Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-22

r
VIENNA. Austria. Nov 22.-The
Emperor Francis Joseph. who hai
been sinking for the past several lays.
died at the Shoenbrunn ,astle at 3
O'Clock last night
At nineteen years Of age he assembled
the throne Of Austria. upon abdication
of his uncle. Ferdinand l.. December =.
1918, his death today ending an active
reign CT IS years, all bu. the first
% which he was also Apostolic King
OF Hungary
He faced internal discussions and
external aggressions from the moment
he came TO the throne BY the war OF
1889 with France and Sardinia no
was forced to cede Lombasdy TO Italy;
by force of arms and treaty he lost the
Dutchy OF Holstein TO Prussia and
Venice to Italy; and by the revolt OK
Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot. he
barely escaped having his dual empire
cut in two.
asst Tragedy Greatest
Last and greatest of all the troubles
that have beset the life OF this weary
old monarch was the murder OF Is
nephew and heir in 1914 and the fol-
lowing outLurst of war which has en-
quilted his country ever since.
But in human interest his personal
sorrows overshadowG,! all One after
another they came upon him. In nh
the list of tragic incidents began with
an attempt upon his own life. In 1867
bis brother the Arch6uke Maximilian.
after three years experiment as EN-
peror of Mexico, was captured by the
army Of the patriots end conlemnei To
death by court martial whose sem
tence was executed notwithstanding
intercession in his behalf by the gov
eminent OF the United States. England
and Prussia.
Graves Hold Secret
There followed the burning to death
of niece in Vienna; a sister met sim
liar fate in Paris; and cousin drown.
ed himself in Stahrenherg Lake. yet
these were but minor tragedies In COM
parison with that which befell the
ancient house of the Hapsburgs In
1889 when Rudolf, the imperial prince
upcn whom the Austrians pinned their
hopes, met death in a mystery which
Ito this day is not cleared.
Clouded in still deeper mystery. 4
possible, was the disappearance that
same year OF Francis Joseph's favorite
nephew, the Archduke Johann Saliva
tor. Heir to the throne at the death OF
Rudolf, he renounced all OF his I'M
perial dignities and fled the country az
John Ortiz. captain Of q merchant
ship, never to be heard Of again The
next OF kin, the Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, who Became heir pre-
sumptiVe, added further burden to
his uncIe's heart by morgantic mar
riage to Sophie. the Countess Of Cob
tex, by whom he has had three chill
dren. no one of which can succeed to
the throne.
Estranged From Empires
But is is boudted If any or all OF
these reverses weighed more heavily
upon the emperor's heart than the al
most recent tragedy at Geneva. when
the Empress Elizabeth. who had been
called the most beautiful woman in
Europe, was stabbed to death Dy a
mad Italian anarchist, In 1898. True,
she long had been estranged from th6
emperor, but he had never ceased to
respect and adore her. When courier
OIOu6hl hAlll ItlC nCNO VI tic JIG
exclaimed, Alas. nothing can be
spared me, nothing!"
Idol Of Army
AS a soldier, the emperor was be-
loved OF his army. In crushing re-
verse by the, French at Solferino, he
suffered such humiliation that he is
said to have so wished to die with his
men that he stood motionless IN the
fire of battery hoping to be struck
down. But none of his reverses made
him any the less popular at home.
His popularity reached beyond the
army. He was truly the idol OF his
people and especially of Vienna.
Relative to the tragic death OF
Crown Prince Rudolf OF Austria in
1889 there is on file in the archives
OF Hawaii a letter from the Hawaiian
representative at the court of Francis
Joseph at that time to King Kalakaua
which purports to give the reasons
which moved the heir apparent to the
throne Of the dual monarchy to kill
the woman whom he loved and to
take his life. This letter states that
the tragedy followed fast upon the in
formation given to the crown prince
that the woman was his halE-sister,
an iflegitimate daughter Of his father.