THE LATE CROWN PRINCE OF AUSTRIA AND MDLLE DE VETSERA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 35

THE LATE CROWN PRINCE OF AUSTRIA AND MDLLE DE VETSERA.

The whole world knows the immense sensation caused by the mysterious suioide of the Crown Prince of Austria in company with young Mdllo de Vetsera. So many rumours were circulated at the time concemiog the young girl tbat her mother, the Baronne Vetsera, resolved that the whole truth should be known. She edited to this effect a memoir of which 50 copies only were printed, for private circulation among members of the Court. Official orders, however, immediately caused the seizure and destruction of this ourionß document. One copy, however, was saved, and has been translated. The abduction of tho Baionue Mary Vetsera, aged 17 years, took place in the last days of the month of January, ISB9. The first part of tho long and interesting story relates to the purchase of a cigarette case by the young Baronne for presentation to the Crown Prince. From the correspondence exchanged between the young lady and her friend there is no doubt but that from this moment frequent meetings took place between the Prince and horself, but during the early part of December tho lovers met rarely. Her sentiment towards the Crown Prince remained, however, unchanged. In. her letters, in her oonversatims, he was the all-pervading snbjeot, the guiding star of her life, and that whioh she prized above all thingß on earth. She wrote that without him she could not live. /Be was her God; her all. She sent her friend the copy of a letter she had received from the Prince, iu which he urged her to be very prudent, for he could not live without her, and wouid be drivemnad if anytliingoecurred to prevent him seeing her. The Prince’s letters filled her with joy. In another letter she alludes to the gift by the Crown Prince of an engagementring. Around her neok he enoiroled a chain and locket, the latter containing a small piece of linen stained with a drop of his own blood. On another occasion she wrote as follows :

“If we oould live together in a hut how happy we should be ! We are c :n----tinually talking of this, and it makes us feel happy. Unfortunately this cannot ba done. If I oould die to make him happy I would do it with pleasure, for what is life ? If one day I should have to shun society and men should despise me, you would give mo shelter, would you not? You would not condemn me ?”

Her friend’s entreaties that she should take into consideration her mother, her sisters and brothers ware unavailing. In the second week of January she wrote as follows :

"I must to day make a confession which will make you very angry. I was at his rooms yesterday from seven to nine o clock at night. We both lost our heads. Now we are belonging to one another body and soul. I trust I shall be able to dispeuse with going to the ball on Saturday, and then I can spend the evening with him.”

Again she begged her friend not to communicate to her mother, for ihe would be obliged to kill herself. The following are the words used by the unfortunate yonng girl in making her adieu to her mother, her sister, and her brother a a few minutes before the tragedy took place : ‘•Dear Mother, -Forgive me what I am about to do. I could not resist my love. My last wish is that I should fie by his side in the Ailand Cemetery. lam happier in dying than I would be living. Your Mar?.”

To her sister she wrote : “Both full of enthusiasm we are about to enter the uncertainty of another world. Think of me now and then. Be happy, and do not marry unless it is a love match. _ I could not do this, and as 1 could not resist my love I die with him. Do not weep over my fate ;I am meeting it with alacrity. It is beautiful here ; it reminds me of SehwarzaD.- Think of the line of fife on my palm. Once more, adieu.” Moreover, she begged her sister to place a gardenia on her tomb every 13th of January, and finished her letter thus : “As the last wish of one about to die, I beg that mamma will continue to take an interest in the family of—(here is mentioned the name of the femme de chambre) —that she should' not suffer any injury through ms.” Her belief in God and her faith in an after life are set forth in touching terms in the letter left for her brother. She wrote him : 11 Farewell.—l will watch over you from above, fori love you dearly.—Your faithful Sister.”