The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-12-07
Reign One Of Most Notable Of
Modern Times 80 Held Dual
Empire Together BY Strong
Grasp of an impossible Sit
uation Through SO Years.

Vienna. Nov, 22.-Emperor Francis Jo-
e has for three score years been one Of
me great figures In the AFFAIRS OF Europe
ana the world at large and, although biz
extended reign has been clouueu with
many grievous personal affllctiops, nota-
Oily the suicide OF his only son and the
assassination OF his wife, 1t has been
marked also by events OF far reaching and
benefcentI craftsmanship. He has seen
HunRary emerge from q condition of open
rebellion; which was quelled with the ala
OF Hussia; his Italian domlnIons were
saved BY the genius OF General Radetsky;
ne cast his influence strongly, although
lneirectually to prevent the Crimean war.
AFTER the Austro-French war in 1859 he
was compelled to sign the treaty of peace
OF Villafranca, by which Lombardy was
ceded to Italy, In 1875 he lost the duchy
OF Holstein and in the Same year, as .
Jesuit vn OF the war with Prussia, he lost
supremacy of Austria IN Germany. the
contest being decided in favor or Prussia
by the treaties OF Nikolsburg 'and Prague.
respectively. The Turkish provinces OF
Bosnia and Herzegovina were, by the de-
cision of the Berlin congress in 1878,
placeq under the ADMINISTRATION OF Aus
These are some OF the
great events OF the reign which has just
come to a close
But in human Interest his personal sor-
rows oyershadowed all. One after an
other they came upon HIM In 1853 the
list OF tragic Incidents began with an at
tempt upoD his own life. in 1867 his broth
eE the Archduke Macmillan, after three
years experiment as emperor of Mexico.
was captured by the army OF the patriots
ana condemned to death by a courtmar-
ia, whose sentence was executed not
w1thstandtng intercesslon In his behalf by
the governments Of the United States.
England and Prussia. .
Man Of Many Amours.
There followed the burning to death OF
Q niece In Vienna; a sister met similar fate
In Paris, and a cousin drowned himself in
S~tahrenberB lake. Yet these were but
minor tragedies In comparison with that
which befen the ancient house of the
Hapsburgs In 1889, when Rudolf, the Inn
perlal prince upon whom the Austrians
pinned their hopes, met death in a mys-
terry which to this day is not cleared.
Graves hold the secret OF that fateful
night at a hunting lodge In Meyerling.
There bave been q dozen versions OF what
occurred, One true story relates that
tazzt, a Hungarian ~cheyal1er, who loved
the Baroness Marie Vetsera and who was
frenzled by finding the girl and Prince
Rudolt together In the castle of Meyerling
after the crown prince had given his
pledge not to see the girl again, Another,
that the crown prince killed the uncle OF
the yoSnug baroness when he came to
ers' afterward committed suicide. The
truth Is not known. ,r.,a...-s
Glouded in sim deeper mystery. If pos
Able, was the disappearance that same
| year of Francis Joseph's favorite nephew,
the Archduke Johann Saiyator. Heir to
| the throne at the death OF Rudolf, he re-
nounced all his Imperial dignities and fled
the country as John Orth, captain of a
| merchant ship, never to be heard of again.
The neXt Of kin, the Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, who became heir presuInptive,
Rdded a further burden to his uncle's heart
by m~organatic marriage to Sophie, the
l countess OF Shotek. It was he and his
wife who were assassinted at SarajeVo in
June, 1914. ~
Murder Of the Empress.
But 1t is doubtful If any or all of these
| reyerses weighed more heavily upon the
| emperor's heart than the tragedy at &C.
neya, when ntheSEmpress Elizabeth, who
| had been called the most beautiful woman
In Europe, was stabbed to death by an
1 italian anarchist In 1898. True, she lone
| had been estranged from the emperor. but
he had never ceased. to respect and adore
her. When a courier brought him the
news Of the crime he exclaimed: Alas,
nothing can be spared me, nothing"
Gossip dealt plentifully with his private
life, flled with romance and misfortune
II Is related that his mother intended him
to marry Princess Helepa, eldest daughter
| OF Dnke Max of Bavaria. With passive
Indifference the Young emperor agreed to
court to his Intended bride. He got nc
further than the park surrounding the
| dukes castle. where he suied a little cir
whose extraordinary beauty attracted him
He learned that she was Princess Eliza,
resolved that Elizabeth should be hi:
| bride. Ard so she became In 1894. "a
In addition to her beauty Elizabeth wa.
highly endowed with talents. but sh'
found no welcome. at court. The emper,
h or's mother would hardly eountenance thu
match, and all Of the Viennese aristocracS
held aloof from her. Elizabeth returned
scorn. for scorn. Her nemie bore hel
every tale that could wound her pride and