Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-09-12
THE LATE EMPRESS.

THE LATE EMPRESS.
The assassination of the Empress Of
Austria calls to mind some of her errat-
ic acts.
The empresss manner Of travelling,
going about unattended, rendered her
the one easiest, though the one least
like, ly, to be the victim of anarchistic
brutality. She always travelled incog
nito as Countess Hoheneibs, relying or
her own mysterious proceedings for
protection against cranks or criminals
Wnen in London about three year,
60 she was up and about the streets
every morning at 5 o'clock, visiting the
flower market in Coveut Garden At thai
unusual hour more than once, and also
the Blllinrsg sgate fish market. She went
to bed at O'Clock.
She lived Who'll y to herself, and per
-mptorily forbade the embassy officials
% take any notice OF her pr,sence.
o. late Years she always wore vtii
50 thick tnst it was impossible to scru-
iniz- her features. She was morbidly
susceptible to the inevitable decay OF
aer beauty. which at one time was OF
world v ide fame. For the same reesoI
,le never had been photographed OF
bad her portrait painted for thirty
wears, and no one mas ever succeeded
in even sketcbing her at that time.
Until her health broke down, she wa
passionai ely devoted to hunting, aud
went to Ireland and Enpland for many
successive years for the hunting season,
preferring Ireland, as the jumping ob-
stacles there were more formidable.
She never got on with Queen Vic
toria, who disapproved OF her free and
easy manner of living and of her total
disregard of the ceremonial surround
ings of her rank. The visit before the
last of the Empress to the Queen al
Windsor Castle to lunch was marked
by N incident that created much com
ment. The Empress, on leaving the
castle, went straight to refreshmenl
buffet at a railway station and ate q
hearty meal, proceeding which was
taken to reflect on the regal hospitality
she had just enjoyed.
The Empress was always atcompa-
ME when bunting by CCunt Festellcs
and Capt. Bay Middleton, a famous
Euglish horseman, who wss killed IL
the saddle few years ago She rode
TO the hounds fearlessly and bad many
falls, but never suffered seriously.
Since the shocking tragedy OF tt {
Crown Prince RudoIfs death she hao
never appeared in public in Vienna and
had never com pletely recovered from
the effects of that blow. She was con
sumed with anguish at the thought thai
Rudolf's wildness was inherited through
her and remorseful that she had not
kept him more under control in his
earlier years instead OF encouraging
him in bovish escapades.
Then the death of her sister, the Ouch
ess D'Alencon, in the charity bazaar
fire at Paris was another reeling blow
from which the unfortunate Empress
sought relief by almost incessant travel
Before her sons death she had just
completed gorgeous palace, the Achil
leon at Corpe, but she never afterward
set foot there, and the palace is now
for sale. 1t is reported TO have cost
81 100000
Her tragic death will put an end to
the contemplated Jubilee celebration II
Novem Der Of Emperor Francis Joseph :
accession, for which elaborate arrange
ments had been made, and for which
the Empress had promised to oreaB
through her rule of seclusion and par
ticipate in q grand state pageant.
The personal relations between hel
and the emperor had long been The
subject OF unpleasant rumors, though
the incidents on which these rumor'
were founded were as likely to arls'
from her growing eccentricitiej as tron
the causes of the quarrel which the
f. nparor's conduct is reported to have
given her.
Paris details about the assassination
of the Empress state that codicil tC
her will expresses her wish to be buried
at Corfu, near the sea, where th'
waves may break perpetually on he
tomb. She WAS always incognito a
at Paris as Countess Hoheuejbs, anC
she lodged at the Austrian Embassy
She figures in one of Munkacsy's mos
famous pictures.