Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-11-22
rs,dEMPEROR DIES
4s-
Continued from. PAGE II.

| R"A "iieieu III any .otHeE Teignlng house In
Europe. He dies in the midst of the
worlds greatest war, which he himself
largely brought about by his determine
ton TO avenge the act of assassination
of his heir. the Archduke Francis Ferdi.
nand. as the. result OF an alleged Serbian
conspiracy while on a state visit to Bos-
MIA on June g. 1914.
Francis Joseph was IS years old at the
time of his death. He was born Aug. IS
1880. He was only 10 years of age when
he assembled the throne of Austria upon
the abdication Of his uncle. Ferdinand I,
Dec. 2, 1Sis, making his active reign ex-
first 20 of which he was also Apostolic
| King of Hungary. 1t Is doubtful that II
in all history there has been an active.
] authenticated reign that was longer. Ira
dition says Pharaoh ruled for 80 years
and there is the more credible instance OF
Rameses II, Seostris Of the Greeks. whose
reign is reputed to have covered g. years:
But in recorded history there certainly
has been no reign of equal duration TO
that of Francis Joseph. Louis XIV of
France was nominally King for 72 years
He actually occupied the throne for little
more than half a century. closer rival
and the only one of modern times, was
Queen Victoria, who reigned for "a years.
The aged monarch, although he had
suffered serious inroads upon his heahh
for many wears past, was strong enough
to keep firm grip OF affairs of state al
most to the last
Aside from the great war Francis
Joseph's reign was one OF the most
eventful in history. From his imperlai
vantage point he saw the French mon
archy go down, the Second Empire rise
and crumble. the Commune mare
briefly, and the Republic OF today rise
OH it's ashes; he saw the black pinlohs
Of the Prussian eagle stamped on the
flag Of the new German Emplre-'iat-
en- to tower threateninsly over Austria
itself; he saw the papacy shorn or us
territorial demesine. while about a
pickering family of petty principali-
ties was welded into united Italy; he
saw Spain, once the greatest of COLO
NAL powers, lose the last OF her de-
tendencies in two oceans; he saw
Japan opened to western civilization,
and later defeat the sprawling Colos-
sus of two continents: he saw the
most absolute despotisms-Russia,
Turkey and Persia-concede represen-
tation to the people; he saw at dis
lance the United States cement its
federation with the blood Of a great
internecine war, and he saw his own
brother prove that monarchy could
not take new root on American sail.
In his own country he faced inter-
nd
sions from the moment he came to
! the throne. BY the war of 1889 with
France and Sardinia, he was forced
to cede Lombardy to Italy; by force
of arms and treaty he lost the Duchy
of Holstein to Prussia and Venice to
Italy: and by the revolt Of Kossuth
the Hungarian patriot. he barely es-
capped having his dual empire cut in
two
But in human interest his personal
sorrows overskadow ed all. One after
another they came upon him. In 1858
the list of tragic medicines began with
an attempt upon his own life. In 1867
his brother, the Archduke Macmillan,
after three years experiment as En-
peror Of Mexico. was captured by the
army of the patriots and condemned to
death by a court martial whose SEN
tence was executed notwithstanding
intercession in his behalf by the gov
ernments of the United States. Eng
land and Prussia
There followed the burning to death
OF q niece in Vienna; q sister met SINH
lar rate in Paris; and q cousin drowned
himself in Stahrenberg Lake. Yet these
We're but minor tragedies in COMPARE
son with that which bcfell the ancient
house of the Hapsburgs in 1889 when
Rudolf. the imperial prince upon whom
the Austrians pinned their hopes, met
death in a mystery which to this day is
not cleared.
! Graves hold the secret of that fate
full night at a hunting lodge i'm Never
ling. There have been a dozen versions
OF what occurred. One true story" re-
lates that the Crown Prince was struck
dead by Baitazzi, Hungarian cheva-
ller who loved the Baroness. Marie Vet
sera' ana who was frcnzied by finding
the girl and Prince Rudolf together in
the castle of Meyerling after the Crown
irlnce killed the uncle of the young
baroness when he came to rescue her
ana that both of the young lovers aft
erward committed suicide. The truth
is not known
Ciouded in still deeper mystery. if
possible, was the disappearance that
same year of Francs Joseph's favor
lie nephew. the Archduke Johann Saliva
tor, heir to the throne at the death of
Rudolf, he renowned all his imperial
dlgnltles and fled the country as John
! orth. captain of a merchant shin. never
to be heard of again. The next of kin.
the Archduke Francis Ferdinand. who
hecame heir presumptive. added a fur
ther burden to his uncles heart by
morganatic marriage to Sophie the
countess of Chotek. 1t was he and his
wife who We're assassinated at saraievo
ir June. 1914
! But it is doubtful if any or all of
these reverses weighed more heavily
upon the Emperor's heart than the
tragedy at Geneva, when the Empress
Elizabeth. who had been called the most
peautl1ul woman in Europe. was stab
bed to death by man Italian anarch-
ISL IN 1898. True, she long had been
estranged from the Emperor but he
mad never ceased to respect and adore
her. When courier brought him the
news of the crime he exclaimed: Alas.
hothlng can be spared me, nothing"
After each blow he renewnd hiu A.