The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-02-19

ward situation
the emperor himself WHO had set his mind Oh
healing the breach between Rudolph and his wife.
When Rudolph announced his intention Of d.
vorcing his wife and marrying the baroness, even
though that involved remuneration of his rights 10
succession and even his archducal rank, the en-
peror red
Two days before the tragedy at Meyeriing the
emperor and the crown prince had long inter-
view What was said is not known. but 1t Is
believed that the old emperor commanded the
crown prince to drop the affair with the baroness
Anyway Rudolph planned another meeting with
Marie. What he Intended to do at that meeting
nobody will ever know; the secret Is buried with
him.
Rudolph, using q gobetween countess. got
Marie away from the Vetsera palace that fatal
January 80, and the same afternoon the young
couple left for Meyerling Rudolph had invited
a party of gay friends to Join him at the hunting
lodge Among others were the Baltazzi brothers
Here. In brief, is Leopold wolfings story Of the
tragedy:
The baroness. though In the lodge, was not
present at the dinner. After dinner the men
drank deeply. Rudolph could never carry his
liquor and early lost self-control. A discussion
between him and the two Baltazzis degenerated
Into a violent quarrel champagne bottle was
flung across the table and the prince dropped
dead his head terribly crushed. moment later
the alarmed baroness entered the room. One OF
the brothers shot her and she fell dead beside her
lover amid scene Of blood broken glass and
smoke. The ex-archduke's story states that when
the princes body was taken to Vienna fragments
OF the broken bottle still sticking in his skull
AS to the effect of the affair on the Emperor
Francis Joseph and the Empress Elizabeth. the
author tells of the first family dinner after the
tragedy.
.At the table sat the emperor and the empress,
brother of the emperor's, the old Archduke
Albrecht. the Hungarian Archduke Joseph and
the author himself. Neither the emperor nor the
empress spoke word. They did not touch
single dish. The empress was dressed in the
deepest mourning and wept softly. We waited
breathlessly while this depressing ceremony should
be over and the emperor dismiss US"
The exarchduke says that he learned the true
story of the Meyerling affair from his father. the
Grand Duke of Tuscany. who had it from the EN-
peror himself.
None of the persons connae.-..s Wsith the tragedy
Sas ss... panlsned The two Batazzi brothers
disappeared for several years from society. hut
later re-emerged. A similar exile was inflicted
upon Count Hoyos. adjutant to the crown prince.
and today probably nobody with frst-hand
knowledge of what happened at the Meyer.fng
hunting lodge is among the living.
The story of the burial of Baroness Marie is
known In all its gruesome details: 1t is properly
a part of the tragedy. Count Stockau and Alex
andef Baltazzi uncles OF Marie, were taken to
Meyeriing in the evening in a large closed car
rage The chief of thu secret police sat beside
the coachman The uneeS were taken into the
linen room. where Marie's body had been hidden
In a basket. They We're Informed that the corpse
was TO be fully dressed and then her body was to
be taken TO the carriage. .You are to support
the body" they were ied. "n such way as to
make II appear tiiaf fhc baroness stili lives
The uncies force TO take part in dressing
.ho load Her hat end yCil4 were minced nm her
head and ..-e.. Eos.s sas set in chair while