The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-22

his divorce and the entire custody OF their
four fine young children-Prince Francis
Joseph, aged seventeen. named after the
late emperor; Prince Ernest Veriaud, aged
sixteen; Prince Rudolph, aged fourteen.
and Princess Stephanie, aged twelve.
The Princess was thoroughly prepared
for this court decision. She retired with
her four children to the small castle
which she possesses In the outskirts OF
Wiener Neustadt, a ruined manufacturing
town about fifty miles from Vienna. This
town is in the hands Of a gang of com.
munists who defy and insult the more
moderate republican government OF Vienna.
When a court officer was sent from
Vienna to serve the legal papers on the
Princess and take possession OF her chill.
dren she met him at the front door OF her
castle and told him to go away.
The Princess is a tall, handsome, power.
fully built woman. who spends great
deal of her time horseback riding and pur.
suing other outdoor sports. She usually
carries a heavy riding whip with her. and
this she uses freely on anybody who op-
poses her wishes
GO back to the scoundrels who sent you
to steal children from their mother" ex-
claimed the Princess to the timid official.
Tell them that II they dare to send an.
othec man to invade my home ] will horse
whip him out OF my presence"
The covering official skunk away In ter.
ror without attempting to execute his
order few days later the Vienna court,
at the demand OF the Prince and his law.
yers sent four officials to execute the or
der and bring away the children
In the meantime the political leaders
and inhabitants of Wiener Neustadt heard
OF the trouble and expressed nearly sym.
pa,hy with the Princess because they were
on the side Of anybody who was against
the government at Vienna. Having little
work to do, these patriots formed a COM
mittee to help the Princess in her fight
against the court.
Along came the four court officials.
the castle. The leader hammered al the
door and declared that he would break II
in II he were not admitted
Suddenly the door opened and the angry
Princess rushed out, whip in hand
Away with you, childstealer and house
breaker! Take that and that she called
as she brought the heavy lash Of her riding
whip down on the mans head 60 back
to your masters, who have no respect for
the honors OF a woman or the rights OF
mother, and tell them what have done
This was the signal for action by the
local committee of revolutionists, who had
Just waited outside to see what the Prin.
cess would do. They closed in on the four
court officials and started to hustle them
away from the castle.
Child stealers! Hired thugs" were
some OF the mildest terms applied to the
court emissaries. The local patriots drove
the four officials back to the railroad sta
ton, throwing at them decayed vegetables
and all the unpleasant articles they could
spare in the present state Of famine.
The affair appears to have come to
standstill with the Princess completely vic.
torious. The Vienna court controls no
force sufficient to execute Its orders in
face of the angry attitude Of the Wiener
Neustadt population.
II may be necessary to say few words
to explain what a very important person
the Princess used to be. She was the only
child II the Crown Prince Rudolph Of Aus.
tria. who persisted tragically and myste@.
iously at Meyerling. But for the Salic law,
which excluded women from the throne in