New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-02
Tribune Correspondent Admit.
ted to FurStenried Castle,
Where Insane Monarch
Has Lived for 30 Years.
HAS EYES OF A DEAD MAN
Believes Sometimes He Is q
Woman - Aviator Who
Tossed Him a Bouquet
Innocent Cause of
Serious Paroxysm.


| Munich, Nov. by the especial
permission of the Bavarian court
authorities the correspondent of The
/ New York Tribune has been permitted
to visit Furstenried Castle. where the
mad King Otto of Bavaria is confined
for life.
King Otto has been mad since ISL.
During the Franco-Prussian War he
had charge Of a regiment. and while in
that capacity he gave obvious signs Of
mental ineffiCiency. In one case he or
I dered his men to march against an old
wall on which he thought French SOL
! diers were standing, while in reality
! the whole country was deserted, the
! French troops being many miles away.
! At Versailles on January Is. after the
proclamation Of King William | as Ger
man Emperor, a great state banquet
was given to celebrate the event. In
! the course of this Prince Otto OF Ba-
vara, as he then was, made a most
| tactess and uncalled for speech. which
| again evidenced his mental weakness
He thereupon was sent to Furstenried.
and never since has been allowed to
| come out
Furstenried is situated about thirty
minutes by railway from Munich. 1t
/ is an old medieval castle, with mag
nificent gardens. Ever since ing otto
/ was locked up the gates and hedges
| have been fitted with every conceivable
| system of metallic network to prevent
| his escape. All the castle rooms are
furnished magnificently, but have not
/ been used for forty years. The King
! and two medical attendants occupy an
/ apartment in the central part Of the
building The King himself has only
/ q bedroom, which he shares with one Of
! the doctors in attendance and a her.
culean valet, who always carries a
loaded revolver under his pillow. ready
for any emergency.
How the Mad King Looks.
An atmosphere Of deep gloom pre-
walls in these apartments, where one
can hardly detect any proofs Of tho
fact that a royal parsonage. or even
sane person is living there. one sees
no book, no pen-nothing that can in
any way convey the idea Of intellectual
work on the Kings working" table
were a couple Of medicine bottles; also
little pieces OF wood which he cuts in
cessantly into small bits. believing
wood carving artist.
While the King and his doctors took
their drive through the castle grou-ds
/ was permitted to 60 through these
rooms. where the sad solitude Is popn-
lated only by male servants in mag
nificent royal livery. when ! reached
the gardens ! finally saw the King n'm-
self. but had To take care at first
that he should not see me, lest he have
a At OF fury at the sight Of "A stranger.
Since he has been at Furstenried King
Otto has seen nobody except doctors
and servants, although several royal
personages have been permitted to OBJ
serve him. do not think such per-
mission has ever been granted a jour
nalist, in spite Of innumerable applita-
tiOns.
King otto, when you look at him
from at a distance, is not like mad
man at all He is big and athletic,
with a long white beard, carefully
groomed. He wears a dark brown suit.
cut like a military uniform. Instead
Of collar he wears black wooll"n
Jersey. He very seldom wears any
kind Of headgear. When you approach
him and look into his eyes you imme-
diately see that his case is hopeless,
for while as far as his physical person
is concerned the King is sound enough,
his brain has stopped forever, and his
eves look like those of dead man. Hls
glance is purely animal. He speaks
little and only when hungry. Then he
shrieks.
Essen, Gleich Essen!' He cries
until an attendant comes with food.
he mas llO SptNIhi NV 'NN' ~ ''''' -
is forbidden alcoholic drinks. He es-
pecially loves fruit.
strangely enough. near this sad maj
esty a sort of royal usage is still o.
served. None of the medical assistants
are allowed TO speak to him unless
spoken to or asked for something; 30
days pass without word being heard
in the solitary castle Of Furstenried.
vioiI Wears Out Physicians.
at is enough to drive anybody mad.
WAS told by the court parsonage
showing me. THAT is why whole
medical staff had to be engaged for the
King on the one hand 1t Is impossible
IN leave him without attendance for n
minute lest something tragic happen.
and on the other, two or three doctors
couId not be imposed upon with such a
natient for the strength Of their nerves
would give way. We now have seven
doctors who take relays with the King
for a week. Each one has a six weeks
root of which he is badly in need.
"Of course. the greater part OF the
fine the King is as you see MN now.
walking through the gardens iuite
18Th