The daily Alaskan., 1911-09-22
CRAZY KING LOUIS
His Part in the Pitiful Tragedy
 at Lake Stranberg.
SLEW HIS FRIEND AND DIED.

NA H AAE AlH AlENNr AAAtAA NAANANF AAAa AAAN King Louis II. of Bavaria had re vealed many unmlstakable signs of mental derangement. He heard mys- terious voices in the air around him and believed that he was constantly pursued by dangerous enemies. He withdrew entirely from the world, his cabinet ministers were unable to ob- tain access to him. and his domestic servants were forbidden to look at his face. being compelled to approach him with averted eyes. The old valet Meier was obliged to don mask to cover his features whenever he went near the king. and many other strange things happened at the magnificent palace which Louis had built for him self with reckless extravaganza.
 Wearing his crown and purple royal mantle, with the scepter of sovereign ky in his hand. King Louis would wan der through the rooms of his castles at night. couversiug with imaginary guests. for the most part with the ghosts of King Louis XIV. of France and Queen Marie Antoinette. Ere quently places were laid at his table for their dlsembOdied spirits
 The kings debts brought matters to a crisis and necessitated the interven- tion of the Bavarian government. Most of the royal liabilities had been con tracted through the construction and decoration of the famous three castles. and several creditors threatened to in itiate proceedings to recover their money. King Louis requested the gov ernment to introduce a bill in the Ba- variau legislature granting his prop erty immunity from seizure for debts, and when his ministers refused this unreasonable demand he tried to bor- row money from all sorts and condi- tions of people.
 In April, 1886, the Bayarian chamber refused to sanction the payment of the kings debts from the public treasury, and few days later the cabinet ad- dressed a respectful petition to Louis to curtaiI his expenditures. King Louis responded by dismissing the whole cabinet and nominating new minis try. at the head of which he placed his own barber.
 This irresponsible act brought mat ters to a head. A commission of med ical experts. under the presidency of Dr. vou Gudden. pronounced the king to be incurably insane and incapable of ruling. and deputation under Baron von Crailsheim was dispatched from Munich to the castle where Louis was in residence to inform his majesty of his dethrOnement The king had Baron vou Crailsheim and all the members of the deputation arrested.
 Then Dr. von Gudden proceeded to Neuschwanstein castle. where to all outward appearances he succeeded in persuadins the king to submit to his disbursement 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 pr. von Gudden, another medical man. pr. Mueller. and several trained attendants. and he seemed to acquiesce in the arrangement that be should remain there for a year under close supervision.
 pr. von Gudden. misled by appear ances, telegraphed to Munich that his royal patient was 'as obedient as child" and at dinner that evening he promised to take the king for a walk In the park. His assistant. pr. Muel- Ter. warned him that it would be dangerous to go alone with the king and urged him to allow an attendant to accompany them. or at least to fol low them at a discreet distance, but pr. von Gudden dlsregarded the young CT mans advice and paid the penalty with his life It was a Sunday even- ing. and a general feeling of uneasi- ness prevailed among those who had remained at the castle when the king and pr. von Guddeu 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. von Guddeu's umbrella close by on the ground. The bodies of the king and his physician were found not far from the shore of the lake, in shallow wa ter. both heads projecting above the surface. pr. von Gudden's face and head bore the marks of heavy blows which the king. a man of immensely powerful build, had Showered upon him
 The position of the bodies and the articles of clothing found near them made it possible to surmise, with prob able accuracy, the details of the trage- dy. It is likely that the king intended to escape from bis prisOn-for as such he regarded the castle in which he was kept as a madman-and that he divested himself of Overcoat and coat to swim across the lake. Dr. von Gud. den. it appears. closed with him at the waters edge and tried to prevent his flight. but the king killed him and died from heart disease at the moment when he was on the point of begin,