LONDON TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1919, Page 5

LONDON TRAGEDY.

FURTHER DETAH.S. OF MRS. STEANE'S CAREER. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyr'ght. London, Nov. 10. Mrs. Steane's story reveals a tangled skein of love' and sorrow. It is stated that the Emperor Francis Joseph gave a priest £50,000 for her bringing up and education in America under the name of Alma Vetsera. She appeared to receive large supplies of money from Austria. Being remarkably beautiful, she fascinated many men. She was married at the age of 17 to a Canadian stockbroker, who took her to Vienna, but failed to gain an audience with the Emperor. She returned to New York and entertained regularly, moving in the most exclusive and gayest society. She divorced her husband, and, after several brilliant seasons in New York, married another Canadian, whom she shortly divorced on the ground of desertion. Early in the war she came to I London, where she made many aristocratic friends, and became engaged to a distinguished soldier. The engagement was broken off, and, as the result, she became melancholy, and wrote to a friend that she intended to follow her parents' example and commit suicide. She took poison, but recovered. Scotland Yard inquiries show that her income from Austria ceased a month ago. Her husband states that this had no effect on her, as he had ample means. She continued spending lavishly, giving parties and dances in her flat. Being one of the most beautiful dancers in London, she was in great demand at private society balls. She wore the most artistic dresses, enhancing the notable beauty of her figure. She confided to a friend that, as the child of Prince Rudolf's unfortunate infatuation, she was doomed to unhappiness. When she married Steane the places in the register for the bride's parents were left blank. Newspapers which have examined the facts conclude that she was Prince Rudolf's daughter, but a London stockbroker, who lived in Vienna at the time of the Royal tragedy and was a friend of the Vetsera family, declares that the Prince and the Baroness had no child. Ha gives a new version of Prince Rudolf's death, stating that the Baroness, when nineteen years of age, was affianced to Count Hoyos, an intimate friend of Prince Rudolf. Count Hoyos learned that the Baroness was staying at'Meyer - ling, and, knowing the nature of Rudolf's amours, he burst into the house and shot the Baroness, then, shouting "You are not worth a bullet," crashed Rudolfs skull with a silver candlestick. An equerry shot the count, and the Hapsburgs circulated the story that the lovers committed suicide.—United Service.