The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-01-11

RAVARIAS MAD KING WAS AN
EARLY PATRON OF RICHARD
WAGNER, THE GREAT COM
POSER.
Special 20 the. World.

Special 20 the. World.
MUNICH. Bavaria. Jan. 11.-The
Neue Freie Volks Zeitung of this
city has been intrusted with the pub
fishing of a series of articles con-
corning the sad life Of the late Mad
Monarch" of Bavaria, King Ludwig
H., which is arousing widespread
pity and interest throughout the
country. The revelations are taken
from a confidential report which the
Bavarian ministry made to the diet
at the time Of Ludwig's death In
l13s6.
1t would appear that Ludwig's
brain was diseased almost from the
hour of his birth. The first mani
Hesitation of his madness was OBJ
served in his desire to be left alone.
AS early as 1854 he formed a dis
inclination to receive even princes,
diplomats and the greatest person.
ages Of the realm, who had the right
to demand audiences. This nervous
ness progressed in a short time to
the point where the monarch refused
absolutely to see strangers.
After this there was nothing but
dark days. The king would not 60
to any churches were other persons
worshipped, so he caused a chapel to
be built to which only he and the
celebrant had access. Although he
was ievotee Of the drama, this alb
horrence of society drove him from
attending playhouses, and soon he
caused a theatre to be built where
only he and his body servant formed
the audience.
The development of this spirit of
loneliness led to Ludwig's believing
that the only place he could live was
in the country. and so it came to
pass that great hatred for Munich
grew in him, and when he was COM
PEELED to come back to the city he
would say that it was like going to
prison He would not sit at the
court dinner table in those days. The
table. he used to say, suggested a
scaffold to him.
When the obsession concerning the
table first made It's appearance efforts
were made to hide "the scaffold" by
scheme of magnificent floral deco
rations, but although the king was
fond of flowers, there was no break
ing the spell.
Musical Din to Drown Voices.
Music in the dining hall had to be
of the loudest character, with brasses
and double brasses laundering all
the while the king was present, so
as to prevent his hearing the voices
of those present. Voices. he said,
suggested the screeching of owls.
The king was the early patron Of
Richard Wagner, and it was for him
that the great composer wrote most
of his earlier operas.
The only persons whom Ludwig
could tolerate near him were his
young private secretaries, Ziegler
and Muller. In the presence of others
he would go into paroxysms of anger,
but he was accustomed to address
the two secretaries in words of ten
derness and love.
1t was not long, however, before
the king turned against the secre-
taries and sought the companionship
of his grooms and stablemen. He
liked to play games with them, ia
vorite pastime being to dance with
them in a ring with hands clasped.
He established gorgeous Turkish
room in Linderhof castle, and here
he used to entertain the stablemen.
waiting on them himself and serving
them usually with sherbet. When he
was not entertaining his strange COM
panions he would sit cross-legged in
a corner, CARRIED like an Oriental,
and puff on a chibouk.
Gave Commands Behind Doors.
| The king had now practically cut
himself off from all communication
with the state and the outside world.
Chaos reigned in the state depart
ments Ludwig would receive none
of his ministers, and what little bust
ness he consented to do was through
the medium of few menials. The
king gave his commands from behind
a closed door, the person receiving
them signifying that he understood
by scratching a prearranged signal
on the woodwork.
There were rare occasions when
Ludwig would admit outsiders to his
hn6 fr