The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-27
BAYARIA'S MAD
KING 60 TODAY
Subjects Drink Health According
to Custom While Ruler Is
in an Asylum
PERFECT PHYSICAL CONDITION
Country Has Prospered Under Lu-
itpold's REGENCY
People Entirely Satisfied With Careful
Reign Of Prince King o.to
Violent.


Munich, April 27.-i<ing otto Of ia
Varis entered upon his sixty-nfth year
today, and Munich. with other Bavar-
ian towns In honor of the occasion
displayed flags and bunting, sang re
Deums, had review of troops and
perfunctorily drank to the health of
the king who remains shut up in the
castle of Fuerstenried. hopelessly in
sane and carefully guarded. Al these
celebrations are merely matter of
form ana in accordance with monarch
ical traditions. The Bavarians care
hut little for their king, whom many
have never seen. He was insane when
he succeeded TO the throne OF Bavaria
after the death of his brother Ludwig
H.. who had been deposed ON account
Of his madness and drowned himself
in Starnberg Lake two days later. June
lt0 1886. Even then Otto was con
aned at Castle l'uerstenried, while
Prince Luitpold, appointed Regent for
the mad Ludwig, continued as Regent
for the oven madder otto
Vavaria had no cause to complain
for. under the wise and conservative
rule of the faithful Regent the country
prospercd beyond all expectations.
While the late King Ludwig had spent
many millions building castles and mad
saddled a tremendous debt upon his
country, Luitpold enforced strict eco
nomy in all government expenditures
former king but accumulated large
surplus.
Succeeds Older Brother.
Otto. Wilhelm leopold Adalbert -Nal-
demar, the present nominal ruler Of
! bavaria was born in Munich on April
q, 1S4S. His father was Macmillan
H.. and his mother Princess Marie
nf Prussia IL is from mis- fathers
side of the horse that otto Inherited
his insanity. a taint Of which disease
was latent in quite a number OF scions
of the ancient House of Wittelsbach.
When Ludwig III. succeeded his faith
or MaXimilian II. upon the throne of
bavaria, the disease which finally in
capacitated him from reigning and
made the appointment OF a regent nee
essary manifested itself merely in &c
centricity. But when Ludwig died on
June 10, 1856, without leaving an heir
to the throne, his younger brother OF
10. who succeeded To the throne under
the Eavarian constitution. was already
insane. This fact prccluded his actual
accession and, while he was nominally
recognized as the lawful king and his
head was stamped upon the coins OF
the realm, Prince Luitpold continued
as regent. to the complete satisfaction
OF the Bavarian people.
Insane When Young Man.
O;tO's insanity first manifested itself
during the Franco Prussian war, when
the Prince, then only Twenty-Five years
of age. held commission in the Ger
inan army, His actions were so pecu-
liar and unreasonable that 1t was con-
sdered best to call The young Prince
TO staff headquarters. decorate him for
his services and send him back home
under escort. In the hope that his
condition would improve. he vas sent
to the castle of Fuerstenried. where
he was kept under strict surveillance
and careful observation.
But the poor madnian's condition
did not improve His disease pro-
gressed and developed through its var
ious stages and wnen otto succeeded
TO the throne ne was SO far advanced
in his disease that the learned spo-
cialists pronounced il as incurdble.
Since he was first taken TO castle fuer-
stenricd Otto has never left the en-
closures of the beautiful estate except
for occasional drives during the first
few years of his confinement. As the
disease progressed and the paroxisms
of violence to which the king was
subject became more frequent and less
controllable. these drives had TO be
abandoned. as it was considered unde-
sirable to allow the people TO witness
such violent outbreaks.
Is Sometimes Violar..
Surrounded by faithful attendants
and treated with all the Difference due
To his exalted rank, watched bN doctors
and humored i'm every possible way.
the insane monarch spends his days at
the secluded castle. From year TO
wear his mental condition grew worse.
while his physical condition, thanks toI
the excellent care of his physicians and
attendants. steadily improved Men
tally a complete imbecilc, unable to
recognize even his nearest relations,
he has grown. physically. to rinc spc-
cimen OF manhood. lie is a giant in
figure, possessed Of tremendous
strength and in spite ot his adnormal
way of living, perfectly healthy. His
condition varies from periods ~ ut
ter Indifference or spells of great de-
lection to paroxisms of uncomfortable
fury. extremely trying to his attend
ants, as they are not permitted even