TOOK POISON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 236, 5 October 1937, Page 5

TOOK POISON.

BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

ADVISER TO EMPEROR

BROKEN-HEARTED PRINCESS. (Special.—By Air Mail.) BATH, September 12. The secret of a broken-hearted princess who poisoned herself, a tragedy that over-shadowed the life of the I Emperor Haile Silassie (now living in exile near Bath) was revealed recently, says a "Sunday Chronicle" reporter. It has never before been told. I heard it from a man who has been constantly at the emperor's side, through peace and war, for the last 10 years. The thoughts of the emperor, he told me, often dwell on this woman, whose devotion to him and the country of his birth wae so great that she killed herself rather than live to see her beloved Abyssinia fall completely into the hands of the Italian invaders. Broken Romance. She was Princess Aster JVlangashe, the closest friend of Haile Silassie ever had apart, of course, from the empress; his confidante in almost every matter of State. Aster Mangasha was the fairest flower in this "Land of the King of Kings." She was the dranddaughter of the Emperor John, who died in battle with the Dervishes, and in her childhood ehe was betrothed to the Crown Prince, Li Yaesou. For some reason he was unwilling to marry the beautiful girl who one day was destined to play such a tragic part in the history of her country. The Crown Prince's family, however, insisted and the marriage, inevitably, ended in divorce. After that Aeter felt that she would like to see something of the world outside the confines of Abyssinia. She married Prince Getateu Abate on the ev e of his leaving for Paris to become his country's ambassador in that city.

J Delighted Paris. Her face, beautiful even by Western standards, and her glorious eupple figure delighted the Parisians. Paris took her to its heart. Homage was paid to her as the wife of a foreign statesman in France. But it wae her beauty that captivated everyone and made her one of the most romantic figures ever to visit France.

When she returned to Abyssinia with her Western ideas she created something of a sensation. Another tragedy came in her life. Prince Getats'u divorced her. Then began the true destiny of Aster Mangasha. Her every wish was e command to be epeedily executed.

The emperor, at the height of his power, valued her opinions above all others. Xot a step was taken, nor a decision made, without her advice.

She encouraged him, heartened him and inspired him in hie war against the invaders. But Aster knew that defeat was inevitable.

Left in Addis Ababa one gloomy February day she felt that she could not again face her greatest friend in hie hour of despair. She took a dose of poison and in a few moments she was dead.

Horrified Court officials conveyed the news to wer-scarred Haile Silaseie at the front, and the next day "urgent Government business" called him" to Addis Ababa. He had flown back to bury her.

Now the grave of Aeter Mangasha. woman of destiny, lies up in the hills at the back of Ethiopia's capital.