The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1916-11-22
AUSTRIAN RULER EXPIRES
AFTER REIGNING 68 YEARS
One Of the Worlds Most Spectacular Careers Closed by
Death AscGndGd Throne at Age Of 10 and His
Reign Excecdd Any Other SOvGrcgn's.

London, Nov. 22.-(3.11 a. m.)-
Emperor Francis Joseph died last
night at 8 o'clock at Schoenbrunn
Castle, according to a Reuter- dis
patch from Vienna, by way of Am
sterdam.
Probably Longest Reign in History.
1t is doubtful if in all history there
has been an active, authenticated
reign longer than that closed by the
death of Francis Joseph.
At 10 years of age he ascended the
throne OF Austria, upon addiction of
his uncle, Ferdinand l., December 2,
1848, his death today ending an ac-
tive reign of nearly sixty-eight years,
the reign Of nearly siXty-cight years,
all but the first twenty of which he
was also Apostolic KING of Hungary.
Tradition says that Pharoah raled
for ninety-nine years and there is
tho more credible instance of Ram
eses ii, Seostris Of the Greeks, whose
reign is reputed to have covered six
ty-seven years.
But in recorded history there GER
talnly has been no reign equal in
period of time to that Of the Haps-
burg which closed today. Louis
xiv, of France, was nominally King
Tor sevcnty-two years. He actually
occupied the throne for little more
than half century. A closer rival,
and the only one of modern times,
was Queen Victoria who reigned for
siXty-four years.
Francis Joscph's reign was as
eventful as it was long. From his
imperial vantage point he saw the
French monarchy go down, the Sec
ona Empire rise and crumb.e, the
Commune flare briefly, and the Re-
public of today rise on its ashes; he
saw the black pinions Of the Prus-
sian eagle stamped on the flag of the
new German Empirc-later to tower
threatening!y over Austria itself, he
saw the Papacy shorn Of its terrific
rial demensc, while about it a bick-
ering family of petty principalitics
was welded into united Italy; he saw
Spain, once the greatest of colonial
Powers, lose the last Of her depend
encics in two oceans; he saw Japan
opened to Western civilization, and
later defeat the spraw!ing Colossus
OF two continents; he saw the most
absolute dcspotisms-Russia, Turkey,
and pcrsia-conccdc representation
to the people; he saw at distance
the United States cement its fcde
ration with the blood Of great in
ternecinc war, and he saw his own
brother prove that monarchy could
not take new root on american soil.
In his own country he faced inter-
nal dlssensions and external aggrcs-
slons from the moment he came to
the throne. By the war of 1859 with
France and Sardinia, he WAS forced
to cedc Lombardy to Italy; by force
OF arms and treaty he lost the Duchy
or Ho!stein to Prussia ,nh Venice TO
Italy; and by the revolt of Kossuth,
the hungarian patriot, he barely cs-
capped having his dual Empire eat in
two.
Experienced Many Tragic Incidents.
But IN human interest his personal
sorrows ovcrshadow all. One after
another they came upon him. In
1913 the last of tragic incidents be-
gan WIN an attempt upon his own
life. In 1857 his Brother the Arch
duke Aayimilan, after three ycars'
experiment as Emperor of Mexico,
was captured by tn. army Of the pa
triots am con .emncl to death by a
court-martial whose sentence was cx-
ecutcI by the governments Of the
United States, England and Prussia
Ihere followed the burning to
death of a niece in Vienna; sister
met similar fate in Paris; and a
cousin drowned himself in Stahrcn-
berg Lake, yet these were bat minor
tragedies in comparison with that
which bcicll the ancient house Of the
Hapsburgs/m 1889 when Rudolf, the
Imperial Prince upon whom the Aus
TRANS pinned their hopes, met death
IN mystery which to this day is
not cleared
Graves hold the secret of that
fatefu night at Il hunting logc in
MeNrrling. There have been a dozen
versions OF what occurred. One "true
story, relates that Grown Prince
was struck Gcad by Baltazzi, a Hun
garian cShevatiGr who loved the Ba-
rroncSs Marie Nctsera and who was
frcnzica by finding the Girl and
PRINCE Rudolf together in the castle
1T MevcrIinT after thl Crown Prince
had given his pledge rot to see the
glrl again. Another that the Crown
Prince killed the uncle of the younr
Baroness when he came to rescue her
and that both of the yomg lovers
aftcrwari committed suicide. The
truth is not known.
Clolded in still deeper mystery, if
possible, was the disappearance that
same year OF Francis joscph's fay-
oritc nephew, the Archlukc Johann
Salvador Heir to the throne at the
Death of Rudolf, he renowned all of
his imperial digntar;es and fed the
country. as John Orth, captain of the
merchant ship ST. Margaret, never to
be heard of again. lae next of kin,
the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who
became heir presumptivc, added
further burden to his unclc's heart
by morganatic marriage to Sophie,
the Countess of Chotek, by whom he