Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-06-22

''The crown prince here" l gasped,
aStOunded.
'sYes, count. And, further, my mis-
tress is in high glee, for my master
returned this morning quite unexpect-
edly from London. He has been out
at the ministry for foreign affairs all
the evening, and I expect him home
at any moment. The crown prince or
dered me to ask you to wait him here"
Count Won Leutenberg in Berlin
What did it mean? He was absurdly |
Jealous, l recOllected. He might return |
at any moment and find the crown |
prince alone in the countess drawing |
room. If so, the situation might GER
tainly be a most unpleasant one.
Hardly had the thought crossed my
mind when 1 heard the count enter,
his spurs clinking and his saber rat
Ting as he strobe up the stairs.
[ crept forth, listening breathlessly. |
few seconds later 1 heard the
counts voice raised in anger and high,
bitter words. Next moment 1 sprang
up the stairs and, dashing into the
room, found the pretty countess stand
ing near the window, white and rigid
as statue, while the two men in uni
form faced each other Won Leuten-
berg's countenance was distorted with
rage as he abused the crown prince,
and openly charged him with having
brought about his exile TO London.
His highness made no reply, but only
smiled sarcastically and shrugged his
narrow shoulders.
So enraged the other became at this
latter gesture that, with a sudden
movement, he drew his sword.
The countess shrieked and swooned
as l sprang forward and stayed her
husbands hand.
1t was a dramatic moment. The
count instantly realized the enormity
Of his crime, and his hand dropped.
Enough" cried the crown prince.
waving his adversary aside. Then,
turning to me, he said in a calm, hard
voice:
''Heltzendorff, you are witness that
this man has drawn his sword upon
the heir to the throne"
And with those naughty words he
bowed stiffly and strobe out of the
room.
A Message From the Emperor.
Two hours later 1 was commanded
to the kaiser's presence, and found
him in counsel with his son.
The emperor who wore the uniform
of the guards, looked pale and trou-
bled, yet in his eyes there was a keen,
determined look. AS passed the SEN
tries and entered the lofty study,
with its upholstery and walls of pale
green damask-that room from which
the empire and the whole world have
so often been addressed-the kaiser
broke off short in his conversation.
Turning to me as he still sat at his
Uttered table, he said in that quick,
impetuous way of his:
Count Heltzendorff, the crown
prince has informed me of what has oc-
Cured this evening in the Lenne-
strasse. l wish you to convey this at
once to Count Won Leutenberg and to
give it into his own hand. There is no
reply"
And his majesty handed me a rather
bulky envelope addressed in his own
bold handwriting, and bearing his own
private cipher impressed in black wax.
Thus commanded, l bowed, with
| drew, and took taxicab straight to
| the Lennestrasse, being ushered by Jo-
sef into the presence of husband and
wife in that same room I had quilted
couple of hours before.
l handed the count the packet the
emperor had given me, and with trem-
bling fingers he tore it open.
From within he drew three letters,
those same letters which his wife had
written to London, and which had been
intercepted by the secret service-the
letters which I had read in his high
ness room.
AS he scanned the lines which the
emperor had penned his face blanched.
A loud cry of dismay escaped his wife
as she recognized her own letters, and
she snatched the note from her hus-
bands hand and also read it.
"TeII His Majesty His Command Shall
Be Obeyed."
The light died instantly from her
beautiful countenance. Then, turning
to me, she said in a hoarse, hopeless
tone:
dorff. Tell his majesty the emperor
that his command shall be-yes, il
shall be obeyed."
Those last words she spoke in a
deep, hoarse whisper, q strange, wild
look of desperation in her blue eyes.
An hour later I reported again al
the imperial palace, was granted au.
dience of the emperor, and gave him
the verbal reply.
His majesty uttered no word, mere
ly nodding his head slowly in approval
Next afternoon a painful sensation
was caused throughout Berlin when
the "Abendpost" published the news
that Count Won Leutenberg, the man
so recently promoted by the emperor
and his pretty wife had both been
found dead in their room. During the
night they had evidently burned some
papers, for the tinder was found in the
stove, and having agreed to die to
gether, they being so much attached
during life, they had both taken prus
sic acid in some wine, the bottle anG
half-emptied glasses being still upor
the table.
The romantic affair, the truth Of
which l here reveal for the first time
was regarded by all Berlin as an in
explicable tragedy. The public are
still unaware of how those intercepted
letters contained serious warnings tC
the British government of the EN-
peror's hostile intentions towards Brit
ain. enf the probable date of the out