The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-13

Story Told by the Murderer of the
Empress of Austria.

Empress OF Austria.
GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 12-The
post-mortem examination of the remains of
the late Empress of Austria. who was as
sissinated on Saturday last by an Italian
Anarchist, whose name has been variously
given as Lacheni Luchesi and Luigini, has
revealed that the weapon completely trans
fixed the heart, penetrating three and one
third inches and making wound one-sixth
of ar inch wide. The fact that her Majesty
walked fifty yards to the steamer is ascribed
to her remarkable will power and natural
energy.
The body of the Empress has been in
closed in triple coffin and placed in a
room transformed into a mortuary cham
Der. The walls of this apartment are veiled
with black drapery covered with silver stars
and several Sisters of Charity are continual
ly on their knees beside the bier praying
for the soul of the departed. Near by
stands the prayer table of the deceased.
hearing her rosary and crucifix.
The imposing demonstration of sympathy
organized by the Federal Council COM
menced at noon to-day. The approaches to
the Hotel Beaurivage were guarded by
gendarmes. The procession was headed by
gendarms, with arms reversed. Then came
four beadles with cooked hats and long
cloaks, half yellow and half red. Their
leader bore a crepe covered mace. They
were followed by the members of the gov
ernment, the members of Parliament, the
diplomatic corps and the civic dignitaries.
Then came a great mass of the population
of Geneva. In close ranks the people defiled
bareheaded before the hotel, in spite of the
very hot sun. In the meanwhile the historic
bell of the Cathedral st. Clemence changed
heavily. The procession lasted over an
hour. All eyes were directed towards the
terrace of the hotel, where stood General
Berziviczy, marshal of the late Empresss
household, the Austrian minister and the
members of the suite of the deceased. The
majority of the stores were closed.
On the order of a magistrate the assassin
was taken this afternoon from st. Anthony
prison to the Anthropometrical Institute,
where he was measured and photographed.
Photographs were given to the press and
will be distributed to the police in the cities
where he lived In the course of a second
examination as to his history and the mo-
tives for the crime, he said he had never
known his father or mother. He was
brought up at Palma, Italy. in a charity
school, and at the age of ten was thrown
on the streets without resources. He
worked as an unskilled laborer until he was
twenty. Then he served in the Italian
army three years and half. On leaving
his regiment he was employed as the valet
de chambre of the Prince of Aragol for
three months. At this time Anarchist
ideas began to possess his mind, and, to use
his own words, prevented me from re-
naming in servitude. In the course of a
life of adventure he happened to be in
Buda-Pesth in 1894. There for the first time
he saw Empress Elizabeth. He was mis-
cradle and weak and applied to the Italian
consul to be returned to Italy. The consul
sent him to Fiume. His description of his
subsequent wanderings was vague, and he
said he seldom, if ever, obtained work.
While staying at Laussaneh he saw a file
outside shop, purchased it with no con-
ceived purpose and made a clumsy wooden
handle for 1t. In prison he has boasted of
his crime, and he has addressed letter to
Milan newspaper expressing a fear lest
he be mistaken by Caesar I.ombroso
for a degenerate. Dilating in this COM
munication upon the objects of militant
anarchism, he wrote: above all, it is the
great who must be struck. Not only SOW
ereigns and their ministers will be reached
by the comrades, but all who make men
miserable on earth.' He says he was not
impeled by misery to kill the Empress, as
such course would have bsen idiotic, but
he committed the deed in order that such
crimes. following Gre upon the other might
cause all who impoverish the popuIace to
tremble and shiver. The document con-
cludes with this declarations: "I am an
Anarchist by conviction"