The Mena star., 1898-12-28
THE MURDERED EMPRESS.
"'oes or the Late Lady of Aus tria and Her Sympathy with the Poor While in Normandy.

Tn 1875 the murdered empress of Aus trla, upon the advice of her physician. took up her residence in Normandy. ln the Caux country, where she rented the chateau of Sassetot. She arrived there on July 31 with the little Arch duchess Valerie, her daughter, and suite of about 60 persons. On the day after her arrival she appeared at Pe- tites-Dalles, where she was to begin the sea bathing which had been pre- scribed for her. During the two months she was there she took 36 baths, for which she paid right roy ally 5000 francs. Every morning the master bather went for his orders and if he were told that the empress in- tended to bathe he had everything pre- pared.
 Often on her way to or from Sassetot the empress would stop before some little cottage, get out of her carriage, talk to everybody near her and caress the children Her hand was always open and her visit was godsend to the poor of the country, where her suite also spent much money and paid for everything royalty. Every day her grooms bathed her horses in the surf. The empress was fond of boating. Sometimes she went on board a yacht which was placed at her disposal by a rich gentleman from Rouen, but her preference was for a little sailboat handled by the son of the master bath CT, boy of about IA or 15 summers.
 As much as possible she suppressed all formalities of etiquette. Every day she mounted her horse and set out unaccompanied, delighted at the chance of having a ride alone, and very often. too, she went great distances straight ahead, according to her ca price and to the great despair of the functionaries of her court, whom the emperor held responsible for her safe ty. In the neighborhood of Sassetot everybody knew her and before her all heads were respectfully uncovered. Once she strayed a long distance from the village and wandered about in places totally unknown to her. One of the grooms who was dashing through the country searching for her found her in a field where a maid was milking cows. The empress was chat ting familiarly with the young woman and drinking out of milk can.
 The second time she got lost she was on foot and asked the way of priest whose little church was in a neighbor- ing valley. Taking her for an ordinary visitor he showed her the way, and on the road she entered into conversa- tion with him. He incidentally spoke of the poverty of his parishioners, and was much surprised on receiving the next day a considerable sum of money, which seemed really to come to him from Heaven, for he did not know that the lady he met on the road was the empress Of Austria.
 An incident which might have had grave results put an end, at least for a time. to these rather imprudent excur- sions on the part of the empress. On September IS, 1875. her doctor having left her in the castle after her prom ise not to go out, proceeded to Petites- Dalles to take bath After bathing a messenger came to him and said that he was wanted immediately at the chateau. Tn great haste the doctor jumped into a carriage and proceeded to Sassetot. The empress had been thrown from horse in the castle park and her condition appeared to be grave. When the doctor arrived he found her unconscious. Her fainting spell lasted long time. and it was de- cided to telegraph to the emperor, from whom they at first desired to conceal the accident. After the tele- gram was sent the empress regained consciousness and soon recovered. Her companions implored her to aban- don her wild and breakneck rides. Shortly afterward it was reported that on receiving the dispatch the emperor went to Sassetot incognito to see the empress. At the Austrian court the story of this visit was always denied. They said that he was on the point of starting, but on receipt of reassur- ing news gave up the idea.
 The empress quilted Sassetot on September 20, 1875. On leaving she gave substantial evidence of her gem erosity. Nobody was forgotten, not even the master bather, the little pi- lot, the church where she attended mass or the poor of the country, whom shehad already helped over and over again. She left Sassetot followed by many regrets and benedictions. Later,