The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-05


great baIloom of the palace in vieIl-
ma. where this scene Is reputed to
have taken place.
Then the sobbing woman was led
away. She went into retirement and
died soon afterward, still mourning
her boy and still praying that her sor-
row might be visited upon him whom
she held responsible for it.
The Hapsburg Ravens.
From that unhappy day 1T seemed
chat Francis Joseph's life was blightA
ed. Tragedy after tragedy was en-
acted around him; members OF his
own farni1y--his son, his wife, his
brother-Were taken from him by
death in Its most shocking forms Yet
the aged man has lived on "in lonely,
unbrokera and horrible grief" for the
curse OF Karolyi wi1led it.
And the curse of the Hapsburgs!
The story is told tina more than 1000
years ago the Count Of A1tenbourg,
founder OF the great family. wander
ing in the wilderness near the juno
ton Of the Rhine and the Aare rivers
on what is now the border of swift
er1and and Southern Baden, came up
on a high hill commanding an ex-
pansive view.
AS he sat there he was attacked by
vu1tnres or hawks, the very birds
whose name he bore, for he was call
ed Der Habicht Graf, the vulture
Count. The ferocious birds were
about to kill him when a flight of raw
ems interviewed aand drove them off.
III commentator Of the miracle the
Count built upon the rocky height a
tower, which he called Habichtshslrg,
which in time becanS corrupted to
Habsburb. & The Counts descendants
added to thu tower until a great cas-
tie stood upon the hill: and always
the ravens remained with them.
Birds OF Evil Omen.
one unhappy day Rudolph Won
Habsburg, first Emperor Of the
House, ordered the birds extermif1at-
ed. A terrible warfare against them
was begun and eventually the ravens
were destroyed. Hence the legend
that the birds, angered ct this in
gratitude, have ever since turned
their hatred upon the members OF the
great household, and that their ap-
pearance has always been ominous
evil
Strange tales are recorded Of the
day early in December, 1848, when in
the grim citadel Of O1nut1 Emperor
Ferdinand, forced to renounce the
crown by fast growing insurrections
about him and the pressure OF the
ambitious mother of 1S-year-old
Francis Joseph, his nephew, gave way
to the mere. child who was destined
to rule so long, SO wisely and SO sor-
rowfu11y over the dual kingdom.
On that day the ravens came, it is
said. They swept and scared in cir
cles around the great standard that
topped the castle wallis, croaking dis
na11y from out the gray sky. The old
peasants who saw it blessed them
serves reverent1y and uttered a prayer
for t1efr master.
Long List Of Tragedies.
TrAnsls Joseph stepped on the
throne ia the face OF a dangerous
Hunxarfan revolt that required the
rnok extreme measures to qne1l The
Lads heart was rent with sorrow at
the awful taaes Of bloodshed that
the great climax In the curse OF the
KasoiyI
Thereafter all seemed sorrowful
him in wars with italy and Prussia;
his brother. Ma11mi1ian, crowned
Emperor of Mexico, was shot dead by
a firing squad; his only son and heir,
Crown Prince Rudolph was found
dead by a firing squad: his only son
and heir, Crown Prince Rudolph, was
found dead with the Baroness Marie
vefSera, with whom he had been in
fatuated, in his hunting lodge at
Mayeriing: then came the assassina-
ton OF the Empress Elizabeth by an
Italian anarchist at Geneva, in Swift
zer1anA. the eIopment Of Archduke
John Salvador with Mizzf Stubel, the
DAUGHTER OF Vienna baker, the muir
der CT his nephew, Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, heir to the throne, and his
wife, In the streets OF Sara5evo. This
act brought ON the present world war.
MaxfmfHan's Execution.
The first blow Of the series. the
Death Of his brother. Max1mfIian, was
q terrible one. The two, az boys, had
been closest companions. There was
q sympathy between them that the
then little Franz as he was called,
did not feel for other members Of his
family. and in later years their devo-
ton to each other was marked.
When, in 1868, acting under pres
sure Of Lonis Napoleon. Macmillan
determined to renounce his rights to
the Austrian Succession and to try
his fortunes in Mexico with the back
ing of France, supported by England.
II was against the advice of Francis
Joseph, who seemed to see into the
future with a trouble vision.
But Macmillan went, accompanied
by his wife, Carlotta, the daughter of
King Leopold of Belgium, The story
OF the Mexican fiaseo is too well
known to need repetition. Deserted
by those who had urged him to enter
Mexico, Maximiiian stood almost
aione In the midst of his enemies.
On Juas ~. 1857. he was led from