The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-11-22

army OF the patriots and condemned to
death by court martial whose sem
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 niece in Vienna; a sister met sim.
liar fate in Paris; and cousin drown.
ed himself In Stahrenberg Lake. Yet
these were but minor tragedies In com.
parison with that which befell the an.
cient house Of the Hapsburg in 1889
when Rudolf. the imperial prince upon
whom the Austrians pinned their
hopes, met death in mystery which
to this day Is not cleared.
Graves hold the secret Of that fate
full night at hunting lodge in Meyer.
ling. There have been a dozen yer.
sions OF what occurred. One true
story" relates that the Crown Prince
was struck dead by Baltazzi, a Hun
garian chevalier who loved the Bar.
oness Marie Vetsera and who was
franzied by finding the girl and Prince
Rudolf together In the castle OF Meyer.
ling after the Crown Prince had given
his pledge not to see the girl again.
Another that the Crown Prince killed
the uncle Of the young Baroness when
he came to rescue her and that both
Of the young lovers afterward commit.
ted suicide. The truth Is not known.
Clouded in still deeper mystery. II
possible, was the disappearance that
same year OF Francis Joseph's favor.
lite nephew, the Archduke Johann Sal.
vator. Heir to the throne at the death
Of Rudolf. he renowned all his i'm.
perial dignities and fled the country
as John Ortiz, captain Of a merchant
ship, never to be heard Of again. The
next OF kin, the Arcnduke Francis Fer.
dinand, who became heir presumptive,
added further burden to his uncle's
heart by morganatic marriage to So.
phia, the countess OF Chotek. II was
he and his wife who were assassinat.
ed at Sarajeyo in June. 1914.
But 1t is doubtful IL 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 beautiful woman in Europe, was
stabbed to death by man Italian an.
archist, in 1898. True, she long had
been estranged from the Emperor, but
he had never ceased To respect and
adore her. When a courier brought
him the news Of the crime he exclaim.
ed: ALAS, nothing can be spared me,
nothing"
After each blow he renewed his de.
votion TO the state. his only solace be-
ing in harder work. He labored pro.
digiously. He was beloved for his
kindness. his modesty, and recti.
tude, and his high moral courage made
it possible for him TO hold in leash
the Czechs, the Poles, the Serbs, the
Ruthenians and the Bulgars, who made
UP the moasic Of nationalities In his
dual empire.
Gossip dealt plentifully with his pri.
vate life, filled with romance and mis-.
fortune. 1t is related that his mother
intended him to marry Princess Hell
ena. eldest daughter Of Duke Max Of
Bavaria. With passive indifference
the young Emperor agreed to his moth
cr's wishes. and set out to pay court
to his intended bride. He got no fur
Their than the park surrounding the
Dukes castle, where he spied a little
girl whole extraordinary beauty at
tracted him.
He learned that she was Princess
Elizabeth, younger sister Of his in
| tended. He resolved that Elizabeth
should be his bride and SO she became
| in 1854.
In addition to her beauty Elizabeth
was highly endowed with talents, but
she found no welcome at court. The
Emperor's mother would hardly coun-
tenance the match. and all Of the Vian-
nese aristocracy held aloof from her.
Elizabeth returned scorn for scorn.
Her enemies bore her every tale that
could wound her pride and estrange
her love. At last they succeeded. In
burst Of pique she fled to her native
Bavaria. She came back, but the Wen.
nese never forgave her They charg-
ed her with loving fox.hunting In Ire.
! land better than her duty and pre-.
ferred to remember her always as the
absent wife.
The estrangement widened. The
Emperor was fond of pretty women
and Vienna did not lack them. The
Empress grew more and more to con.
slider herself "a dutiful sovereign
lady," and less and less a wife. The
tragic death OF her only son drew her
nearer to her husband for while, but
there came succeeding period of
stronger repulsion, and thereafter she
almost disappeared from the Hofburg.
Then appeared Katharine Schratt,
formerly Of the imperial theatre. BY
her tact and wit she succeeded in ere.
ating for herself place below but be.
side the throne, never accorded before
her time so openly and SO permanent.