Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-22
AGED EMPEROR'S
DEATH HAD BEEN
LONG EXPECTED
Eighty-Six Years Old, He
Had Occupied Throne for
SiXty-Seven Years.
HIS LIFE sADDENED
BY MANY TRAGEDIES
He Is Held Responsible for War
Which Is Tearing Eu-
rope to Pieces.
CHARLES FRANCIS is HIS HEIR
Grandncphew of Dead Monarch Sue.
cceds Him on Dual
HIS LIFE SADDENED
BY MANY TRAGEDIES
CHARLES FRANCIS is HIS HEIR
Grandncphew of Dead Monarch Sue.
cccds Him on Dual
Throne.

VIENNA. November co.-Emperor
Francis Joseph Is dead.
Early this morning the aged Em-
neror's physicians. who throughout the
day had issued bulletins. made tho an
nounccment that the monarch had at
last succumbed. outside the Schoen:
hrunn Palace huge throng had stood
anXiously waiting since early in the
afternoon. when the Emperor's condf-
tion had been officially declared to be
worse"
Like wildhrc the news spread through
the capital and the tolling OF all tho
city church hells. Joining In a solemn
chorus. awakened Nicnna's people TO
the fact that the long xpccted end had
come at last The Emperor was
ciEhty-siX years old
Then occurred curious psychology
ical phenomenon. No sooner had the
first shock OF the excitement passed
we'll exploited by the newspapers
through extra editions issued almost
every few minutes-than the people
of Vienna appeared more calm, more
sober and more settled than probably
ai any time since the beginning OF
the war. deep sadness lay upon
all male faces amid the throngs that
bcsicEcd the palace. Women sobbed
hut there was no hysterical outcry,
no panicky pushing to and fro, no
faintings
AS IL WHOLE. EMPIRE
BREATHES SIGH OF RELIEF
II was as if all Vienna, and with tho
capital the whole empire, hreathed a
deep sigh OF relief
SO long had this event been looked
for. so often had IL been predicted.
reported. denied. and so intense was
the atmosphere during the last forty
eight hours that human nature had be-
come all predomnant II had come 70
crave the very opposite of what IL
feared.
one thing was upon every ones
lips. though few spoke ii: probably the
greatest blessing to his empire was
the fact that this stanch old monarch
clunG as tenaciousy as he did to the
thin thread that still linked him with
life in world which had long out
grown him.
Had his death come two years ago.
or only one. or six months. 1t would
nave spelled disaster to the internal
cohesion OF the HapSburg monarchy.
- - '"'e w StS--dhN MS people have
known il throughout these anxious
two ycars--that no victory on the
battle field. no stroke OF diplomacy.
no catastrophe of war. could have dor.a
for the allied cause what Francis To-
sephs death would have done at any
time but this
When. time and time again since
the outbreak OF the world conflict. par
tcularlS in Iuys wbap rvs d..
sian tide crushed the defense lines OF
the empire. pushing powerful thrust.
into its interior. menacing now Lem
nerg. now the Hungarian plain. dis
patches from London. raris and other
capitals brought the news that the
emperor had died" Austrians smiled
grim smile. and. with the tInge OF
unSreakablc bitterness in their tc<1e:
remarked:
The wish is The father OF the
thought They would be happy ,f
Franzl were dead.'-"FranzI" being
the afectionatc nickname the venerah)c
monarch had received in the popular
mouth.
END COMES AT MOMENT
WHEN HE SEES VICTORY
In the face Of the actual happening.
could bring him back to hold the r.Ins
of his land. there was but one comment
every where in Vienna this morning.
II 'cvolved about the fact that. tragic
as had been the aged rulers ii!e as
monarch and man. his end had
come at Il moment when at last he saw
victory on the horizon.
''traiova has failen.'
These. il was whispered from mouth
To mouth in the crowd before the nal
ace. were the last words told 10
Francis Joseph by the adjutant charycd
with reporting to him the progress OF
the war. on the basis OF Official bull
letins flashed to the palace on A direct
telegram from Austro- Hungarian and
German headquarters.
No one in the th:ong had heard de-
taiis as TO how the Emperor received
the news. But there was :. lively pic-
turc In every ones MIND how tho
dying light OF life Hickered up once
more triumphantly. when he realized
what this news meant. Within two
months tho Russo Ro oumanian invaders
had heen turned back from the. ap-
proaches to Budapest. against which