The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-28
FERDINAND FAILS
TO KEEP HIS PROMISE

been advanced - IN argument In IA
vor Of his bafng really dead Gas
nrmly bsltsve him to bel; that II be
had survived his disappearance It was
strange that the Austrian crew and
oflcsrs Of his sailing ship. Santa Marg-
arita. on which he left La Plata Tor
Valparaiso. should never nave given
any sign Of life TO their relatives.
Now this argumsnt does not hold
water. for the very simple reason tnaf
when the ship reached Busuos Ayres
from Europe. the skipper. sodich. and
the flrst ofEicer. Sucich. a. we'll ~ most
Of the Austrian crew. Daimatians every
one Of thsm. and recruited by the ex-
archduks At Trieste. abandoned the
vessel declining to sail any longer
with him.
The ex.archduke, who had received
his papers - sailing master on pass
Ing his examination at trieste. after
careful studies In navigation. had In
sisted upon assuming actual command
OF his ship. and on giving directions to
the officers and crew ON the trip across
the Atlantic. which they declared to
be Hfe-endangering and foolhardy.
They declared that they would not
intrust their lives any longer to SO
reckless Q lunatic.
The remainder Of tho crew left him
at In Plata, and the consequence was
that he sailed from thence for VAL
paraiso without Q single one Of the
officers and men who had accompanied
him across the Atlantic prom the
Adriatic. and he was compelled to con-
tent himself with couple Of mates
and q Sew which he had picked up
along the docks at La Plata. and who
"A AAnAPthnA a hAVtn~ thu
scum Of that South American port
completely unknown qualities. a. far
as able seamanship was concernsd.
circumstances under which he sailed
from La Plata for Valparaiso 70 round
that terribly perileus point known ~
Cape Horn never expected to see him
again. and In the last letter which his
wife. Ailly Stubel wrote to her sister.
jennie. in Berlin. dated the 13th July
1880. that 10 to say. the very Gay Of the
sailing Of the Santa Nargarita from
La Plata, she concludes: To-day We
leave here. and the voyage viii. II ID
said. take not less than two months.
God knows whether We shall survive
II. You poor Milly." On the Same day
the ex-archduke addressed q letter to
his lawyer at Vienna. the late DR.. Won
Haberler: sail to-day from here
bound around Cape Horn for Val.
paradise. Ny next address will b: John
Roth. Valparaiso. Chile. Poste Re-
stante"
From that day to this no authentic
news has been received from him, and
. year ago be was ozacislly pronounced
dead
Numerous bogus John Roths have ap-
pesred since bis disappearance 1wenty-
two years ago. claiming to be the miss
Ing Archduke John. Curiously enough.
every one Of them had bdshy heads OF
hair. ignorant apparently Of the fact
that tbs aschduks long, before he left.
namely. even - easiysas whsn thirty
years Of aSe. had become compulsory
bald. losing every vsstige OF hair on
his heaA although be retained =
fairly thick. closely cropped beard He
used 70 wear viz. and when amous
relatives ana frisndA, and oppressed b.
the heat did not hesitate 70 remove
y. ana to hang It mp ON any article o.
furniture that vas handy. presenting
most peculiar appsarance.
(Copyv3ght. 1917. ~ the Brentwood
] C0mpAny.)