The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-27
STRANGE STORY OF EMPRESS ELIzs sBETH Account of Tragic Death Told
 ty Her Companion A RESTLESS PILGRIMAGE Did Not Realize for a Time the As sassin's Work-Story of Heart
 sick Mother-visit to Sea
 mans Tavern.
RESTLESS PILGRIMAGE

From the New York Evening Post
 One of the strangest and most pa thetic figures of the imperial and royal house of Hapsburg. that famous family whose chronicle is written in blood and tears on the scroll of European his tory. Is that of the Empress Eliza beth, consort of the Emperor Francis Joseph. The revolver shot which mys- teriously put an end to the wild life of her son, the Crown Prince Rudolf, was the signal for the termination of her life's happiness and for the begin ming of a restless pilgrimage through the beauty spots of Europe which only reached it's destination with the foul murder of the Empress on the shores of Lake Geneva. The Countess Sztaray. the faithful companion of the Empress later years, has just published hSS "reminiscences. and her simply written story gives the first authentic ac- count of the Empress Elizabeths mur der by the anarchist Luccheni, at Ge- neva, on September 10. 1898.
 The Countess Sztaray spent four years with the Empress, four years, as she says, of afmless wandering through all countries. The service as lady -in- waiting was not easy, for the Empress seemed to be filled with an unceasing restlessness, and could not endure regular habits of life. She loved to visit places and people incognito, to engage in conversation with chance companions of the Journey. and to as- certain their views on life. and com pare them with her own.
 Above all, she delighted in the forces of nature, and her chief joy was to De in storm at sea. Countess Sztaray's first trip with the Empress on her yacht, the Miramare, was frsught with danger. The Miramare left Trieste in the teeth of a fierce gale, but the Elm press never left the deck, ordering the crew to lash her with ropes to prevent the waves washing her overheard.
 Finally the weather caused the Mira mare to put in at Pols, and the Elm press was compelled to go by the rail- way, which she detested. to Marseilles Her lady-in- waiting tells a character istic anecdote of visit the Empress and she paid at the latter port to a low ssaman's tavern. "At the Sign of the Bloody Beefsteak," where the i'm perial traveller was over1oyed at the wondering looks cast by the simple sailors gathered there at the two dis tinsuished ladies ordering their lunch.
 Her FavorIte Residence.
 The Achiileion, pearl of palace, built on the island of Corfu, facing that magic islet iinmortalized by Arnold Bocklin in his Die Totennsel," was Eliza beth's favorite residence. Tt is myasylum, she used to say, where [ belong to myself alone, where no world y considerations need restrain me" For hoa-s the Empress would walk in soli- tuda up and down the marble colon made and on these occasions no one was suffered to disturb her Of an evening she would give orders for the house and grounds to be illuminated and she would then sit on the terrace and contemplate in silence the fairy-like spectacle.
 One night as the statue of her fla yorite poet, Heine, which she had caused to be set up on a prominence overlooking the Mediterranean, was bathed in flood of electric light, the Empress said: q love this gloomy Jew, in whose soul there dwells something of the soul of Ahasver.'
 The Kaiser, on becoming proprietor of the Achilleion, had the statue re- moved and sold; 1t now stands in the courtyard of a Hamburg warehouse, the city of Hamburg having refused to &C., cept 1t for erection in public place.
 Elizabeth's health was beginning to fail and she was oppressed with a pre- sentiment of death as the hour of the tragedy crept nearer. She had been staying at Nauheim for the cure, and the director of the baths warned the imperial visitor to desist from her in- tention of going to Geneva because there was such a rough lot there"
 What could they do to me?" asked the Empress simply. Poor soul, she was soon enough to know
 It was September 10. The Empress had spent the morning shopping in Geneva and proposed to cross the lake to Gaux by the afternoon boat The steamboat had already given the sig nal for departure when the two wom- en hurried across the landing stage Suddenly the Countess 6ztaray saw a man spring from behind a tree, pretend to stumble. leap forward and raise his hand against the Empress. The En- press sank to the ground without n sound with the Countess bending over her. Let the Countess continue the tale:
 Did Not Know She Was Stabbed.
 The Empress rose to her feet inn mediately. Nothing has happened to me- she stammered, and walked up- right and smiling, with a word Of thanks to those who would assist her on board the boat. She asked me what that awful man had wanted and com plained that her chest pained her d little, she thought, but she was not sure But once on board the boat she collapsed. "A doctor! doctor. Is there not a doctor on board? I cried to the other passengers, and gentleman came forward and offered me the as- sistance of his wife, who was half and half a doctor and understood nursing.
 "She was Madame Dardelle. She sent for water and eau de Cologne and at once set about reviving the Empress. Madame Dardelle gave her orders, while I cut the strings of the Elm press dress and a Sister of Mercy bathed her temples with eau de Co., logne. In the meantime the boat had started but despite the rocking I felt the Empress try to sit up so that might take off her dress Then placed lump of sugar soaked in ether be- tween her majesty's lips, and 8 ray of hope shot through me when I heard her bite on 1t once or twice.
 Then the Empress opened her eyes slowly and lay there for a minute or two casting wild roaming looks about