The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-12
is KING OTTO AN
INSANE NAM.
Belief That the Bavarian
Ruler is Being Confined for
Political Reasons Only.

Is King Otto really insane, or is it pos
sibe that his confinement is the result OF
a Dolitical trick on the part OF his enemies?
These are questions that have been asked
more than once in high European circles
Of late and the semi-Offical announce
nent of the Augsburg Abendzeitung that
the. King has had sane moments with re-
markable frequency Of late, has led to the
revival OF all the rumors that once threat
ened to make no end OF trouble in Ba-
varia that will be heard all over Europe.
Those who har> no personal knowledge
OF affairs in Bavaria little realize the
extent OF affection that common people
feel for their king. They idoliZe Ludwig.
and the greatest Bavarian festival is still
the annual celebration Of the royal house
OF Wittelsbach.
Before King Ludwig lost his few wits
he was the most loved ruler in Europe, ana
when he became insane the people stu
loved him with sympathetic pity such
as one would give to a sick child When
Ludwig died and his brother Otto assumed
his position as king the people accepted
him with pleasure. and when it was an
nounced that he, too, was crazy they could
scarcely believe the fact. It was stated
that ne was suffering from an incurable
rnalady, and that a regency must be de-
clared.
After some hesitation the people submit
ted 10 what seemed the inevitable, but
those who know Bavaria have long been
aware that there were many people who
still believe that the story Of the Kings
insanity was a piece Of political fiction.
A LIFE PRISONER.
The fact that years have passed and left
Otto still a prisoner. has done much to
quiet these rumors, but now that it IS
admitted that there are times when he is
sane. ali the sleeping suspicious have been
aroused. and already the people are talk
ing about the day when the loved Otto
will once more sit upon the throne.
How much reason there is in these sus-
picons it would be difficult to state. OF
course it would not be the first time that
a king has been the victim of court in
trigue.a romances are as possible to-
day as they were few hundred years ago
Still the supposition that the King is
really insane is a perfectly reasonable
one 1t would never do to deny the crazy
streak in the Wittelsbach BRAIN Inc
strange life and stranger death OF Ottos
music-mad brother, Ludwig II, the quirks
of their grandfather, Ludwig =, the insane
passions which, the chroniclers say, dis
tinguished even the founder OF the house,
bespeak for this last scion a clear title
to madness.
The history of the realm Of Bavaria goes
far back into the dim past Of the Middle
Ages Otto the Great. OF Germany, who
renewed the imperial office, invading Home
and establishing Holy Roman Empire OF
the German nation, encountered trouble
OF serious kind with rebellious Duke
OF Bavaria
Henry the Quarrelsome, OF Bavaria.
claimed the regency under the infant En-
peror, Otto III, but was denied by the
Emperor. fought and struggled for the
mastery in the chaotic political conditions
of the times. Bavaria fell to the lot OF
the adherents OF one or the other as the
tide OF battle flowed
But in the time of Frederick l.. the ne
roic Barbarossa, a definite landmark APP
pears in the annals of the picturesque and
ancient duchy In 11so, when Henry the
Lion. OF Saxony. had been humhled for
the moment by the Emperor, Bavaria, as
one of the dependencies Of the imperial
sway. was allotted TO the Count Palat!ne
Of Wittelsbach, Otto, or Othon. From
that time TO the foundation of the present
royal line by the Count Palatine, Christian
IL. the succession is sufficiently clear.
AN ERRATIC LIFE.
The present King. Otto Wilhelm Luit-
Dold is the son of King Macmillan II.
and Princess Marie Of Prussia. He was
born at Munich on April q. 1SiS, and it is
than half his life. He nominally succeed
ed TO the throne on June 10. 1885, when his
brother committed suicide by drowning
himself in the beautiful Lake of Starn-
berg, in the Park of Berg Castle, three
days after his deposition upon the score OF
insanity
Whatever may be the case to-day. one
thing at least is certain-the unfortunate
Otto was not born insane. The faint, If
faint there was. was in his blood, and
was made virulent and active by the cir
cumstances of his life. for while his broth
er Ludwig found consolation in music,
poetry and beautiful architectural crea-
| tons. even after madness had laid its
dark hand upon his mind. Otto OF gross
er nature, was sinking to the lowest NOR
| al plane.
1t is difficult to say that Bavaria has
| not been better off for the confinement OF
| this king Sane or mad, there was that
about his character that would have made
him an unwise if not unkind ruler, where
| as Prince Luitpoid, who succeeded him
as regent was a man OF refinement be-
meath whose reign a country could not but
| prosper.
Still. for all that, the Bavarians have
NOT been satisfied They know that Prince
Iuitpold was never kindly disposed to-
wards King Otto, and they have felt that
| things might not have been so bad with
their ruler as they had been given to
! imagine
In fact, this sad condition had been
| described with such detail that they were
| suspicious that the tales had been told
to quiet them, and more than one effort
| has been made TO penetrate to the Palace
OF Fuerntenried, in the depths of the Ba-
varian forest, in which the King has been
| confined.
| From time to time obscure rumors have
| arisen that Otto was being ill-used and
| that his mental condition was being in
| tentionally aggravated by those who fear
| ed that he might recover and assume his
! legitimate position, but to all OF these
rumors the regent has made such fair re-
| plies that the people have not 6sred to
| harbor suspicion against him or any OF
| his associates. who have insisted that the
| rumors were being served up simply to ir-
ritate or ernbarrass Luttpold. who is GER
| tainly ruling wisely and Well
| Of course it is quite possible that this
| explanation is the true one, and that the
| present rumors are OF a similar charac-
! ter, and yet it cannot be denied that there
| is a feeling in the country that King
!