White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-05-03
MEYERLING LEGEND
IS STILL ARGUED
New Version Of Austrian
Tragedy Talked OF.

xE0kOAy 0AAO0 Oks
i Berlin.-Seemingly the legend of
Meyerling will not down.
| It has been four decades since
Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria and
his mistress, the seventeen-year-old
Baroness Marie Vetsera, were found
dead in Meyerling chateau near Wen
ma. That they killed themselves has
bern fairly well established; neverthe-
less the legend that they were muir
dered continues to grow and to find
credulcus audiences.
There are at least four popular $50
lutfons Of the crime" at present in
circulation. One has 1t that simple
woodsman or peasant killed the pair,
but the motive varies with the mar
rator. Another substitutes an out
ragged kinsman of Marie for the woods
man. A third contends that Rudolph
shot his mistress and then himself in
the midst of a drunken revelry. Num-
Der four, employing vengeance as the
motive, was few weeks ago. upon
the occasion of the fortieth anniver-
sary Of the tragedy, given new life by
a usually conservative Berlin news
paper.
Biography Differs.
The journal published what were
represented as authentic documents
supporting the theory that the fiance
Of the Young baroness was the "mur-
derer." According to this version, he
broke into the chamber where she
and the crown prince were sleeping
and without preliminary formalities
fired the shot which disposed of his
alleged rival in love. Thereupon
Marie unhesitatingly took her own
life.
| Critics of this Solution" however,
assert that Marie was not engaged to
be married, although It was under.
stood at the time that she was soon
to be betrothed to Duke Miguel of
Braganza. Moreover, they point with
considerable satisfaction to the biog-
raphy of the crown prince, published
few months ago, which was written
by Baron Won Mitis, erstwhile keeper
Of the royal archives of Austria. The
biography is said to contain docu-
mentary evidence which makes 1t i'm
possible to accept any but the suicide
theory.
Among these documents are several
farewell letters which Rudolph and
Marie addressed to their relatives and
friends shortly before the occurrence,
and all Of these strongly suggest that
the couple was contemplating self-de-
struction. To her mother the baron
sss wrote: Eve are already very
curious to see what the other world
Is like" while to her beloved intend
I'd, Duke Miguel, she bequeathed her
treasured fur neckpiece, which in
mockingly cheerful note she asked
him to hang on his canopied bed as
tribute to her memory
1t was on January %, 1889, that
Crown Prince Rudolph, accompanied
4 oy his brother-in-law, Prince Phillip
If Coburg, and by Count Hoyos, drove
put to Meyerling ostensibly for a few
lays of shooting. Rudolph, however.
excused himself from the dugout.
pleading. a bad cold. The following
evening he dined alone with Count
Hoyos and retired early, commanding
his man servant, Loschek, to awaken
MIN for breakfast at 7:3O in the
morning.
Both Found Dead.
When the next morning the prince
failed to respond to Loschek's repeat
I'd knocking, Prince Phillip and
Hoyos were summoned and they broke
u the locked door of Rudolphs
chamber. On the bed Rudolph and
Marie lay dead, each with bullet
wound in the right temple. In Ills
right hand. the index finger still
lightly gripping the trigger, Rudolph
held revolver, which when broken
open was found to contain two empty
cartridges. Near his left hand lay
| 4 mirror, which he apparently had
used in taking aim.
| During the night of the Both OF
January the body of the prince was
removed to the imperial palace. The
following night, under even more re.
markable circumstances, the body of
| the baroness was taken out of
Meyerling. Wrapped in fur mantle,
| It was placed in a sitting position in
| a cab between two uncles of the girl,
and the cab was then driven off with
unusual haste to the private burial
ground of religious order. And
there, without ceremony, without
benefit of clergy and under the cover
of night, a shallow grave was hur-
riedly dug and into this mean trench
was lowered all that remained mortal
of the baroness.
Complying with the legal forms of
the day, a protocol concerning the /.
burial was drawn up by the two kins.
men. This read: "Witlin the com
munal precincts OF Meyerling was
found a female corpse with bullet
wound In the head which was recog.
nized by the undersigned witnesses.
Count Stockau and Herrp 3altazi
1.-THE uncles OF the girl) as that of
Baroness Marie vetsera. and they
buried 1t In the Holy Cross"