Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-09-13

angrily declared his intention to leave
Dresden, because of Won Fritsch's sug-
gestion. This course, / saw, would be
unfortunate for our plans, therefore |
urge the king to induce Louisa to re-
quest him to remain. She has done so,
but to no avail, and Giron left for
Brussels tonight. May be permitted
to come to discuss with your majesty
a further elaboration of the plans?-
Won MetZsch.'
The emperor read the secret mes
sage twice.
"We go to Erfurt tomorrow, do we
not?" he said Telegraph in cipher
to Won Metzsch to meet US there to-
morrow evening at seven. And de-
stroy that message" he added.
/ obeyed his orders, and afterward
continued to deal with the state pa
pers, much enlightened by the news
transmitted by the emperor's creature.
I confess that I felt the deepest
sympathy for the helpless victim. AT
the Schloss, high above the oldworld
town of Erfurt, Won Metzsch had a
long conference with the emperor, but
I was unable to Overhear any word of
it. All l know Is that the controller
of the Saxon household left Erfurt for
Dresden by special train at midnight.
Poor, defenseless Louisa You, my
dear LeQueux, to whom the princess a
few months afterward fled for advice,
know well how sterling, how wOmanly
and honest she was; how she was one
victim of many of the INSCRIPTIONS
intrigues. by which the arrogant war
lord of Germany has until the present
managed to retain his throne.
The Crisis.
Well / watched the course of
events; watched eagerly and daily.
Twice 1 had received letters from her
imperial highness, short notes in her
firm, bold handwriting.
From Won MetZsch came several
cipher messages to the emperor after
we had returned to Potsdam, but Zorn
Won Bulach, my colleague, deciphered
friend, | did not inquire as to theil
purport. | knew, however, that mat
tiers in Dresden were fast approaching
a crisis, and that the unfortunate
Hapsburg princess could no longer sus,
tain the cruel and unjust pressure be-
ing put upon her undoing. That hun
dred Of Germanys spies and agents
provocateurs were busy l realized
from the many messages by telephone
and telegraph passing between Berlin
| and Dresden, and / felt certain that
the ruin OF poor Princess Louisa was
nigh.
A significant message came to Pots
dam late one December night-a mes
sage which, when I deciphered 1t anC
handed it to the emperor, caused him
| to smile.
The princess had left Dresdeni
, Three days later, on December
a further cipher telegram came from
| Won Metzsch, in Dresden, which read
! Louisa has learned Of the SOnnen
| stein project, and has left Sa1Zburs
| for Zurich, her brother accompanying
Won Metzsch."
Sonnenstein! That was a private
| lunatic asylum!
In q few moments the kaiser ha(
| summoned, by his private telephone
| KOehler, then chief of the Berlin Sc
| cret police, and given orders that the
J princess be watched in Switzerland
! Half an hour later three police agents
were on their way to Zurich to follow
~ 4, o+,1 bn
.yond the confines Of the empire.
She was, no doubt, in deadly feal
| of being sent to a living tomb, so tina
| her mouth should be closed forever
| And seeing herself surrounded by enc
| mics and spies on every hand-fol
even her brother Leopold, with whom
| she had travelled to Switzerland, nov
| refused to assist her-she adopted the
only method of further escape that a
| the moment presented itself.
Alone and without anyone to advise
| her, she, as you know, took desper
ate resolve, one alas! fraught will
| disastrous consequences.
The iron had indeed entered th'
poor princess soul.
Note by William Leoueux.
The denOuement of this base in
| trigue will be best related in her i'm
| perial highness' own words. In one
| of her letters, which I have on my
! table as / write, she says:
ST saw before me in those neyer-to
be-forgotten days all the horrors of 6
'Maison de Sante' What could [ do
! I was friendless in a strange hotel
| Even Leopold seemed disinclfned tC
| be further troubled by runaway sis
| ter I knew Frau Won Fritsch had &C
cused me falsely of having secret love
| affairs, and that the emperor had di
rected the whole plot which was tc
| eliminate in my confinement in an
| asylum. Suddenly a solution occurred
to me. I remembered Monsieur GirOn
| who had already suffered great
ly through his friendship with me. If
he joined me, then my flight from
| Dresden would be considered as an
| elopement, and / should escape liv-
ing death In a madhouse! Monsieur
| Giron was at that moment my only
| friend. and it was for that reason that
I telegraphed to him at Brussels. Well,
he joined me, and by doing so complet-
| ed the emperOr's triumph"
| copyright, 1917 by William IeOueux.)