Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-12
CRIME is ALMosC INcKEDIBLE
Except Upon the Misereant's Claim That
He Did 1t .'for Example,"

He Did 1t ssfor Example,"
1t is almost incredible that the ven
cradle empress should have been Sc
lected for the dagger of an assassin.
She had always been peculiarly dear to
the Austrian people, and she was
scarcely less beloved in Hungary Her
beauty, her love of outdoor sports. her
model democratic life and the excellent
example she always set for the Austrian
court commended her to the aristocracy.
Her benevolence and bounty-again and
again expressed in the largest way
commended her to the people at large
She was modest, amiable, gentle, con-
ciliatory, and endowed with all the fin
est qualities of cultured womanhood
She had reached an advance age, and at
the most. could have looked for but a
few years more of life.
Why she should have been chosen as
the mark for destruction it would be
difficult to say. except that anarchy in
pufS malignity conceived the idea of de-
stroying one who could scarcely have
had personal enemy in the world. re
the Emperor Franz Josef the loss of his
wife and consort must come With crush
ing effect. For a second time his family
has lost a member by violence. 1t was
I'm 1889 that his eldest son. the Arch
duke Rudolph. who married Princess
den end in circumstances that indicated
either suicide or assassination. The ex-
act cause of the death OF the pince i'm
perial has never been made known.
Until her health broke down the EN-
press of Austria was passionately de-
voted to hunting. She went to ireland
and England for many successive years
for the hunting season, preferring Ire
land because; the jumping obstacles
f1afa lle
never got on with Queen Victoria, who
disapproved of her free and easy man.
ner of living, entirely discarding the
ceremonial surroundings of her rank
Since the shocking tragedy of Crown
Prince Rudolf's death she had never
appeared in public in Vienna. She new
er completely recovered from the effect
of the blow. She was consumed with
anguish at the thought that Rudolfa
wildness was inherited from her, and
she was remorseful that she had not
kept him more under control in earlier
years, instead of encouraging him Ia
boyish escapadeS.
The death of her sister. the Duchess
d'Alencon, in the charity bazaar fire was
another crushing blow. rom this she
sought relief by almost incessan mt trav-
ell. Her death now will stop the con-
templated jubilee in November in COM
sephs accession, for which elaborate
arrangements have been made the en-
press having promised to break her rule
of seclusion and participate in the grand
state pageant. Her marriage to the
emperor was purely a love match, at
any rate on the part of the emperor.
Austria Hungary in Mourning
Vienna. Sept. 12-There is no portion
of the Austrian empire that is not in
mourning over the cruel taking off OF
the empress. -Sh was universally
known and as universally beloved by all
Austrians.
Buda Pest, Hungary, Sept. 12.-Both
houses of the Hungarian diet met Sat |
urGlay in extraordinary session. LonS be- |
fore the magnates and deputies arrived
the legislative palace was surrounded
by immense concourses of sorrowinC
people. A band of 500 students carry |
ing craped banners, lined the road lead |
ing to the entrance to the unterhaus.
The president of the chambers expressed
the nations sorrow and coincidence, and |
in both houses motions BETTING the oc- |
casion were adopted.