Washington Journal., 1943-03-05

at the castle entrance with me was that poor
King Ludwig had tried to flee from Berg
by swimming, wherein he had been fooled by
the doctor. In the struggle both had got
beyond their depth and were drowned while
inferlocked in deadly embrace. What happen
ed in the castle after the corpses were borne
inside that night | did not know then.
Aftermath
Remounting my bicycle with its lantern still
burning | rode the last few miles over the
wet post road to Starnberg and got to the
little railway station barely in time to see
my wheel bundled into the baggage car and
to find a seat in the late night train.
It was crowded with Whitsuntide trlppers
returning to the capital. They seemed so care
free that | could not believe they had any
mixing of the death of their King. AS a
mere youngster among grown-ups, | felt too
shy to tell them Of the dreadful late happen
Jugs at Schloss Berg. They would learn soon
enough, | thought, from the newspapers in
Munich, or from news bulletins posted at the
telegraph office in its terminal station.
On our arrival there, however, there was
no sign of anything unusual having happened.
Nothing but the daily weather report was
posted at the telegrapher's window. The
throngs of returning passengers, pouring into
the station from incoming excursion trains,
merely seemed intent OH scattering. The city
streets outside were silent, as usual at so late
an hour, except for some loud talk and laugh
ter among a few midnight jewellers coming
from beer halls. At home | found my folks
asleep, so ! lost no time i'll going to bed.
Next morning, when | told them my news
at the breakfast table, they were all agape.
Our faithful maid Resi- covered her face with
her apron and rushed into the kitchen to tell
her sister, the cook. Both wept together.
Father voiced surprise that our morning
paper had not a word Of so portentous an
event.
eff that had happened in America, he
said, "our newspapers would tell us OF 1t
under the biggest headlines, all over their
front pages. The New York Herald last night
would have sent out news-boys shouting a
midnight extra. 1t would have got the news
and printed it, before you had covered half
the stretch from Starnberg to Munich. The
morning edition would have had several
columns with all the gruesome details and the
life story Of King Ludwig"
Munich gets the News
After breakfast | bicycled to the house Of
my chum, Erwin Riedinger. AS the stepson
of Primeminister Won Lutz he should have
inside information through his mother, if not
from the primeminister himself, so | thought.
[ told Erwin what he had missed by not
coming along with me the day before. AS
for King Ludwig's death, he knew about it
already. The first telegram with the news
from Starnberg had been handed to his step
father before midnight. He had appeared very
upset as he read it aloud: Ellis Majesty was
found drowned in the lake tonight. DR.. Won
Gudden also was drowned" Then Baron
Baron Lutz left their house to seek Prince
Luitpold, the Kings uncle. Erwin's mother
had been kept awake several hours by later
1ouror xvhio1 .cha cant ,17onY1opo1 offo1s havs
husband at Prince Luitpold's palace. He
conferred there with the prince and with the
summoned members of the crown council all
through the night, only returning to his house
early in the morning. At breakfast Baron
Lutz spoke freely to his wife in Erwin's
presence about the new turn of events. He
said orders had been issued for the court to
go into deep mourning. Erwin's mother, too,
must wear mourning. He ordered arm bands
OF black crepe to be sewed on the sleeves OF
his coats All royal officials and soldiers Of
the Bavarian army we're to wear such arm
bands on their sleeves. All portraits of King
Ludwig III shown in public Offices and at
schools throughout the kingdom we're to be
festooned with crepe. This same Whit
Monday all troops, wherever stationed, by
orders of Prince Regent Luitpold were to
swear a new oath of allegiance to King Otto,
the dead Kings brother. No official notice
was to be taken of Otto's known insanity.
By inheritance now he was the rightful King.
AS hitherto, though, he was to be kept close
il the royal domain Of Forstenried. There he
would be addressed henceforth as "Majesty'.
Yet the real master now was his uncle Luit-
pold, who in Otto's name would rule the land,
after taking a public oath to the Kingdoms
constitution. For the present Erwin's step
father would remain p~rimeminister and all
the other ministers would stay in the cabinet,
but it rested with the Prince Regent how long