MAYERLING TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 61, 6 December 1920, Page 7

MAYERLING TRAGEDY

EX-ARCHDUKE'S STORY. In the first of a series'of reminisconces in the "Berliner, /.idntagpost," the cxArchduke'LeopoluMTerdiriand of Austria, ivliu, in 1920. renounced all his titles ",£&> privileges, anct assumed ordinary oivilian status with the name of Leopold Woßlfflng, lells what he knows about tho mysterious and tragic death of the Archnuke Bndolf,' tho only son of Kaiser Franz Josef (writes the Berlin correspondent' of the London "Daily Telegraph"). Hie knowledge of the tragedy, Tio says, wao obtained from his father, the Grand Tuscany, who was among the most intimate friends of the Kaiser and tho Archduke Rudolf, and' was at Vienna when. body was brought there. It may be recalled that Archduke Rudolf and Baroness Maria Vetsera met. violent deaths during » carousal at the hunting chateau of Mayorling, near Vienna, on the night of January 29-30, 1889, According to Woelfling the marriage of Archtfuke. Rudolf with Princess fttephano, daughter of King Leopold of Belgium, was a very unhappy one, especially since the Archduchess, "in real or simulated jealousy," dogged her husband's footsteps and exposed him in. a ruthless and malicious way. Itudoln found consolation'for his conjugal niis«ry in a "very serious passion" for Mario Vetsera, which became a publio scandal, and the Kaiser was compelled to ineorvene. Woelfling's narrative continues: "TJio father extracted from the Bon a promise to break with Baroness Vetsera that very day. Tho promise was given by Rudolf with tho deliberate intention of forgetting the world for a last time with the object of his love and draining tho bitter-sweet cup of parting to the dregs. That evoning several guests woro invited. to the Chateau Mayerling—hunting comrades and sportsmen—among them Hector Baltazzi, a well-known gentleman rider, and Ma brothor Iristide, both Greeks, who wero in some way Tolated to Baroness Votsera. Hector, moreover, was Vetsurn'e fiauco, at any Tate, this was gonerally mamHjnml. Tho men woro in a small tooui oy tnemselves, but Baroness Vetsera was also in tho chateau. In keeping with tho bad old custom much liquor was drunk. Rudolf had not a strong head, and after a few glasses of wine lost his self-control" and became quarrelsome. Tho bitterness of soul which possessed him that evening limy also mivo contributed its sharo. Tho discussion became heated, for tho Crown Princes temperament collided with the hotblooded hostility of tho two Greeks. "Wo may never learn how tho quarrel suddenlv degenerated into unbridled violence. 'There are words which have tho effect of a dagger stab or a sabre stroke. Some such word is spoken, all start to their feet, and suddenly, with sinister force, a bottle of champagne flies across tho table. Tho Crown Pnnco collapses as if struck by lightning. At this moment, perhaps a few seconds later, Mai e Vetsera enters tho room. One of tho raging men sees her stnnd.ng as if w - rifled? A shot rings out and Mane A, etaiirn falls dead, not far from Budolf. Woelfling puts forward .no theory as in who fired Hie shot winch killed the InroneW He slnrc* that when the body of the Crown Pi'ineo was brought to tho Hofburg, splinters of tho broken bottle were still embedded in his shattered tempjo. '