Evening journal., 1902-12-23
CROWN PRINCESS
HAS VANISHED
Louise, of Saxony, Has De
serted Her Family at
Salzburg Suddenly
LEFTDUMMY FIGURE IN HER BED

Dresden. Saxony. Dec. 23.-The
crown princess of Saxony fed from
her home on the night of December
IL. The Dresdner Journal of yester
day says: The pEincess, in state
OF intense mental excitement, suddenly
deserted her family at Salzburg and
went abroad The Saxon court func-
tions for the winter, including the
New Years reception, have been can
celled."
The foregoing paragraph In yester-
days official journal, which was in
serted by order of the king and crown
prince of Saxony, has turned into
truth what for several days past has
been regarded as an incredible tale.
The crown princess OF Saxony, sur
rounded by her ladies' in waiting and
numerous attendants and servants OF
the royal household, has vanished so
utterly that the police OF every king
dom Of Europe have for ten days been
unable to trace her The official an
nouncement was made In order to
obtain the aid OF the general public in
finding the princess, and because the
court fiction that she preferred to re-
main In retirement at Salzburg rather
than to return to her husband and
children at Dresden cannot longer be
maintained.
Accompanied by the crown prince,
the princess went to the castle Of En-
peror Francis Joseph, near Salzburg.
a month ago. A week after their ar
rival at the castle the prince broke
his leg while hunting and was brought
back to Dresden. The princess, how
ever. remained at the castle. Why she
did so the people of the court did not
know, except that, with gloomy tenac-
ity, the princess usually does what
she pleases.
The narrative OF the events at salz-
burg during the night Of December IL
-, as told in Dresden, is that the
princess, who appeared to be in an
unusually tranquil mood, retired be-
fore II o'clock Three hours later,
when a maid looked into the royal
bedchamber something in the appear
ance of the bed prompted her to go
closer and examine It. Instead OF the
princess, the maid perceived dummy
figure She awakened the lady-in-
waiting, and the latter. with other
members of the princess suite, search
ed all the neighboring apartments,
then the entire castle, and finally the
grounds OF the castle for the princess
but no trace of the missing woman
was found At dawn the police OF
, Salzburg were informed OF the disap-
pearance, and inquiries were made
/ throughout the whole countryside, but
with no tangible result. The inquiry
was then extended to all parts OF the
: kingdom of axony. and on authority
: from Dresden by the end of the second
, day, to all Of Europe. The theory OF
} suicide was suggested, and a fruitless
search for the princess body has beer
I made. All the ponds and other pieces
: OF water in the vicinity of The castle
: have been dragged without result.
? It is officially explained that the
princess disappearance is due to men
tai arrangement. There is little doubt
however, that it was caused by domes
tic discord growing out of her hus
bands relations with an actress of the
Dresden Court Theatre. 1t is asserted
! here that the princess frequently
threatened flight on this account, and
that she was incensed at her father
the Grand Duke of Tuscany, for coun
I selling her to forgive her husband
She is said to be enciente.
The disappearance Of the princess
doubtless will cause the circulation ol
many stories It is already related
that she eloped, but inquiries made
have brought out nothing to substan
tiate or support this statement.