Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-12-24

county hospital, and attendants have
heard that he had served a sentence in
San Quentin penitentiary. Previous to
coming to Denver, Wykoff, or Won Vet
sera, worked several months in Pueblo,
Colo, as mill man.
The Tragedy of Mayerling.
The main point of interest in this story
from Denver is not so much that it re-
calls the tale of the Tragedy Of May
erlng" of twenty years ago, as that it
suggests an official intimation that Baron
Louis Vetsera was the man who killed
the heir to the austrian throne. The
story generally circulated has always
been that the prince killed himself.
On January 81, 1889, the whole world
was startled by the news that Rudolph,
the only son of the unlucky Emperor
Francis Joseph of Austria, and heir TO
the dual Austro- Hungarian throne, had
died suddenly. On the following morn
ing the official Viennese organ am
nounced:
His Royal and Imperial Highness, Crown
Prince Archduke Rudolph, died yesterday,
January 30, at his hunting lodge of Mayer
ling near Baden. from the rupture of an
aneurism of the heart
This official announcement was fol
lowed Immediately by all sorts of contra
dictory rumors, one told of Rudolph be-
ing killed in a duel, another of his hav
ing been shot dead by the indignant
brother of a young lady of the court, an
other that he had committed suicide, and
yet another that before killing himself
he had murdered a beautiful young WON.
an, Baroness Marie Vetsera, whose
body was found close to his.
Crown Prince Rudolphs marriage with
Stephanie, the daughter of Leopold,
hlng of the Belgians, was not happy.
She was intensely jealous of her hus-
band, and apparently with good reason.
She set spies to watch him.
There lived in Vienna certain Bar
oness Vetsera, whose father, NJ Bal
tazzl, had been a banker in Constants
nople.. He left his daughter large for
tune, but she played ducks and drakesn
with it, and, when the time came qAf for
her to present her own daughters to So
clety, there was little money left to do il
on. One daughter, Marie, was remark
able for her beauty. She met the crown
prince at ball given by her great
friend, Countess Larisch, the princes
morganatc cousin, and the first chapter
OF the Tragedy of Mayerling" was
written.
The Emperor Interfered.
At the commencement of the affair
the court did not worry itself over fh;s
new caprice of the prince Marie Vet-
| sera was introduced to Niennese society
| her mother having in some way discov
| cred ways and means-and her beauty
| made a sensation. But mt last the En-
press Elizabeth and the Emperor himself
| lnterfered. Matters came to a climax
! when Rudolph and Stephanie went TO
| London for the jubilee of Queen Vic
! toria, in 1887. Marie Netsera and her
mother followed them. When the crown
| prince returned to Vienna ne wrote to
the Pope, entreating him to dissolve the
| marriage with Stephanie. Leo NH
sent the letter to the Emperor, and even
| tually Rudolph made a clean breast of
| the whole affair to his father He de-
/ clared his intention of surrendering his
| rights 70 the crowns of Austria and Hum
gary in order that he might marry Ma
! RE Netsera. The Emperor however. NJ
last induced the crown prince TO take an
| oath that he would never again see the
| Baroness Marie.
Begged for Last Interview.
Marie Won Netsera heard rumors of the
| interview. She went to the palace and
| forced her way into the princes apart-
| mentS, He told her they must part for
ever. She begged him for last inter
view at MayerGng, where they had been
SO happy. and then she would Quit the
country for good. Rudolph gave in.
Prince Philip of Coburg aud Count 10
Seph HoyoS, the princes favorite hunting
companions, were staying at MayerIing
| The crown prince Joined them The
next morning he refused TO go out shoot
ing with them. While they We're away.
Baroness Marie arrived at Mayerling
from Vienna in 4 fiacre. Meanwhfe the
crown prince had telegraphed TO his
father that he was not feeling we'll
CROUCH to attend a family dinner i'm
honor of his sisters engagement.
Wait Prince in Vain.
The next morning tJanuary SN NJ s
| o'clock. the princes carriage arrived at
| the front door of the lodge to take him
! back to Vienna, in accordance with Ru-
| dolph's orders of the night before. His
| two male guests who knew nothing IF
| Marie Netseras arrival, awaited him in