, was slaughtered and beheaded."
why would Gordon not escape?'
''Why? l do not know.
"Ah, that was a terrible, terrible night
in khartum. At IL o'clock | went to Gem
eral Gordon. He was a colonel in the Eng
lish army then, but we called him general
All the hills were full of Arabs There were
thousands, thousands of them, a hundred
thousand at least. Days and weeks and
months we had been besieged and no re-
lief had come History tells that. For me-
| knew the time had come. / knew the
MAn0l would attack haf yrt,II
reach us too late
= Go if you will said General Gordon.
Here in the palace l shall stay
Il begged him. pleaded with him to es-
cape while yet there was time.
Go, if you will, but 1 shall stay is all
General Gordon" said, II am no cow
ara; l do not take one step backward for
any one man: ! do not fly from any battle;
but this is no battle. 1t is a murder; l fly
as fast as / can from murder. | am not
IN your army. am not an English officer;
l am only a foreign attache. To be mur-
dered here would do no good for me or my
country. II | remain L shall be murdered,
therefore 1 fly.
With one servant got away in an Arab
costume on camel. 1t before mid
night when we got outside of the city At
230 o'clock ia the morning the wells and
shots of the murderers in the streets of
khartum We're borne to us from the dis
tance.
In October Of the same year, 1885, 1 was
journeying home to see my people who had
thought me killed at Khartum. In France
while on train learned that the Empress
Elizabeth was at Pau, a health resort
where we would stop. 1t was about
O'Clock when / sent up my card at her
hotel. She was travelling incognito, as was
her preference, and she had only one lady
with her.
See here, William she said pointing
her. finger at me, shall not shake hands
with you. You have been a naughty boy
TO go into the Sudan for nothing and worry
all OF your friends needlessly, Come. let US
meal she told valet that we would go for
a drive.
a carriage and two horses. your Maj
esty?' he asked
Order us a tiacre. I prefer that
And so we two went in an old fiacre
with one poor old horse. 1t was the way
she liked best. 1t was ever her wish to be
and ladies or gentlemen following me
around. prefer to go alone and to ride in
the kind of vehicle / want to walk IL 1
choose
COURT ETIQUETTE A BCPE.
Titles she disiked very much and court
turned from duty with the English army
in India in 1889 l met her in the Isle Of
Wight where she was with great court
suite. Having heard from some English
officers that l was stopping in East Clyde.
where her party was. she sent a note to
my hotel: In the morning at 4 o'clccI<
You will put on your top boots and ride
with me- That was all il said
When / began to make my bows ard
give the greeting due majesty she walked
up and cut me gently. on the shoulder with
morning Is time for such salutatfon.
How have you been in India; are you well
nowY Then we shall have a nice ride across
the beautiful hills before these weary ladies
and gentlemen OF the c1urt have done win
sleeping