The Washington herald., 1910-12-11
THEBRAGANZACURSE
Tragic Fate of ex-Ruler oil
Portugal and Brazil.
SERIES OF REVOLVING CRIMES
Ili-luck Began with Refusal of Dom
Pedro TO Wed Usurper MiguePs
Daughter-TyyO Mysterious Deaths
After Feast-POisOners at Work.
story of the MuIattO Mystic.

There must be families who are pre-
destined 10 misfortune, for whom every
thing seems to go wrong. who are suick-
en- by calamities and tragedies through
the whole of their lives. This seems
especially true of regning houses, or
among the aristocracy, perhaps because
the miseries and Skeletons among the
middle classes or the common people do
not reach publicity to the same great
extent
We all know from history and the con-
temporary press the tragedy Of the house
of Hapsburg, rulers of the dual monarchy
of Austria Hungary. and which have
made the present Emperor. Franz Josef,
lone and sorrow-stricken man.
So IL was and indeed is with the Bra
ganzas of Portugal, who misfortune ap-
parently has picked out for its very own
mark for the past ten decades.
When Queen Maria IL da Gloria died in
1858, she left seven children. and the
family seemed anything bat doomed TO
destruction. but in the course Of a few
years everything changed through Sc
ries OF tragedies. That these calamides
were the outcome of human hatred and
inhuman revenge seemed beyond doubt.
but how the crime has been committed
remains an unsolved enigma If one does
not accept the solution that the house
OF Braganza's tragic fate is due TO evil
magic.
Tilted His Lady Love.
After the death OF the Queen, the con-
sort. Duke Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg
Gotha. was made regent OF the country
during the minority OF his oldest son,
Dom Pedro. At the court he was a very
influential man, belonging to side
branch of the house Of Braganza- This
man, a gFandee Of Portugal, whose
name Is never spoken, and, together
with the usurper. Don Miguel. been con-
nected with all the plots and intrigues
which have sullied the history OF the
country, but his high rank and immense
wealth protected him, and he was never
punished as were his accomplices Of less
exalted rank.
His daughter. Donna Agueda. was ex-
ceedingly beautiful, and the young King
was very much in love with her. but
when he told his father. the Regent, of his
intention 70 marry he was advised to
wait until he became Of age.
When he reached the age OF eighteen
DON ttuFg Was QttldTtN OF age anu Ne
came King OF Portugal, but he evidently
had seen the wisdom Of his 1ather's
advice, for he did not marry Donna
Agueda- From that moment the tragedy
Of the house OF BraganZa began.
Shortly afterward the young King mar
ried Princess Stephanie OF HOhenzollern
the next year she died from some mys-
teTiOus disease. In 1861 the King father
wanted TO arrange a new marriage and
sent two Of his younger sons, the Princes
Luis and Joao. 10 England 10 take the
question up with the heads OF the Brit
ish royal family. Al Windsor Queen
Victoria, as well as her cOnsOrt, Prince
Albert soon grew very fond OF the young
princes, but their stay in England was
accompanied by so many strange hap
penings that the English police asked
the Portuguese ambassador 10 be reliev-
ed of the responsibility Of guarding the
lives of the two infants. The princes
were accordingly recalled, but before
their departure they attended a farewell
dinner at Windsor.
Two Mysterious Deaths.
Their places at the royal table were. as
always in England. arranged beforehand.
but accidentally the prince consort sat
LUZ. while an English duke got Dom
Joaos seat The same evening the prince
cOnsOrt and the duke were seized with
violent cramps. The duke died three
DAYS later, but the prince consOrt did
not die until December IA, after TWO
months Of dreadful suffering This IN
canny and mysterious calamity explains
the deep sorrow which darkened the
rest of Queen Nictoria's life.
When the two princes came home they
were told that Dom Pedro was constant
~ receiving mysterious letters Of various
kinds, and November p 1861, he suddenly
died from the same mysterious disease
which had robbed him of his young wife
He had been exceedingly beloved in Por-
tugal. particularly so after his noble and
heroic conduct during the yellow fever
epidemic in Lisbon in 1850. All kinds OF
ru1nors circulated concerning his death
and suspicion began to focus on Donna
Agueda and her father. People whs-