The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-22

irnilian, after three years experiment
as emperor of Mexico was captured y
the army OF the patriots and con-
demned to death by court martial
whose sentence was executed not
withstanding intercession in his benalI
by the governments OF the Cnlted
states England and Prussia
Relatives Meet Tragic Deaths.
There followed the burning to death
of a niece in Vienna; a sister met SINH
lar fate in Paris: and a cousin drown
ed himself in Stahrenberg Lake Yet
these were but minor tragedies in COM
harrison with that which befell the an
Gent house of the HapsburSs in 1893
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 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 chevaIier who loved the Bar
Ouess Marie NetseIa and who was
frenzied by finding the girl and Prince
Rudolf together in the castle of Meye =
ling after the crown prince had given
his pledge not to see ehe 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 com
mitted suicide. The truth is not
known.
Clouded in still deeper mystery, If
possible, was the disappearance that
same year of Franz JOsef's favorite
nephew. the Archduke Johnann Sal
vator Heir to the throne at the deash
of Rudolf, he renowned all his i'm
periaI dignities and fled the country as
John Orth, captain of merchant ship,
never to be heard of again The next
of kin, the Archduke Francis Ferdi-
nand. who became heir presumptive.
added a further burden to his uncle's
heart by morsanatic marriage to
Sophie, the countess of Chotek. 1t
was he and his wife who were assas-
sinated al Sarajevo in June, 1914.
Beloved by Soldiers.
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 beautiful woman in Europe, wa 5
stabbed to death by an Italian anar-
chist, 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 exclairr-
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
prodigiously. He was beloved for his
kindness, his modesty and rectitude,
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 mosaic of nationalties in
his duar empire.
As soldier, the emperor was be-
loved of his army. In a crushing re-
verse by the French at Solferino, he
suffered such humiliation that he is
said to have wished to die with his
men that he stood motionless in the
fre OF battery hoping to be struck
down But none of his reverses made
him any the less popular at home.
In recent years he interrupted his
winter rides. but each spring found
him on horseback again and he at
tended the army maneuvers to the
last. In the field he was the embodi-
ment of interchangeable energy. Three
or four horses day he would wear
out riding in gallop to the foremost
front of reserve and from wing to
wing to acquaint himself with the last
tactical details.
His popularity reached beyond the
army He was truly the idol of his
people and especially at Vienna His
tall, gaunt figure was familiar to every
Niennese. He rode thru the streets
unguarded, bowling to the salutations
of his loving people. If it became
known that he was to leave the city,
= crowd would congregate to see him
drive by. He was imperial vet demo-
cratic, and for years he held weekly
audiences with the common people. at
which any one of his subjects could
appeal to him the righting of a wrong.