The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1916-11-28
A LONG LIFE OF TRAGEDY
EMPEROR JoSEPH's LONG
LIFE OF MISERY


Wife-His Brother Was Executes
In Mexico-Heir DISAPPEARED For
ever and Two Others Were slain
II was on June IS. 1914. that the
whole world was startled by the as
sassination in Serbia OF the Austrian
heir. Archduke Francis Ferdinand
Everyone wildly remembers the de
mands OF Emperor Joseph that the
Austrian heirs life be avenged, and
how. as a result. half the continent
was plunged into war. And there
are not many. although they openly
sympathiZe with the Allied cause
who have not felt an occasional pans
Of pity for the old Austrian Emperor
the man who was most directly re-
sponsible for il all. as he in his old
age slowly felt the pressure of the
combined armies of England. France
and Russia around his outnumhered
armies.
Born on August Is 1850. Francis
Joseph passed through one 81 the
most stirring eras the world has
ever known. Ascending q The throne
at the age of nineteen. Il 'saS the
French monarchy 20 down, the sec
ond empire rise and crgE.hie. the
Commune flare briefly. aEd the Re
public of today rise on lis ashes: he
saw the black pinions of tho prussian
eagle stamped on the tlag OF Tie new
German empire-later 10 threaten
ingly tower over Austria itself. ne
saw the papacy shorn OF us ;erritcgi-
al demeSne while abOut = pickering
family OF petty principIiities vas
welded into Italy; he 81 Spain, one
of the greatest of Colonial powers.
lose the last Of her dependencies in
two oceans; he saw japan opened 10
western civilization ana later defeat
the sprawling Colossu1 81 two CONT
nents. he saw the absolute despotism
Russia. Turkey and Persia-eon
ceded representation TO the people;
he saw at distance the United
States cement is federation with the
blood of a great intereine war, and
he saw his own brother prove that
could not take root on
soil"
The old mans shoulders were
bowed early in life by the burden OF
family misfortune. The list of tragic
incidents in his life began with an
attempt on his own life in 1858. In
1876 his brother. the Archduke
after three years expert
ment as Emperor of Mexico, was cap
tured by the army of the patriots and
to death by court martial
whose sentence was executed not
intercession in his be-
half by the governments OF the Unit
I'd States, England and Prussia. Then
the burning TO death OF his
niece in Vienna, a sister met SINH
ar fate in Paris. and a brother
himself in Stahrenberg
Lake. Yet these were but minor
tragedies in comparison with that
which befell the ancient house of the
in 1889 when Rudolf. the
imperial prince upon whom the Aus
rians pinned their hopes. met death
n mystery which to this day Is
lot cleared.
Graves hold the secret of that
'ateful night at hunting lodge in
There have been a dozen
'ersions of what occurred. One
true story relates that the Crown
Prince was struck dead by Baltazzi,
| Hungarian chevalier who loved the
Baroness Marie Vetsera and who was
renzled by finding the girl and
Prince Rudolf together in the castle
II Meyerling after the Crown Prince
lad given his pledge not to see the
,irl again. Another that the Crown
Prince killed the uncle of the young
Baroness when he came to rescue her
md that both the young lovers after
ward committed suicide. The truth
5 not known.
"Clouded in still deeper mystery, |
{ possible, was the disappearance
hat same year of Francis Joseph's !
avorite nephew, the Archduke job
mn Salvtar. Heir TO the throne ar
he death of Rudolf, he renowned
II his imperial dignities and fled
he country as John 0rth, captain or
merchant ship. never to be heard i
( again. The next OF kin, the Arch
luke Francis Ferdinand. who became
cir presumptive, added a further
urden to his uncle's heart by NOR
anatic marriage TO Sophie, the
COUNTESS of Chotek. II was he and
IS wife who were assasinated at |
arjevo in June, 1914.
But IL is doubtful II any or all of
hese reverses weighed more heavily
pom the Emperor's heart than the
ragedy at Geneva. when the Empress
who had been called the
lost beautiful woman in Europe, was
tabled to death by a mad Italian
10. ehist. in 1898. True. she long had
cen estranged from the Emperor,
ut he had never ceased to respect
nd adore her When courier
rought him the news OF the crime
e exclaimed: Alas, nothing can be
pared me. nothing
After each blow he renewed HIS
eviction to the state, his only solace
eng in harder work. He labored
rodigiously. lie was beloved for his
indness, his modesty and rectitude.
nd his high moral courage made it
ossible for him to hold in leash the
elts, the Poles. the Serbs, the
uthenians and the Bulgars. who
ade UP the mosaic OF Nationalitles
his dual empire.
Gossip dealt beautifully with his
rivate life. filled with romance and
Misfortune II is related that his
Iother intended him to marry Prin-