The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
FRANZ ABEL'S ROMANCE
ARTIST WHO EXPIRED AT HIS EA-
Sell HAD FLED FROM VIENNA.
His sister Celebrated European
dancer. i'm whose villa Died
Member of the Nobility.


New York Herald
Franz Abels tragic death was connected
with a dark ard romantic story. The life
| which he ended in poverty was embittered
| BY occurrences which caused him to leave
Vienna ard seek retirement on this side Of
the water. He died last Wednesday, the
readers of the Herald will remember, as ne
stood before a picture which he was paint
ing to buy food for his wife and children.
He might have been enjoying the bounty OF
wealth if he had not told the truth concern
! ing affairs which involved one Of the most
beautiful women in Europe and some of the
prouoest names in the nobility of Austro-
Hungary.
/ His sister, now Countess Orssich de Slav-
etic, was the talk of all Vienna. She was a
! dancer in the opera and such was her beau
ty of form and face that for years she was
the idol Of the Vienna stage. The father OF
the Abels was merchant The girl attract
ed the attention of the manager of the opera
and her fortune was made. All Vienna went
to see her dance. In the clubs the talk was
of the beautiful Abel Many Austrians and
Hungarians in this city speak with enthusi-
asm of the woman's beauty as they grow
reminiscent over their coffee and cigars and
plum brandy
Many members of the nobility showered
gifts upon the prima ballerina of the opera.
Wealth and rank bowed before her. She
had her carriages and her household of SER
wants. She received one of the largest sal
aries ever paid to a dancer in Vienna she
was the most talked-of woman in the Aus
trian city. Her picture was everywhere
and she was recognized by all classes as she
| took her afternoon drive
Mile. Abel retained the, thrift of her ear
| ier days. She placed her money in the
| bank and made investments which were eA-
| ceedingly profitable. She was soon in the
| possession of an income outside of the sal
| airy which she received at the opera. Her
| ideals had changed, and the ways OF the
world had given her another nature, but
for her brother Franz she had the tender
est regard The boy was never strong. His
! shoulders were stopped, and he was SUBJ
| made q pledge to her mother that she would
see to the education of this boy, and even
! in her new surroundings she kept that
pledge.
FRANZ ABSORBED IN ART
Franz was sent to the best art schools OF
Munich and Paris. He was proficient in his
studies and exhibited several pictures in the.
French salon. He was absorbed in his art,
and knew little of the world in which his
sister moved. She supplied him literally
with funds. While in Paris the young art
list met beautiful French girl, whom he
married, and the siser in Vienna provided
! for both for time. Abel was able to sell
| pictures occasionally, from which he de-
rived a slender income
There had been a daughter born to the
/ dancer. A wealthy merchant was the faith
er, and in accordance with the law of the
/ country, the child received the name of
Abel The father made an ample provision
| for the girls education, and she was after
! ward sent to a convent. Concerning this
child Franz Abel knew nothing.
! There seemed to be no waning in the popu-
/ larity of this idol of the Vienna stage, al
/ though she was no longer young. Her name
/ and anne We're as much celebrated as ever.
until a tragedy occurred within the walls of
the villa which she occupied on the outskirts
| of Vienna. Count Octavian Kinslxy. men,
! Der of one OF the oldest families of the coun-
! try, died in that house. Word was hastily
| sent to Vienna, and an effort was made to
/ suppress the circumstances attending the
| death. All Viena knew about it in a day or
| so.
The count was seventy-two years old. It
was found he had given a large portion of
| his fortune to the dancer His relatives con- z
! cluded that the money had been wrongfully
acquired and finally brought suit against
| Mile. Abel for the recovery of stocks valued
at 100000 forms The dancer fought the case
| stubbornly. She contended that the stocks
were hers and showed legal proof Of the
! fact.
Although the courts sustained Mile. AbeFs
contention, the proceedings, which were fully
| reported at the time. brought the dancer be-
fore the public in an unenviable light Franz
| Abel was as one who had awakened from
dream; lie had been SO absorbed az ms
easel that he did not half realize the cir
He was brought before the courts to tes-
! tify. He had sought to escape, but he found
4 himself face to face with the Judges. He
was examined and cross-examined. and with
| unwilling lips he told of the counts death,
for he was living with his sister at the time
| OF the tragedy. He left the villa on that
night in anger, and in telling his story he
| palliated nothing. 1t was not long after that
| the dancer retired from the stage.
The counts death took place in 1887. Abel
! found life had changed for him. His sister 3
devotion seemed to be mockery to him. He
would not see her again, although she made
him offers of help He supported himself by
| the sale of mis- pictures. and a precarious liv-
| ing it was, at best There is q tendency to
fatalism in the temper of the Viennese Abel
came to be looked upon as an unucky man.
| He found his circle of friends growing less.
| His proud and sensitive nature was stung
| by the very nature of the circumstances
! which had attended the death of Count Kin
sky He finally came to this country, where
! he made a living by painting pictures for
| art dealers.
COUNT oRsSICH APPEARS.
There came to New York in 1883 a young
man whose acts added other bitterness to
| Franz Abels cup. This was Count George
Orssich, who was celebrated then as the
| handsomest man in the Austro- Hungarian
colony here. He belonged to an honored but
far from wealthy house. His father found
his small estate in Croatia, Hungary, barely
yielded a comfortable living. The sons went
out into the world to seek their fortunes
Count George Orssich found employment
! as an insurance agent. He was an accom-
! plished man ard fine linguist. He laid
siege to the heart Of the daughter Of a
banker who is at the head of a prominent
! German firm in this city. The father was
not pleased with the handsome young
| counts ability TO make a living and in
duced his daughter to discourage the young
mans attentions.
| You may still hear sounded the praises Of
J the count if you ask those who visit the
| hotels and restaurants which he frequented.
| His means were exceedingly small, and
there were times whens he found it hard to
/ obtain even the wherewithal to purchase the
moderate priced table d'hote. His hair was
| of a golden tint and his cheeks were of a
delicate pink. He was the embodiment of
every grace of manner. He had the air Of
| the aristocrat. The bankers daughter found
| it hard to yield to the paternal decree.
| Count Orssich left this country in 1890
| shipping as apprentice on sailing yes
! sci bound for Calcutta and other Eastern
ports His funds We're then exceedingly low
| He made money in Calcutta and finally
| drifted back again to Vienna.
| Mile. Abel, having retired from the stage
| lived in splendid style. She had established
/ a salon which was frequented by the aristo-
cratic anG the lmpeeunCus. The count be-
came q visitor. The former dancer fell in
| love with him and they We're married The
count did not please his father by such an
alliance. de was more proud of his Ofber
/ two sons, enc of whom is in the army and
| East Indies.
Count George Orssich became a conspicu-