Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-06-10
A WRETCHED MONARCH.
Some Facts About the Mad
King Otto's Life.
DISEASE MAKING RAPID PROGRESS

and sings For Hours at Ntsht-FaiI,
Asleep Only Toward Dawn Tor
tured with Fear, He Refuses "a
Eat
According to reports from Munich
the condition Of the insane King o,to
| who some days ago celebrated his nifty
| third birthday. Las again become some.
| wat critical the renal disease from
which he suffers making all the more
/ rapid progress IS the unhappy mon
/ arch, who is exceedingly strong, WIZ
/ not let himself be examined or treated.
| writes the London correspondent OF the
/ New York sun. As he cannot be in
| duced 10 take the necessary diet and
| baths which would increase the activ-
| ity Of the heart efforts are made to in
trcduce secretly into his food medica-
ments 10 prevent chronic Inflammation
| OF the arteries and dropsr. Sometimes.
In order 10 rouse him. he is allowed TO
see persons whom he once knew and
whose features he remembers from his
boyAoOd These he at once recognizes
calling them by their names. He dimes
smokes and plays with them for some
time and then suddenly breaks off, be-
comes apathetic, pulls al his beard and
then commences to undress himself
just where he is.
The King rises very lrregularly.
Sometimes, according to his mood. he
losses himself about ia bed till late in
the day, rolls himself up in the bed
clothes and then throws them off WITT.
his feet or hands. There are DAYS
when he cannot be induced to leave his
bed or his room. aud as exercise is
necessary for this strong and lately
very stout man everything possible il
done to get him out into the park or at
least on to the terrace.
There are also days when the king
is tortured with fear aud cannot be
prevailed upon to eat anything. At
these times when his breakfast is
brought in he peeps slyly at the lack
eys, who wait on him with as much
ceremony as if he were sane At other
times when he is hungry and wants to
eat. he does not wait till they have left
the room, but pounceS on eY cry thing
on the table ravenously. But general
ly he waits till the Iackeys have gone
and then eats everything up. When
the servants reappeaT and find the
empty dishes. the king laughs heartily
Owing to his complete want of exer-
else he suffers from sleeplessuess At
night he sits for hours in his room |
sometimes talking aloud to himself. |
sometimes singing in a beautiful voice |
and only toward morning falls asleep |
Great stress is laid at Castle Furs- |
tenried on the same ceremony and /
treatment being given for the sick king |
as If he were in good health. However /
curious IL may sound. 1t seems as If /
the king himself takes care that he |
should receive royal attentions He /
notices exactly what goes on around /
him, and when he is to be Induced by /
stratagem to do anything. for instance /
If he is wanted to take a drive. the
doctors must never betray their inten-
ton, for then the king offers such re-
sistance and gets so furious that doc
tors and attendants have quickly to
retire. But If he can be made to be- |
lieve that he can outwit his doctors
and make fools of them he does what
Is wanted. In order to get him into
the carriage to take 4 drive the follow
ing maneuyer rs resorted to: The car
riage drives up to the gate of the gar
len and is apparently left alone there
As soon as the king thinks he is not
he jumps into the carriage
and calls for the coachman without be
ng in the least astonished at seeing
his doctor follow him into it