Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-21

| ~HiiildH was surrounded NV hoe
sAe armies. and about him pressed a
MOD OF generals and councillors. omar.
Ie'hns among themselves. and all
warped by private ambitions After
SIX months of neglect, Prince Salm.
sam got the rank of colonel in the Rel.
gan corps under General Van de,
! smssen. His regiment was made mr.
Oh frenchmen, Germans, Hungarians
ana Mexicans, who were, according to
'ne prince. "a wild, brawling set con-
stantiy lighting among themselves, but
ready enough to do their duty under
ile' Al this time he was Joined by
.he princess. who had sailed for Vera
.ruz early In August. One of her fell
low passengers was Father Fischer,
VINO was destined to figure prominent-
!! IN the tragedy already Fastening to
us close. The prince and princess both
wore the silver and gray Belgian uni
form. and the latter again cheerfully
endured the hardships of camp and
campaign.
On February 5, 1867. the French army
began to evacuate the country. Short
~ afterward Macmillan and his small
army Quilted the city of Mexico, and
took refuge at Queretaro. Strange to
say, he had not yet lost faith in his
experiment. He still believed that the
better class of MeXicans wished him to
be their Emperor: and. though at this
time he might have escaped he thought
that it would be an act of cowardice
to desert his subjects.
The enemy pressed closer, and on
May Is the Liberal army, under Esco-
Ial 70,
MaXimilian's escape. even at that mo-
ment was earnestly desired by the Lib
erals, but he resolved to remain and
share the fate of his followers. Only
then did he begin to lose faith in his
active adherents, placing confidence in
only one-Prince Salm-Salm-with
whom he held many private confer
ences. AS the siege progressed the
troops had nothing to eat except mule
meat, and the young Emperor would
have Jared little better than his SOL
diers hut for the supplies furnished
him by the nuns of the Convent Of
Santa Teresita, in which he was quar-
tered. His mental and physical condi-
lions were rapidly growing worse, and
many persons believed that. just prior
to the departure Of Carlotta for Europe,
the imperial couple had been made the
victims of a poisonous Indian drug, the
action of which destroys the brain.
Princess Salm-Salm, visiting at Ia
cubaya. determined to learn,if possible,
what steps should be taken to effect
the escape of the Emperor and her hus-
band. She made the journey on horse
back, narrowly escaping bullets and
still worse perls. Accompanied only
by the driver of her fiacre. and with
her little dog and her revolver in her
lap, she made the four days journey
from Mexico to Queretaro, but General
Escobedo would not permit her to en-
ter the city. Three days later she
reached San Luis Potosi, and there
pleaded for to JuareZ, the chief OF the
republic. Her mission was unsuccess-
full. At this juncture Lopez surren-
dered Queretaro to the Repuollcans'
and she was permitted to enter. she
found the Emperor and the prince ooth
i'll and in need of care.
The trial of Macmillan and his of1i-
GERS was held in the Iturbide theatre
Mexico. The imperial victim. SUFFERING
in mind and body, and knowing the IN :
evitahle result refused to attend. All
were sentenced to death. The intrepid
princess again journeyed to san LUIS
Potosi and succeeded in obtaining from
| Juarez a two weeks respite tor the
| condemned. 1t has been said or
Princess Salm-Salm, that of all the
| E,noperor's friends then at liberty she
was the only one who had the heaft
| of a man" Her plans for his rescue
| would have succeeded had she beeh
supplied with large sums of ready CASH
Obtaining from Macmillan checks fof
5000. 900 on the imperial treasury at
| Vienna. she endeavored with them 10
bribe the F,mperor's custodian and MS
IDENTITIES. Palacios, the chief custodian,
was an uneducated Indian, who did not
know the value of the scraps of paper
which she handed him. though doubt
less he would have been convinced by a
bag of gold. He pretended to take the
matter under consideration, but, IN
stead. BETRAYED her to his commanding
officer. Escobedo. The princess, though
neremptorily ordered to leave the coun-
trv again sought President Juarez.
He promised her the life of her hus-
band, but declared that ne coulo NOT
snare that of the Emperor.
Macmillan was executed on June ~
1857 under the law of January %, 1867,
| which condemned to death all rebels
taken with arms in their hands. Inc
effort of the princess to save hlm was
the only failure in her career but SUI
had accomplished what few women
would have attempted and what
no man could have done. Prince Salm-
| Salm's death sentence was commuteI
to six years Imprisonment, ana ioi
some months he was kept in rigorous
confinement. However. efforts In MS
behalf were made by the American IN
babitants of Mexico. His ever-Zealous
wife exerted her powerful and mag
netic influence among her friends IN
the United States A letter asking Iol
his release was promptly written by
President johnson. At length he was
Europe. The Princess, who was ther
in the United States, Immediately
sailed for France. They met in 'Pafls
and reached Anhalt just in time u
celebrate Christmas day-the birthda!
of both-with the princes family.
.. shortly afterward they were received
a+ the court of Austria. The grief
stricken Arehduchess Sophia. with un
mistakable gratitude, gave to the
nripcass a splendid bracelet contain