The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04
SOLITARY LIFE IN
IMPERIAL STYLE.
Empress Charlotte" Reported to
Be Rapidly Declining
in Health.
PATHETIC LIFE HISTORY
Kindly Fate Blots Out Half
Century OF Her Tragic
Career.
BIZ kAnL II. voN w1EGAND.

Berlin, February 3.-"Ernpress Char
iotte." the scventy-two- year old widow
of Emperor Maximillian of Mexico,
brother of Emperor Franz Joseph OF
Austria, who was captured and shot by
the Mexican Republicans. torty-four
year ago, is reported to be rauldly
declining in health.
Empress Charlotte, as she still Is
called, is one OF the most pathetic
figures In history, and a pitiable victim
of the efforts OF Napoleon III. to es-
;abiih monarchy in the New Void.
Bereft OF her reason during the terri
BILE events that deprived her of hus
band and crown. a kindly fate has
blotted out almost half century that
has followed, and to this day she is
isnoant Of the tagio ending n her
husband.
Mexico's Empress" lives solitary
lie IN imperial style, and with small
court surrounding her, in the secluded
Castle OF Eoucnout, between Brussels
and Antwerp. She attended with i'm
perial honors and, regardless OF the
fact that she is Immensely wealthy, is
cared for at tho expense of the royal
house OF Belgium, because she Is n sis
ter of the late King Leopold 1t is said
that at times she still lives In the
past, lIndSiHeS tndt Sne sui lE in the
imperial court OF Mexico City. and
speaks OF Empeor Maximillian as il
nc were alive. but little of her exact
mental condition and definite facts OF
her secluded life IN recent years is
known. however. Her treSic past and
pathetic condition has. to large ex-
tent, shielded her from public curiosity
This has in a measure been aroused
again By reports regarding the state
Of her health.
With keen foreboding of what was
TO come, Empress Charlotte hastily
left Mexico City. in 1857. to plead with
Napoleon Ill, Emperor of France, moi;
to abandon her husband. whom he had
lured TO the land OF Montezuma by the
offer Of an empire in New World.
Until recently. very little wa. definitely
known OF the incidents Of that trip.
When Napoleon intimated that he
was about TO withdraw the French
troops from Mexico and leave Maxi
milan to his fate, Empress Charlotte
decided to Immediately leave for Parts
to see Napoleon. I'VE had the impress
sion,'' wrote NJ. de Lalortie, a member
OF her household. few years ago,
that her departure was the beginning
OF the end, and that she would never
return to Mexico"
esSdpt BdZdlne, tne Sd HE
Bazatne who four years later surren-
dercd Metz TO the Germans. was tried,
convicted and fled from France with.
out whom tho imperial couple made no
move, II was necessary to arrange
bogus voyage. AS part of the pur-
pose of the voyage was to denounce
Bazaine to his master. which the mar
shall guessed, an ostensible visit to
Yucutan was planned for the En-
press.
Charlotte left Mexico City with An
imposing suite. and while the populace
was erecting triumphal arches in her
honor. she sailed from Vera Cruz with
only two servants. When Bazaine
learned that he had been fooled By a
woman he was furious and dispatched
q warship after the fleeing Empress.
hut the latter's ship had a start of
eight hours and was not overtaken.
Almost a nervous wreck from fear
and worry about her household, But
Thuoyed up by hope. the young En-
press, then but twenty-sevcn years OF
age, had bitter foretaste OF what she
was to experience whenupon arriving
at Brest she found that the French
government officially advised of her
coming, failed to send any one to meet
her. At Paris there was no one at the
station to greet her. Her hopes were
blasted. She had to go to n hotel in
n cab, and tainted from grief Arriving
at the hotel, she sent her maids away.
She spent the entire night weeping.
On the second day Napoleon invited
her to luncheon. at st. Cloud. She de-
clined. but announced her visit for that