The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-11-24

4lLS iHStL.Si, tHC L4ilPi COS OoPIAi$1'
scarcely recognized the new Empress
and the aristocracy of Vienna held
aloof from her. The spirited young
woman, however. Scorned all of her
enemies and to the day of her death
treated with icy contemptuOusness
those who later on would have given
much to win her favor.
The Emperor, under the influence of
his young wife. soon became Liberal
in politics and a hero in war. The
Gar Nicholas conferred on him the
Cross Of st. George for great personal
v;ilor, and at Novaaea and on other
fields he showed wonderful bravery.
The crushing reverse at SelferinO so
affected him that he wanted to die and
actually stood motiOnlesS under a gall
ing fire from French battery, hoping
that he would be killed.
Franz Josef 5 great personal pcpu-
laciIy has held together the AustrO-
Hungarian Empire in spite Of the hos
tility of the II nationalitics composing
it, toward one another.
One of the darkest tragedies in the
Empcror's life vas the suicide OF his
only son, the Crown Prince Rudolph.
The Crown Prince had been married
to the Princess Stephania, daughter of
the King OF the Bc!gians. 1t was not
d love match. Rudolph chose her only
because she was less Objectionable
than the other princesses who had
been suggested for him. The unhap-
piness which his mother. the Empress,
had predicted for the union soon over
took the pair. He maddened her by his
hirtatiOns and she angered him by her
dcnunciations.
On the morning of Jan. 20, 1889,
they were found dead together in the
hunting lodge at MayerIing. 1t is gen
orally believed that each committed
suicide though the Theory has been ad-
vanced that Rudolph murdered his wife
and then killed himself.
Another severe blow was the death
of his brother Macmillan, who was
executed in Mexico, where he had gone
in ar attempt to establish the rule
Of the Hapsburgs. His sister-in-law
Charlotte then became hopeless ma
MAC
Other relatives who caused the I'M
fortunate ruler no end Of sorrow, were
the Archdui,e Ladislaus, who vas shot
in Il hurting field: Prince Louis OF
Trani and the Archdukc Johann, who
were drowned. and his wife's sister.
.hc Duchess G'Alecon, who was burned
20 death at = charity bazaar in Paris
The crorning GRIEF of his long ca
rcer of SORROW was the assassination
Of the Empress Elizabeth. This took
place in Geneva on Sept. 10, 1895. Her
Majesty was walking from the Hotel
Beau de RivaGe to the landing of Z
steamer when she WAS shot. She was
carried back to the hotel. and there cX-
PRED The assassin was AN Italian
anarchist, Luigi Lucccssi, who had
been an Italian soldier. The Emperor
is reported to have cried out when he
heard the news: "Shall never be
freed from grief ard pain in this
wOrli:"
Franz Josef was 4 man OF TIE deep
est religious feeling and devotion. One
very striking evidence of this was his
,ustom Of washing the feet of twelve
old men Of his Empire every Maunday
Thursday in imitation of Christ's ex-
ample Of washing the feet OF his Dis
cipes to teach them humility. The
Apostles" as the twelve men are
styled, were seated in 4 row on 4
raised platform in the palace, while a
suitable religious ceremony was per-
formed. Toward the close OF this the
Emperor took 4 gold basin Of water,
handed him by the Court Chamberlain.
sprinkled the bare feet of each
" Apostle" and wiped the water off with
4 towel. The Apostles" were then
sent to their humble homes in court
carriages, and an excellent meal and
well-illed purse was provided for each.
After the murder Of the Empress,
there were reports that the Emperor
was to marry the Princess Maria Mcr-
cedes. sister Of the King of Spain,
who was then most 10 wears old. and
also that he would wed the youngest
sister OF the Princess Louise of Bull
garia.
Those reports were untrue, but in
his 10th year the Emperor did inform
4 morganatic alliance with Madam
kathi Schratt, who held the rank of
court coincidence at Vienna.
Several attempts were made on the
life Of Franz Josef IN the course o.
his long reign. On Feb. II, 1853. when
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