Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-27

ROWN PRINCE RUDOLPH OF Aus
- tria-Hungary came to his death Jam
uary 30 1889, in his hunting louge
at Meyerling near Vienna WIN
VA him died the young and beautilui
1 : : !: !: :: !:
@~1N baroness Marie Vetsera, From that
lI1STTTTn1I day to this the manner OF their lS'h-
UWN0IIUVIl inc off has been mystery as wen
II NWllIIN II as one of the grimmest OF the many
IL RA grim tragedies that have Delalen
- tho House of Hapsburg in the last
,o a ts 8 mystery these deaths OF the helf
~ . great empire and his lovely 1namorata nav
ranked high among the great mysteries VI ' ,ntb
DIT ",onrder will out" the old saying nan
- nd tho truth of the killing of Rudolph Is lolu
Of last Who tells it? None other tlan ia
sheen of the Hapsburgs-the ArcnuuAe '.IIo -
Ferdnaud son of the last reignlng Uranu IN 80
TUSCANY nenhew Of Emperor Francis Joseph anu
ot 80 the murdered crown prince. TO De
euro tbis black sheep now bears the maine u
Ieonold Wofing He ended his archuueah ~
raar long before the Great war stflppeu tnS
Hapsburgs of place and power by dehouIes 1,4n
great rank to wed a commohers u9 &c ~
rhorn he LATER divorced. And, strangest oi an
This civilian Hapsburg tells the STORY u er Ia
ing of Rudolph in newspaper the Berlin N1
post! 60 +bo
A. tba time of the tragedy all the power Oh lie
amneror was used to suppress the lac'S'
newsnapers were allowed to state olS '"t
Rudolph had died of natural causes Nv ~,
once to the death of the baroness was pei ~,
Melody was prosecuted, but several men hlsh /"
court circles disappeared from public life. Every
Lodr oP inferior rank who could possibly nave hau
InowIedre of the facts vanished from the lace
Of the earth.
of course the world talked. Half dozen YER
sions of the tragedy became current one was
that the fance of the baroness broke IN ana klieu
both the prince and the young woman. announcer
was that the prince, forced by his father TO give
IN Tho baroness killed her and himself. A third
nos +bet the prince and the baroness were killed
hecause they would not give Up each other. Gut
of the mass of conjecture a Legend was nhaily
evolved to the effect that Rudolph, preferrng
death to separation killed his companion with
her consent and then followed her into the I'M
known. Romance and pathos, you see, as well
as tragedy!
FIRST word as to Rudolph, whom legend now
presents as LIBERAL likable, democratic sort Oh
younr fellow Probably the correct picture Is
that of the most dissipated of the Hapsburgs.
All the hereditary evils had set their mark on him.
Of froiI nbvsioue a neurotic, his eyes blnked and
his hands trembled constantly. Drinking ana
other excuses had increased his natural defects'
Rudolpb was married to Stephanie, daughter
Of Leopold king of the Belgians Apparently
they never knew q moments happiness ne ue-
ce,ved her shamefully and she did all In her
,,oyer to infuriate him. Rudolph made no secret
oP bis dislike and her failure to produce male
heir TO the throne intensified the situation. From
his youth Rudolph had been noted In Vienna for
his shameless pursuit of virtue. he employed
many creatures of all ranks to minister to his
desres--from II go-between countess to private
cab driver, whose duty it was to convey women
IN the secret entrance in the lane back of the
uofburp which led to the princes apartments.
Rudolph met Marie just about year before
the date of the tragedy 1t was case of love
at first sight with both at any rate the beautiful
younV girl was completely infatuated with her
nrIncely admrer And the baroness vas young,
beautiful and good. The vetseras were OF Greek
blood; the father of the baroness was state
ofBcal The family was not rich, but Its social
standing was good. Rudolph and Marie met fire.
ouently and scandal soon got busy with their
names.
The affair became known at court and there
,vos much ado Princess Stephane ragged. The
vetseras demanded that the emperor should call
his son 10 account. Hektor Won Baltazzi Maries
eance was furious. He was Vienna clubman
and horsemnn Of Macedo-Greek origin, very rieh'
and although no member OF the nobility proper,
,oyorlte I'm the highest society, as was his
hrother Aristde The Baltazzls were distSntV