The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-10-28
CRAZY KING LOUIS
His Part in the Pitiful Tragedy
at Lake Stranberg.
SLEW HIS FRIEND AND DIED.
The Mad Bsvarian Monarch Beat
Faithful Or. Won Gudden to Death
Before Heart Disease Stopped His
Own Dash For Liberty.


vealed many unmistakable signs Of |
mental arrangement He heard mys
terious voices In the air around hin |
and believed that be was constagliy |
pursued by dangerous enemies lie
withdrew entirely from the world. his
cabinet ministers were unable to oh
tain access to him, and his domes
servants were forbidden TO look at hi4
face. being compelled to approach him
with averted eyes. The old valet
Meier was obliged TO don mask 10
cover his features whenever he went
near the King. and many other strange
things happened ut the magnificent
palace which Louis had built for him
self with reckless extravaganza.
Wearing his crown and purple roya
nantle, with the scepter Of sovereign
y In his hand, King Louis would wan
Ger through the rooms OF his castle
az night. conyerslng with imaginary
quests. for the most part with the
Ghosts III King Louis XIV. of France
AID Queen Marie Antonette. Fire
Quently places were laid nj his table
for their disenbodied spirits
The kings debts brought matters to
a crisis and necessitated the inter4en
ton of the Bayarian government. Most
OF the royal liabilities had been con.
tracted through the construction ana
decoration of the famous three castles,
and several creditors threatened to IN
tistc proceedings TO recover their
money. King Louis requested the gov
ernment to Introduce a bill IN the Ba
varian Legislature granting his prop
erty Immunity from seizure for debts,
and when his ministers refused this
unreasonable demand he tried to Dor
row money from all sorts and condi-
lions of people.
In April, 1856, the Bavarian chamber
refused TO sanction the payment OF the
kings debts from the public treasury.
and Few days later the cabinet ad
dressed respectful petition to Louis
TO curtail his expenditures. King Louis
responded by dismissing he Whole
cabinet and nominating a new minis
| own barber.
| This irresponsible act brought mn
| ters 10 head A commission &C ntod
ical experts, under The presidency y
DR.. Won Gpdden pronounced the kline
TO be incurably insane and incapable
Of ruling, and deputation under
Baron Won Craisheim was dispatched
! from Munich to the castle where Iou,t
was In residence to inform his ma jesy
Of his detbronement. The king Ia
Baron Won Crailsheim and al! the
members of the deputation arrested
Then DR. Won Gudden proceeded to
| NeuschwansiGln castle. whore to al
| outward appearances he succeeded In
persuading tleAking to submit to bis
dethronement and to retire to Berg
castle, near the shores Of Lake Stan
berg, where the final tragedy was en-
acted. The king was escorted to Berg
castle by DIR. Won qudden, another
medical man. DR.. Mueller, and several
trained attendants. and he seemed to
acquiesce in the arrangement that he
should remain there for year under
close supervision.
DIR. Won Gudden. misled by appear
ances, telegraphed to Munich that his
royal patient was las ohedient as a
child" and at dinner that evening he
promised to take the king for a walk
In the park His assistant. Dr. Muel-
Ter, warned him that ii would be
dangerous to 30 alone with the king
and urged him to allow an attendant
to accompany them. or NJ least TO fol
Dr. Won Gudden disregarded the young
err mans advice and paid the penalty
with his life Ii was Sunday even
, ing. and general feeling of uneasi
ness prevailed among those who had
, remained Mt the castle when the kine
, and DR.. Won Gudden failed to reap
, pear after an hour had elapsed Search
, parties were organized. and during the
night one of the royal footmen found
> the kings hat, coat and overcoat close
to the bank Of the lake and Dr. Won
Gudden's umbrella close by on tbs
, his physician were found not far from
, the shore of the lake, in shallow wa
ter. both heads projecting above the
/ surface. DR. Won Gudden's face ant
! head bore the marks of heavy blows
4 which the king, h man of immensel,
{ powerful build, had showered upor
. him
o The position of the bodies and tn,
n articles of clothing found near then
| made it possible to surmise, with prob
I able accuracy. the details of the TRACE
2 dy. 1t IL likely that the king intende,
+ TO escape from his prison for as sucl
he regarded the castle in which h
was kept as mailman and that b
Invested himself of overcoat and Goa
= to swim across the lake. Dr. Won Gud
O den, II appears, closed with him at tn
h waters edge and tried to prevent hi
u flight. hut the king killed him aud die
II from heart disease at the momen
|, when he WIS on the point of begir
(" ming his swim for liberty. The post
/" morton examination revealed tina
, neither had died from drowning bu
:. the king from heart failure and ID
b Won Gudden from the injuries inficte
ON him In the struggle - Berlin Co
st. James Gazette.
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