DEATH BY EMPEROR'S SIDE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 342, 25 January 1937, Page 8

DEATH BY EMPEROR'S SIDE

Maximilian, Alcbduke of Austria, was born in Vienna in 1832, where his youth was happy aid carefree, and lie began to dream of great enterprises (says the News-Chron-icle). At the age of 22 he was made vice-admiral of the Austrian fleet, and a few years later Governor-Gen-eral of Lombardy-Venetia. Then Napoleon Hl. thought of a great plan. He was to lend Maximilian troops and money to establish a kingdom in Mexico, and he received an Invitation from the Mexicans asking him to rule their country. In 1864 the young Austrian and his wife sailed to their new land, but, alas! they soon found that it was only a very small number of the people wanted them; the greater part of the nation was loyal to the President. For a while Maximilian held out against great opposition, and proved himself a good ruler. but lie could not win over the mass of the people, who considered him to be a foreign usurper. Wljen the French troops left, the Em eror was soon overpowered by the hostile forces. Hfs Wife he sent to Europe, but the poor woman was refused help, and lost her reason. So, Maximilian, betrayed by Mexicans. and deserted by France, was in 1867 led to his trial accompanied by two faithful followers. The men were tried at Quertaro, and their death sentence pronounced. Early on the morning of the execution, Meiji, a faithful Indian general. was awake, thinking of the. happy life he had led, when sud-l denly the door opened and a man oL the Republican side entered. He said, "General Meija, three times I have fallen into your hands, and three times you have saved me: now I have come to return your kindness, for outside a horse waits at your disposal, to take you to freedom." Meija asked: “Is there also one for the Emperor’” The man replied that there was not; the Indian’s quiet manner disappeared; and he replied scornfully that he would not dream of leaving without his beloved master. He tot'! the man to go. and thus threw away his chance of escape; a few hours later he went to his death with the Emperor, surely one of the most faithful subjects ever knovyi.