Alleged attempted Suicide of the Emperor Napoleon.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 299, 24 December 1870, Page 2

Alleged attempted Suicide of the Emperor Napoleon.

The Presae, published at Vienna, gives the following extraordinary piece of correspondence from Cassel :—The Prussian Goyernmeub has issued the sternest prohibition against tlio receipt, at the telegraph office of a report of the circumstances which I shall now relate to 3-011 from authentic sources, in spite of all attempts at concealment. Yesterday, the news spread here like wildfire that Napoleon hud, on the 18th, made an attempt at suicide. The details of the affair, as communicated by thu officer on guard, are as followa :—ftnpoleon for t-ro days exhibited a strange elevation of spirit.-", which up _ to, this hail not been perceptible in him. He received during the hist few days several despachea and letters from Paris and Hasting.*, snake extremely little, and for Ihe two dayß lit his room only once. This was ab-> t five o'clock in the evening. He had given orders that all despaches which arrived should be brought to him immediately, whereever he wus. Two which had just come from Hastings and Brussels were accordingly taken to him in the park. He read them and grew visibly pale. He then returned to the castle, and shut himself up in his room, after which they had seen or heard nothing of him for two hours. His immediate attendants beg'iu to bo ularmed. .About half-past nine they re.*olv< d, on the pretext of having something important to communicate, to a>k for admission into his room. Priaeo Mural undertook the task, but to his repeated knocks and calls ■ 0 answer was returned. After half an hour 1 hey broke open the door, and found Napoleon lying on the sofa in tt deep faint. Two physicians were immediately fetched, and they succeeded, aft.tr the lapse of an hour, in bringill" Fapoleon to himself. Evcryth ng here points to an at tempted suicide, to which, of cijur.se, tiie officials will not agree. The Governor of Ousscl made his appearance, at a &ti!.'. later hour, in the castle, which was in a stale of the greatest confusion. The Governor xlicl not leave till morning,, and lias sent a long account of the matter to headquarters. The whole population of Cassel went out to-day to Wiltielmhohe to see Napoleon. He, however, of severe illness, kept his room. The Prcsse evidently, and it would appear with reason, disbelieves the whole story. It remarks that after Sedan there is scarcely any bad news which could affect the Emperor so severely.— Glasgaw Wtddy Mail.