The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
'CURSE RESTS ON
! |MONARCH'SH Home
Rumor Is that Spanish Kings
- Daughter Is Deaf and
Dumb.
SON ALSO IS AFFLICTED
n Spite of Alfonso's Fortune in Es-
Gaping Death Himself, Fates
Seem Against Him.
SON ALSO IS AFFLICTED
SPECIAL Gable to The Washington Herald.

lieved there is a curse upon the Spanish
royal family despite the failure of the
many attempts 10 assassinate the gay,
young Spanish monarch. 1t is said that
the Kings second daughter, Infsnta
Maria, like his majesty's second son. Don
Jaime, will be deaf and dumb. This has
been officially denied. but so was the
deafness and dumbness of the Infanta
Don Jaime, when reports that he was
crippled were first circulated.
Pity poor Alfonso, Forever dOgged by
anarchists and maniacs. Ever uncertain
Of just what moment another attempt
may be made to kill him. Then, in addi-
ton to this which is enough to make the
average mans hair gray. he has many
burdens and annoyances upon his
Ishoulders not to mention the many heavy
cares Of state In the face of all this. he
somehow manages to remain blithesome
and gay. although it is rumored about
Madrid that the gayety is kept on zap by
his majesty for public appearances.
One OF the young Kings greatest an
Haoy4nces is his mother-in-law, the
Princess Henry of Battenberg. who dis
tihCtly does not like or approve of Alfonso
She considers him a dissipated youth.
and it is said that the princess would
even sanction her daughter, Queen Vic
toria. leaving her royal husband. Alfonso
mother-in-Iaw. On a visit to Osborn cot
tage. Isle OF Wight. several years ago,
Alfonso came into close contact with the
Princess Henry. and actually fed in
terror.
Royal Aunt Is Terror.
There is another load on the kings
mind in the shape of his aunt, the
Infanta EulaIia who is living in Paris, !
having long since renounced court life
The Infanta is q novelist. and has per-
sisted in writing things for publication !
that the King did not approve of. Al |
fonso has thres tened to cut off her |
allowance OF $4,000 a year. She has I
done TWO things that horribly shocked |
the spanish court-approved in writing |
Of divorce and woman suffrage.
Now comes one of the worse shocks /
of all II is announced by an American
author. Harvey J. OHiggins. who is
editing and revising Infanta Eulalia's
that this work gives
royalty an awful wallop" and that the
Infanta's viewpoint Of nobility and
ahsir capers is pretty nearly the same
rhat typical American would take"
This seems to forecast the worst. and
boor King Alfonso is waiting in trePi-
dation to see what terrible breach of
royal etiquette his aunt has now COM
hiteed.
But the saddest Of all Of King AL
fonsOs sad blows is that his little daugh-
ter the Infanta Maria is 10 be deaf and
dunn Marie-Christina- Teresa Alexandra
Marian de Ia Conception. Hide
fonas Victoria -Eugenia, vas born De-
Icember - raI2. and was the cause of
much rei"ioing.
Operations in Win.
The Infante Don Jaime, the second
child Of the royal couple. was born deaf
and has never spoken. He is now five
years old. In addition he has never been
in robust health and has repeatedly been
operated on for affections of the nose
and thr-at. In August 1911, Queen Vic
toria took him to Friburg to consult a
Swiss specialist. but the operation at !
that time failed TO be permanent cure.
On June ;, 1872 Prince Jaime was Ope-
rat6 ON for an abscess of the ear by Prof
Moor OF Bordeaux. the operation being
rG 4 somewhat serious character, as the
aascess had invaded the middle ear and
threatened the brain. 1t was success
fu - removed.
Tie deafness. and consequent dumbness
oi inc little Prince has been the great
sorrOw Of the Queen Of Spains life. For
rtime. many attributed the sadness OF
her appearance to the memory of the
anarchist bomb thrown at her bridal car
age on her wedding day. when both the
King and she escaped by a seeming
The grief for her little sons afiictiou
* now augmented by the deafness Of her
laughter.
As a result OF her sons affection, II is
aid that Queen Victoria took an intense
interest in the thousands of deaf and
1Umb children in Spain, and now plans
10 institute schools for their education
In the fall of 1872, the Queen sent Dr..
Llorente to New York in the
interest Of young Don Jaime, to study
The case of Miss Helen Keller and the
methods of teaching deaf-mutes. Appar-
ently, however. nothing could be done 70:
he little Prince.
. While King Alfonso may be unfortun-
e in many respects. he certainly has
Zen remarkably blessed in his many
NiraCulous escapes from assassination.
~ the past ten years. not a year has
ed without some kind OF an attempt
made on the monarch's life or
Ne anarchist plot to kill him being
discovered.
In 1896 a bomb was placed on the track
ver which the royal train. carrying Al
cnso TO Madrid was to pass The b9m5
sTs discovered in time to save Alfonso
tIlOuS ana perhaps uedln he !
aUghed over the incident.
Many Hairbrendth Escapes.
When Alfonso became of age in 1902.
nd while the Spanish people were re-
oicfhg a lunatic tried to stab him, but
las seized and prevented from doing
r rm.
N June. 1905, while Alfonso and his
lother were returning from church in
Tadrid. a lunatic rushed at the royal {
Friage and fired several shots. The
Alets went wild, one of them striking '
nd seriously wounding a guard. Three q
ttempts to take Alfonsos life were Q
lade in 1904 A bomb was exploded out I
ide the royal palace in Madrid, but no q
ne was injured. In Barcelona a bomb :
rs thrown at the royal carriage and 2
even citizens were killed. Alfonso es- g
aped unhurt- - Z
During services in the Church of San b
edro, Madrid, in 1905, several revolver
hots were fired at the Spanish king,
ut none of them took effect. While Z
ding with President LoIbet of France S
-Raris, in 1905. an anarchist threw a v
om4 Iat the carriage Several persons a
ere seriously injured. but Alfonso, cool s.
nd !. unexcited, escaped unscathed. r
Lust after the marriage of Alfonso to e
le Princess Ena in May, 1906. and while :,
ne wedding party was proceeding to n
lie scene Of the wedding reception, v