The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-29
MILLIONAIRE
QUEEN ruined
Sophia of Sweden Hoodooed
by lII-Gotten Gains
ROW IN ROYAL FAMILY
Son Tries to Have Her Ad-
juged Insane.
ROW IN ROYAL FAMILY

queen SOpnid OI SNeuen the IACHeSt
queen in her own right in the world.
4,ut has it not also made her the most
unhappy one?
If ever wealth won by gambling has
carried with it curse, the thirty million
dollars profit from the famous public
gambling tables at Wiesbaden, Germany,
which were inherited by this unfortunate
monarch have cast a sinister shadow of
woe over their owner.
Despite a life of ideal devotion to the
duties of office and her household, to the
cause of the sick, the crippled and the
poor among her subjects. of active in
terest in every public philanthropy, of
many self-sacrifices and much personal
piety, she has been pursued for years
by adverse circumstances.
Now, broken down in health after
years of suffering, broken-hearted by
alienation from her family, with her
favorite son forced out of the right of
succession by a misalliance. she is al
most a mental wreck and an object of
pity even among her most loyal adherents.
ents.
From a position of the greatest in
fluence, with immense power for good
well used. with happy family and
personal gifts of a remarkably high or
der. she has decended to the very depths
of wretchedness.
Is it the curse of the ill-gotten mil
lions?
The unfortunate sovereign would pro-
baby never admit this herself, for
gambling was not in her generation and
position looked upon as immoral, but you
will find many good and loyal people in
Norway and Sweden who blame the
source of her fortune for all the sorrow
that has come to their queen.
And it is little wonder that they are
bitter, for the personal qualities of
queen Sophia were such as to develop
remarkable national devotion.
And now they see-what?
Her own son. Crown Prince Gustave,
is seeking to have her adjudged insane
because she has tried to transfer to her
second son her entire fortune. This
second son was forced to renounce his
rights of succession and all his royal
because he married one of
his mothers maids of honor, who, though
an eminently suitable wife, did not hap
pen to be of royal blood.
The action of the Crown Prince, in
whose hands the government of the two
countries has been placed on account of
his once brilliant fathers falling mental
powers. developed bitter family quarrel,
in which the Queen found herself alone,
except for the disinherited second son
who was in disgrace with the rest of
the family.
Queen Sophia's ill-health is of many
years standing. 1t is described as a
chronic nervous aiiment, and several
times she has been reported as dying
from it, For long time she has lived
in retirement and many curious have
been the cures tried upon her.
The most remarkable of these was
prescribed by the court physicians a few
years ago, when the Queen was found to
be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
She was unable 10 sleep. and idleness
only aggravated the malady.
Housework was prescribed and the pre-
scription was followed.
The monarch for months made her own
bed. swept and busted her suite of rooms,
prepared her own breakfast and lunch
con and even worked in the royal garden.
Being kept busy with this manual work
for several hours a day, she was so
tired at night that sleep came in spite
of nervousness. and by this means rest
was obtained and health was gradually
improved.
Thus she was saved for a time from
the breakdown that was threatened but
for years her life has been a constant
fight against nl-health-a fight. however.
which has been availing only in post
pening the seemingly inevitable end.
The religious melancholia OF Queen
Sophia is a recent development of her
sad plight From her girlhood she has
been deeply religious despite the sur
in which her early youth was
passed.
Her name has never been connected
with scandal of any kind, and though she
has done many strange and unconven-
tional things, they have generally been
such as would endear her TO the religious
people.
For instance. not many years ago she
contemplated becoming an active member
OF the Salvation army. and only when
the strongest pressure was brought TO
bear on her. not only by her family.
but by the Government itself. would she
abandon the project.
Next TO the state Church Ohe Lutheran
the Salvation Army is the strongest re-
ligious organization in Sweden. In fact
nearly all the plain people belong to IL
The Queen has for years been member
OF the Auxiliary League Of the Army and
has contributed largely 70 its funds. Her
wish was. however. To become an out
and-out member. to do which she would
have to adopt the Army uniform and
would probably take an active part in the
street parades-
Her second son and unroyai wife have
both taken active part in street meetings
many times.
The Queen is especially interested In the
Warm Shelter. a clubhouse for the poor
in Stockholm. and she has always been
particularly active in this sort OF rescue
and relief work.
one time she heard Of the conversation
by the Army Of a blind woman She
ordered that the woman Be brought TO
the court without being told where she
Was The convert was left with the Queen
and the ladies Of the court She felt her
way about and preached. exhorted and
prayed for two hours. asking each one II
she were a Christian. Her simple sin
cersty brought tears with the smiles that
could not be suppressed
Recently. the Queens racked body has
failed 70 uphold the worried mind and
condition bordering on insanity has re
suited.
A; the time Prince Oscar. now King
Oscar II. met and wooed Sophia Wilhel-
nina Henrietta, the accomplished eAGSar