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A Photograph of Mary Vetsera at the Time
She Met Crown Prince Rudolph.
The M.l‘Yl“ezfer_liAng “Tragedy, the Baroness Vetsera and How She Died
HE sqdden death of Crown Prince Rudolph,
I only .son of Emperor Francis Joseph of Aus.
tria, at Meyerling, near Vienna, on January 27,
1889, has always remained the greatest court mystery
of our time. It was one of the interminable series of
tragedies that have marked the aged Emperor's life,,
culminating in the great war in which he {8 now in
volved.
The world was only certain that Rudolph had per
ished suddenly and violently with his companion, the
Baroness Mary Vetsera, whose relations with him had
Ereatly angered the Emperor. Every attempt to ex
plain the mystery was sternly repressed in Germanic
countries. Versions of the affair published elsewhere
have not carried conviction.
There has now reached London a manuscript that
purports to be a diary of the Baroness Mary Vetsera.
It fell into the hands of her mald after her death, and
has been concealed until this time, when it is per
fectly safe to publ‘uh it outside the Teutonic coun
tries. Whether it be entirely authentic or mot, it
glves the first rational explanation of the double
tragedy, and is evidently filled with intimate infor
mation concerning the principals, as the accompany
ing extracts from it will show.
We learn that the Crown Prince was so devoted
leaning over the jewel case, that had come from Ru
dolph late in the afternoon “Your ladyship,”’ she
cried, “I just finished counting them: a hundred and
five diamonds, and the smallest three-quarters of a
carat, I bet.”
She [astened the great crescent in my hair—Ru
dolph’s diamond collier I wore it at dinner, as it might
pass for a family heirloom—then fastened the new
earrings. Wastrel Rudolph, the weight is painful to
bear, but I would welcome thumb-screws to-night it
they happened to enhance my beauty.
I heard Marie on the staircase: “Quick, my lace
fichu., The Countess mustn’t see my jewels here.”
We arriyed soon after the Court, and I had the
satisfaction of being stared at by the whole house.
Indeed, such was the sensation I produced, opera
glasses were levelled at me from each of the Arch
ducal boxes.
1 looked my haughtiest, even failing to acknowl
edge the compliments of Michael Braganza, who kept
speaking to me of my lovely neck and arms, my heav
enly shoulders, etc., etc. Suddenly I felt, among the
multitude of eyes resting on me, a pair that stirred
my blood.
“Your glasses,” I said to my admirer. Those Bel
glan peasants, Stephany and Louise, were cataloguing
Mary Vetsera with insolent gaze, and unflattering com
ment, I warrant you,
Pretending not to recognize the Imperial ladies, I
remarked: “Really, Duke, when your royal relatives
lend their box to servants, they ought at least to se
lect persons of good manners. Those {ll-dressed
groundlings opposite should be turned out by the
ushers.”
Michael, who was perhiaps more than usually stupld
that night, grew red, while Marie elbowed me and
George looked daggers. Meanwhile Rudolph came to
the front of the box occupied by his wife and sister
in-law; I gave him a friendly nod and the two women
put their heads together. If they didn't call me an
impudent hussy, or worse, thelr looks belied them.
Rudolph goon withdrew and, for the rest of the even
ing, I gave all my attention to the stage and to per
sonal friends that called on me during the intermis
sions.
November 20.
Since that night at the Hofburg an army of sples
dog our footsteps—mine and Rudolph's. Plain-clothes
men on bicycles follow my carriage; gendarmes patrol
the road to Meyerling. To this latter nuisance
Rudolph put a stop, Yesterday he went on horseback,
in full general’s uniform and attended by adjutants
and outriders. He sent the first trooper he met for
the officer in charge. “Sir,” he said to him, “you and
your superfors-—whoever they may be—are hereby
ordered by the Inspector General of the Army to keep
away from all the roads leading to my country house.
Any man found there in future will be court-martialed.
Now call off your men and begone.”
That settled the gendarmes, Just the same Brat
fisch has orders to turn around immediately {f he
encounters any suspicious person when he drives me
to Meyerling. .
Vienna, Jan, 16.
I am a dead woman. The Pope has decided against
a 2 Rudolph came in person to acquaint me with the
dread news, but I happened to be out. Upon my
return.l found his card, likewise a letter from Marie,
saying the Crown Prince expeoted me without fail at
Meyerling. “As your mother and Hannah 'are at
Budapest, tell the butler that you must go to Par
dubltz by the night express—a case of sickness or
something of that sort,” she advised.
The Holy Father did not deign to answer my lover's
letter direct. He wrote to the Emperor instead. “You
can imagine how scandalized the old gentleman fs,”
cried Rudolph as I entered,
“When I answered his summons this afternoon the
Emperor ordered me to return to Stephany withip
three days.
“Father,” 1 begany but he pushed back his chalr
and rushed {nto the next room, banging the door.
Meyerling, January 27th, 1889,
(Enclosure to Tolinette.)
1 have come again to Meyerling with Rudolph.
At 5:30 this morning we were roused by the dis
quieting news that Loscheck had come from Alland,
half dead from frost and snow, his horses dropping at
the gate with exhaustion.
“The Emperor wants to see Your Highness at 10
sharp, most important,” reported Loscheck,
Rudolph returned a changed man. He is morose
and {nclined to quarrel, and tries to quench the fever
in his veins by coplous doses of champagne mixed with
brandy. 1 begged and implored him to stop drinking
and to tell me his troubles,
“All's over, my poor Mary,” he mur
mured, between hiccoughs. “I had to
promise father—l couldn't refuse the
dear old man when he cried as If his
heart would break. They arranged a
family dinner at Ludwig Victor's for to
morrow,” he continued, “and I am ex
pected to make up with that hateful
woman. But by the Black Virgin of the
Burg, 1 won't—l would rather die than
do #O.”
Evening
Count Hoyos persuaded Rudolph to
go with him to the chief huntsman's
lodge to give final orders for to-morrow's
chase with Michael Braganza,
Sleighbells, my impecunious lover, to
Judge by the noise. He always travels
with & retinue of courtiers and servants
to the Baroness that he actually tried to obtain a di
vorce from his wife, Crown Princess Stephanie, in
order to marry her. The Emperor finally exacted a
solemn promise, under oath, from his son never to see
the Baroness again. This was known to her family
and to various court officials. In spite of this he took
her to his hunting estate, at Meyerling, in company
with a number of dissipated companions.
Alexander Baltazzl, an unclé of the Baroness,
went to the lodge to see if his nlece were there. The
Crown Prince, knowing he would be disgraced by the
discovery of his violation of his promise, shot Bai
tazzi dead. The Baroness's dlary stops with the
shooting of Baltazzi, but the explanation of the other
events follows finevitably from what she has de
scribed. All the men in the party had been drinking.
One of them, realizing that they were not only hope
lessly disgraced, but involved in murder, killed Crown
Prince Rudolph, apparently with a full champagne bot
tle, for when his body was displayed in state in
Vienna it was seen by many that his head was enor
mously injured at the top and his face quite an
recognizable.
Another of the drunkards, feeling that Mary Vet
sera was best out of the way, shot her dead. The
Austrian Government took immediate steps to conceal
waiting for their salaries. The perforated ceiling—
-1 shall soon find out.
I have heard my doom. Merciful Virgin, take pity
on your namesake!
Here is the awful situation that Rudolph, in kind
ness, withheld from me. Braganza got it from the
Archduchess Maria Theresa, wife of Carl Ludwig, and
the latter got it from his brother, the Emperor. All
these parties look upon me as an outcast,
At this morning’'s meeting Rudolph has promised
to maintain a semblance of friendly relations with
Stephany, besides giving his word of honor, as prince
and soldier, that he would never see me again.
“Did he give his word?" gasped Philip Coburg.
“He did, though not willingly,” I heard Braganza
say.
“No matter,” said Philip, “he has to live up to his
promise or doff his regimentals. Even a common
soldler couldn't afford to recognize Rudolph if he spoke
a single word to Mary after he came from his father.”
Dishonored: Rudolph broke his parole—my hero
dishonored! They will strip him of his epaulettes,
they will break his sword to the tune of fife and drum!
It T could get away from here, I could throw myself
on the rallway trancks.
Midnight.
I went from one room to the other, all over this
Boor. 1 peered out of every window, north and south,
east and west. Mounted patrols in the distance, knots
of men nearer by, carrying spy glasses and dark lan
terns. -We are watched. To stir from here would be
to gazette Rudolph’'s disgrace. He and Hoyos have
come back. They are laughing and joking in the din
ing room. 1 won't listen to a traitor's voice. Cotton
in my ears and to bed!
I can't bear him near me. Felgning 1 was half
dead with pain in my head, I went to bed while he
joined Hoyos and Braganza. But sleep won't come.
For twenty-four hours I have been torturing my brain
to think up means of escape, but as long as the house
Is watched I must stay.
The Crown Prince hides his despair from me and
teiis it to the bottle!
- .(')‘hnm'?ngne and brandy, brandy and champagne!
In the afternoon a message
came from Loscheck’s confi
dential man at Alland. Still
surrounded by sples, he says,
Stephany’s and Uncle Alex
ander’s, who is determined
to find me and—"punish the
kidnapper.”
Downstairs they are quar
relling. They refer in foul
language to “Alexander.”
Do they mean uncle? 1 will
“Dressed
her in
her street
clothes,
secured her
drooping
head
(0 a piece
of beanpole
slipped
down
the back
of
her neck
and
walked
the corpse
to a
waiting
carriage.”
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the nature of the tragedy, and the dead Baroness wag
carried from the house as if she were alive. Wae
know this from a recent book by the Countess Marie
Larlsch, a niece of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria,
The secret police compelled Mary’s uncle, Count
Stockau, and one of the three Baltazzis “to take the
body out like a living person.” They dressed her in
her street clothes, secured her drooping head to a
plece of bean-pole slipped down the back of hr neck,
and between them walked the corpse to a waiting car
riage in charge of aGeheime officer.
Even in the carriage the dread mockery continued,
the dead Baroness being placed upright on the back
seat, causing the corpse to pitch forward against her
relatives time and again, owing to the rough road.
When the party arrived at the cemetery of Heiligen-
Kreutz Abtel (Abbey), darkness had come and the
isolation of the place rendered further precautions
unnecessary. The body was taken from the carriage
by the head and feet and carried to a sort of morgue,
where a rough pine box was in readiness. It was
umped in, the lid nailed on and the coffin was carted
on a wheelbarrow to a grave, dug near the cemetery
wall. There were no services of any kind.
The extracts from the diary begin on the first cols
umns of these pages,
lower the lights, go to the little trap in the floor
and listen. -
At 3 In the afternoon Uncle Alexauder gained ad
mission at Meyerling, Count Hoyos having agreed to
receive him. He stated his positive belief that 1 was
in the chalet and demanded to be taken to me {mme
diately. Hoyos gave him his word of honor that, as
far as he knew, | was not here,
At that moment the Crown Pringe rushed in, “You
will do nothing of the kind, Alexander Baltazzi-—you
must be satisfied with my word of honor that Mary
Is not at Meyerling.”
“Your word of honor,” retortea Uncle Alexander,
He could say no more. A shot rang out, uncle fell in
a heap, shot through the body.
My God, must I briog misfortune on all who love
me?
I spend an hour erying. Slelghbells—Prince Philip
back’ from Vienna. “Their Majesties wers much re
lleved when I told them that your indisposition was
in no way alarming and that you hoped to be out in a
day or two,” he reported.
Rudolph replied with an oath that he would joln
the rest at tomorrow's chase., “Here's my doctor,”
he cried, pounding the table with a bottle (it sounded
like that) “and my only friend.”
“You are a llar; we are all your friends"—this
from Braganza, who must be hopelessly drunk.
They will come to blows if this continues.
They quarrel. The quarrel grows hotter, all shout
ing and yelling at top voice. Impossible to write
down the horrible things they say.
(End of Mary Vetsera's Diary.)
These were the last words written by Baroness
Mary. The paper, on the side of which was an envel
ope addressed to “Toinette,” was stained by a multi
tude of tear marks,
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