The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-30
LIKE IBE HAPSH)RGS
Corpse of the Austrian En-
press EViScerated.
DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS
Only the Empty Body in the
Capuchins' Vaults.
DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS

Austria s funeral, Dul DISMISSED Win IiiC
briefest mention the most curiously inter
esting incident OF the funeral ceremonies.
The heart of Elizabeth had been removed
and placed IN a silver ern; the internal
organs OF Her Majesty had been separated
from the body and sealed in another
jsweled urn-so that the empty clays OF
the murdered empress was all that the
royal catafalque bore to the Church OF
the Capuchins.
An ancient tradition Of the Haspburg
family. the most ancient and tradition
laden family in Europe, DEGREES that the
bodies of all of its members shall be d.
vded into three parts. 1t mas all the sac
redness OF law.
In accordance with this tradition, the
body OF the Empress lies in the crypt OF
the Church OF Caspuchins, her heart in
the silver urn in the Church of the Au-
gustines, and the rest of her internal
organs IN a gold and crystal receptacle
IN the great Cathedral of st. Stephen.
Such a dissection attended with such
cereony, appears dreadful to Americans.
To the Austrian imperial family it is only
a fulfillment of an ancient and honored
rule. Nevertheless the Austrian newspa-
pers. deeply subservient TO the monarchy
refrained from making any detailed re-
ports of this portion Of the funeral cere-
monies.
The burial Of the Empress's body In the
Church of the Capuchins was the only
public function. The people and the news
grief and their curiosity with that In
the other ceremonies only the imperial
family and the highest members of the
clergy and the court participated.
These took places on Friday, the day
before the public funeral. The dissec-
ton of the remains were performed at
the Imperial Palace in Vienna by the
chief surgeon of the court. The heart
was placed in a silver urn and the other
remains in a gold and crystal urn.
A cortege was then formed, consisting
Of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand the
Empress's nephew and heir; Prince Leche
tenstein, Grand Master of the Court; Dr.
Mayer, the chief prelate of the Emperor's
household and a few necessary attendants
This cortege first carried the vessel con-
tanning the internal remains to ST. Steph-
ems Cathedral. There it was received by
y
who performed solemn burial service
The urn was placed in a vault with many
others containing similar relics OF the
ancient Hapsburg family.
Then the procession bearing the heart in
an urn resumed its journey to the Angus
tine Church. In this case the chief Abbott
Of the order received the urn. Again a
burial service was held. This concluded
the disposition of two portions of the
Empress's remains.
This strange funeral custom has its
origin in the desire Of two churches to
have the honor of holding the imperial
dead and in the affection of the imperial
family for third church. 1t is not an
uncommon thing among European royal
families to place the remains of the dead
in separate receptacles. This is done in
Russia, Spain and Bavaria In no family
but the Hapsburgs, however, is it the
custom to separate the remains so widely
The claim of st. Stephens Cathedral
10 hold the imperial remains rests on
the fact that it was built by Duke of
Austria in the twentieth century. Its
claim was undisputed for many centuries
until the Emperor Ferdinand, of the Haps
burg line. took the order of the Capuchins
under his protection and favor. He built
their church for them and worshiped in 1t.
When he died the Capuchns demanded
that he be laid to rest in the church
wherein he worshipped
st. Stephens Cathedral. naughty, and
hoary, intoned by its very chimes its be-
lief that it would be sin to bury Haps-
burg elsewhere than. where the Hapsburgs
had rested for three centuries The sur
wing members Of the Emperor's family
were perpleNed. The influence of tradi-
ton was strong. Tradition was repre-
scented by the frowning Gothic facade and
noble tower of St. Stephens. Humble and
ugly as was the asture church of the
Capuchins. II represented a great eccles-
iastical power. The result was a COM
promise.
The body OF Ferdinand was buriedat
the Church of the Capuchins. but pre-
vious to the interment the intestines were
removed and carried by 2 separate hearse
TO the Cathedral of ST Stephens. where in
an urn Of crystal and gold they were
placed in niche once occupied by the
image Of a saint. The precedent then
established has ben followed ever since
in the case OF every member of the i'm
periaI family.
The time came when II was thought
fitting the rank Of an emperor that a.
shrine-like crypt should be built for the
repose OF that portion of the imperial
bodies allotted as TO St Stephens share.
1t was woman who added a touch Of
poetry 70 posJ-mortem transaction that
saVorS OF the horrible she * r,io,,s s,5
high-minded; beautiful too, and radiant
with good nature. though Of temper thai
would easily catch fire. There was M
nob,er woman ever horn" So the cur
mudgeon genius. Carlyle. described Maria.
Theresa, the woman who interiected
poetry as well as pathos into the burial
of the Hspsburgs.
II was an obscure member Of the Hans
different names and. in some instances
does not name at ali. who chose 10 wor-
ship. not at proud $. STEPHENS, or the
humble Church Of the CapuchIns. but in
the Augustine Church. TO which no earth
~ halo Of imperial favor had yet been
given in Vienna
My body attends the Capuchin mass
but my heart is with the priest sof 5,
Augustine" Maria Theresa heard this
III Dbie princeiinS say once When he did
not dream that his poor utterances fell
upon the ear Of this beautiful inperfal
relative. Maria Theresa heard and re-
membered. When the humble princelfne
died she ordered that his heart BE buried
in the church OF mis- choice. the Church Of
the Augustines. True 70 tradition. how
ever. his body went to the Church -