River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-11-30
FRANCIS JOSEPH SUcCUM5S TO
APOPLEXY AFTER SEVERAL
ATTACKS IN FEW WEEKS
UNDERMINE STRENGTH.
HEIR APPARENT AND WIFE
NEAR WHEN DEATH COMES
Archduke Charles Francis in Constant
Attendance Upon Monarch for Sew
eraI Weeks-New Emperor in
Command of Austrian Armies
on Various Fronts.

Vienna, Nov. 23.-Emperor Francis
Joseph Of Austria-Hungary is dead aft
er an illness of several months dura-
ton. The aged monarch succumbed to
apoplexy after several attacks of the
malady in the past couple Of weeks
had undermined his strength.
The heir apparent, Archduke
Charles Francis, and his wife, the
Archduchess Zita, were at the emper-
ors bedside in Schoonbrunn castle
when death came. The archduke has
been In constant attendance upon the
emperor for several weeks, and steps
were being taken to make the arch
duke a co-regent of the empire.
Death Had Been Expected.
Death had been expected for sew
eral days, and the army and police au-
thorities in Vienna and throughout the
empire had been warned to take all
precautions to prevent troubles Of any
kind.
No plans for the funeral have been
announced, but it is generally be-
lieved that the body will lie in state
in the royal palace for several days,
and that the funeral will be quiet and
without much public ceremony, owing
to the war.
Archduke Charles Francis, grand
nephew Of the late emperor, and now
emperor of Austria, became heir-ap-
parent to the Acknowledgements
throne b. the assassination of Arch
duke Francis Ferdinand prior to the
outbreak of the war. He has been in
command of the Austrian armies on
various fronts during the past two
years.
The new emperor was born August
IT, 1887. His wife was Princess Zita
of the Bourbon house of Parma. His
father was Archduke Otto, younger
brother OF Francis Ferdinand.
Francis Joseph Crowned in 1848.
Francis Joseph was crowned en-
peror in 1848, following the abdica-
ton Of his uncle, Emperor Ferdinand.
Although only boy of Is, Francis
Joseph showed a severity in dealing
with participants of the Kossuth in
surrection that stamped him as lack
ing mercy. 1t is reported that he con-
demned to death the son of woman
who appeared before the monarch and
asked for mercy.
Almost from the beginning of his
reign, the monarch seemed marked
for sorrow Assassinations and sui
cides have taken from him those who
were most dear. Only the emperor
himself seemed immune.
III 1..s,
celebrate the f1ftieth year of his reign,
word was brought to him that his wife
had been assassinated. The empress
had been stabbed by an Italian while
she was travelling in Switzerland.
Brothers Die Tragic Deaths.
Later. Crown Prince Rudolph and
Baroness Mary Vetsera were found
dead in a hunting lodge. She had
been his guest. A revolver was found
in the dead mans hand, but no ex-
PLANTATION of the incident was given to
the public. Both of his brothers died
tragic deaths. Macmillan was shot
by MeXicans, over whom he sought to
rule, and John renowned his rank to
marry an actress. He sailed to South
America and the ship was never re-
ported again.
Fate tried and failed to also end
the life of Francis Joseph in an as
sassination. In 1853 Joseph Libeny
wounded the emperor severely by
knife thrust between the shoulders.
But the monarch was young and the
blow was not fatal.