Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-30
.LOWLY MARRIAGES
USUAL RESULT OF WEDDING OF
ROYALTY AND COMMON.
ERs is HAPPY.
SERvIAE CASE WAS AN EXCEPTION
The Total Mesaliance of King Alex
der is Only One of Several Similar
B Marriages-There Have Been a
Great Many.

undoubtedly the great cause of the
late King Alexander's unpopularity at
home and abroad was his choice, his
marriage to one of his mothers women
a mesalliance that the Servians and
European peoples generally looked up
on as of the most obnoxious character.
& Yet it must not be inferred from this
that marriages of royalties to persons
beneath them in rank are usually view
ed with such disfavor. AS a rule they
have been found to increase the popu-
larity of the royal parsonage, but in
Alexander's case it was the character
Of the woman and not the mere fact
that he married beneath his rank that
brought the horrors of hostility and
contempt upon him and his court
Although the most recent and prom
inent one to be brought before public
notice, Alexander's action in marrying
a woman Of the people is not the only
one of record among the royal fam.
ilies of Europe On the contrary, they
have been so numerous during the past
century that unless some scandal is
connected with the affair they hardly
attract even passing notice any more.
and there are those Of authoritative
opinion in Europe who hold that 1t is
only a question of a few decades ere
king may marry one of his subjects,
no matter what her rank, providing
she is proper woman, without excit-
ing the slightest unfavorable comment.
M One of the most prominent mar
riages of royal parsonage to COM
moner, prominent in public attention
because of the mysterious circum--
stances which succeeded it, was that of
the Archduke John of Tuscany, an Aus
TRAN prince of the blood. The arch
duke met and fell in love with beau
tiful actress named Ludmilla Hubel.
His love was reciprocated and he an
nounced his intention of marrying the
girl.
Archduke Marries An Actress.
Instantly there was great excitement
in Emperor Franz-Joseph's household
and the strongest pressure was
brought to bear upon the lover to in
duce him to recede from his determin-
alton, but nothing was of any avail
and the marriage was performed in due
course in London. The archduke re-
nounced all his rights and titles in Au-
stria. and, adopting the name OF Jo-
ham Orth, after one oil his castles, set
tied in England, apparently with the
intention of making his permanent
home there.
Not very long after his marriage,
however, he bought the handsome
steamer Santa Margarita, and then fol-
lowed a series of actions that in them
selves have intensified the veil of mys-
terry that hangs over his probable tate.
All photographs drawings, and plans
of the steamer he obtained and de-
stroyed, and then went to the extreme
lengths to obtain every likeness Of
himself and wife that he could ascer-
tain was in existence. He seemed
filled with the desire to throttle any
chance that the steamer or its occu-
pants would ever be identified after
leaving Liverpool, and with picked
crew set sail from that port, and Meth
er he, nor his nor ship have ever been
heard of again. save once, and that was
a few weeks later, when the vessel put
in at Montevideo, South America.
Sailed Away Never to Return.
He left that harbor in secret man.
i ner, obtaining no sailing papers and
his port of destination after leaving
the South American city was unknown.
From that day to this the Santa Mar
garita, Johann Orth and Ludmilla HUI
bel have been as though dead.
Under the direction Of the emperor
OF Austria, several attempts have been
made to unravel the mystery but with
out avail. Every part Of the world has
been subjected to an investigation, but
the Archduke John, if he is still living
4 has completely baf1ied all endeavors
to uncover his identity, though thirty
years have elapsed since the departure
of the Santa Margarita from Montevi-
dec.
His mother, to her dying day be-
where on this globe with his wife, but
the vessel on which he sailed went
down in some storm off the CHILEAN
coast. This is the merest conjecture
however, for not even trace of wreck.
age from the ship has ever been found
and then again, why did the archduke
take such elaborate precautions to de
stroy every means of identifying eth
er himself, his wife or his boat, IL he
fuia liOl llllSuu W lOSS lllllSGlL SUIuC
where, where he could live among
men as a man, could love his wife with
out his high rank ever intruding be
tween them?
Prince WEEDS Serving Maid.
Another notable marriage of royal
ty to commoner was that of Prince
Oscar Bernadotte second son of King
Oscar of Sweden, to Miss Ebba Munk
Miss Munk was beautiful Swedish
girl of many accomplishments ant
deep piety, and the prince, meeting
her at his fathers court, where she
was serving as a maid of honor to the
queen, fell in love with her almost al
first sight, and after a comparatiyel.
Brief courtship they plighted theil
troth, and the engagement was an
nounced to the king. AS usual, in sucl
cases, there were strenuous endeavor
on the part of the royal family to breal
off the contemplated marriage, blu
both the prince and the maid success
fully resisted all pressure.
To proclaim his absolute devotion
to the girl, the prince renowned hi
right of succession to the throne an
all privileges accruing to him as pei