The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-09-29
THE LOST GRAND DUKE

THOSE familiar with the pomp ana
l. ceremony which hedged IN the
former court Of Austria have always
maintained that the tragic disappear
qnce Of Johann Salvador, archduke Oh
Austria. prince Of Hungary and grahd
1ucal prince Of Tuscany, cousin Oh
Francis Joseph and son of Leopold H.
was due as much to his radical tend
encies and the fact that he perslsteu
in airing his views in print as to his
InfatuatiOn Cor Ludmilla Stubel, the
beautiful daughter Of a Vienna SHOP
keeper. Il, furtherance of this oplh-
ION they advance the unassailable EVIL
dence th6t Kaiser Wilhelm insisted
upon the punishment of Archduke
Johann when the latter urged an ALI
ance between Russia and Austria In
order to curb the threatened doml-
nance Of Germany in European poll
ties.
Whatever the cause, the young arch
dukes reaction to the discipline IN
nicted by his royal cousin was to re-
sign all his honors, strip himself or
! his titles, convert a large portion or
| his estate into cash, and, as the crown
ng insult to his relatives, to elope
with Ludmilla Stubel whom he had
met incognito some months before.
| According to all available reports,
| there was no doubt of Ludmillas
| l. not
archduke of the royal blood and the
daughter of a poor shopkeeper was
! too much for the highspirited Haps-
| burgs to swallow without a struggle.
Johann, however, informed all who
brought him messages from his titled
knsmen that he was no longer of the
royal hOuSe-that he had renowned
all his claims to the honors which
! were his by right of birth, and that
henceforth he could be nothing more
than Johann Salvador, private citi-
zen of the world.
When it became known that he
really intended carrying through his
wild plan, even force was resorted to
|
ing what was recognized as mesalli-
ance, hut he concealed his identity un.
der the name of John Orth-the name
which he had used in counting Lud
milla Strickland the pair were has
lily married. and then escaped to Lon
don. Here, still retaining his adopted
name, the archdukt chartered the bark
Margharita, signed up captain and
crew and sailed for South America
where the ship had formerly been en-
gagged in the nitrate trade.
The Margharita's usual course was
between Buenos Aires and Valparaiso
ana, after making several successful
trips, she finally left the former por
on July IL, 1S90-and vanished a!
completely ms if the sea had operiet
and swallowed her. Despite the mos
diligent searches, undertaken at the in
stigation of the Austrian government
nothing definite was ever heard of tn,
ship or the members of the crew
though rumors that Archduke johann
had been seen at many times and IL
, many places have been current iron
that day to this. The most credible o
. these reports is that made by an off
cial investigator Cf the Uruguay gov
eminent, who secured affidavits to til
effect that the Margharita had pu
in at a lonely place on the coas
of that country where the name ha
: been painted out and she had the
sailed up the Uruguay river. "Orth,
the report stated, had then paid off hi
crew, and with the help of two or tire
of his intimate companions had set sal
further inland-but here the trail wa
lost, never to be rebound.
During the Chilean war Archduk
Johann was reported to be fighting O.
the side of the congressionallsts, an(
some ten years later, the son of tn
president of Argentina stated that h
had made the trip from Brenos Aire
to Cherbourg with man who wa
none other than the former archduk
! of Austria. In addition the lost gran
: duke has been located" in Californi.
has been identified" as Admiral Vans
gaia of the japanese navy, and wa
!, "recognized' by reputable witnesses /
, several engagements of the World wa
: Evidently the emperor of Austria neve
placed full credence in the story G
his death, for in Francis Josephs wi
; was clause to the effect that III
: archduke's estate of some $10,OOOOO
was 20 be held intact until somethin
: definite was learned about his fate
point upon which the memoirs of III
former kaiser may eventually thro,
some light Until this the mystery ,
the lost grand duke must remain 9
sie of the unsolved riddles of hIstor
v THE FEMALE STRANGER