RUDOLPH OF AUSTRIA'S DEATH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 12 January 1921, Page 7

RUDOLPH OF AUSTRIA'S DEATH

) A NEW VERSION A new version of th© death of the Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (says the Berlin corresponl dent of The Times on October 25) ; given, by his kinsman, the ex- ! Archduke Leopold Ferdinand, in i his memoirs, now being published • by the Berliner Morgenpost. Leoi pold Wolfling, as the ex-Archduke > has called himself for some years, was a young naval cadet at the time of the Meyerling tragedy r (January, 1889). He received his narrative of the events from his father, the ex-Grand Duke of Tuscany, who was in Vienna on the morning after the death of Rudolf. After describing Rudolf’s life in Vienna as no better and no worse than that of any other young man of his age, he refers to the Crown Prince’s unhappy marriage with Princess Stephanie of Belgium, the second daughter of Leopold 11, A bitter quarrel ensued from this State marriage, and Rudolf found distraction from this hateful life in the society of the Baroness Vets era. By degrees their passion became known at Court, and in the end the old Emperor extracted from his son a promise to break with the baroness. The lame day Rudolf gave his word—-with the mental reservation that he would see her again that evening for the last time. Among the guests at Meyerling that night wore the two brothers, Hector and Aristides Baltazzi, both of a Greek family and related to Baroness Vetsera. Hector Baltazzi, then well known as a gentleman rider, was said to he engaged to her. The men of the house party dined together. Baroness Vetsera was also in the house, but was not present at dinner. t Rudolf never could carry his liquor, and early lost his selfcontrol, After a few glasses of wine he was probably in an embittered frame of mind, and this may have contributed to the fact that a discussion arose with Rudolf on one side and the two Greeks on the other side. It be-: came violent, and suddenly a champagne bottle flew across the table, the Crown Prince dropping at though struck by lightning. A second later the baroness entered the room. One of the angered brothers saw her, a shot rang out, and she fell dead beside Rudolf, amidst a ■ scene of blood, broken glass, and smoke. The ex-Archduke goes on to state that when the -Crown Prince’s body was brought to the Hofburg frag- 1 ments ol the broken»bottle were still sticking in his shattered skull. I