SECRET HISTORY OF 1916.

Western Star, 14 September 1920, Page 4

SECRET HISTORY OF 1916.

AUSTRIAN KAISER’S SUICIDE.

WILLIAM ITS DUEL WITH FUTURE EMPRESS. An incredible story of the “suicide by hanging ” of the late Austrian Emperor Francis. Joseph in 1916 is published by the Rome Socialists daily paper “ Giomalo del Pjfpolo/’ from its Trieste correspondent. It tells of startling events attendant on the last days of the old' Emperor Francis Joseph, of AustriaHungary, and it gives the current Czeoho-Slovak Press as authority. —Shot at Kaiser Wilhelm.— According to this story* the Archduchess. Zita (who ' became Empress' when her husband succeeded Francis Joseph) deeply embittered the last phase of the aged monarch’s life by 'reproaching him to his face, in the presence of others, with having in a moment- of folly, espoused the ill-fated German cause, and thereby undermined the house* of Han.sbivrg and predestined the ruin of the Empire. A crisis was reached during, the last visit of the German Kaiser .tot Vienna,' when in the raiclist of the Court dinner the exasperated Crown Princess (as Zita was then called) drew a revolver and fired straight at the German Eml peror. > The shot missed its piark, but the ' Kaiser fired back and slightly wounded; bis assailant. * Immediately afterwards ran announcement was posted stating that: “Her Imperial and 'Royal Highness the Archduchess is' indisposed, and will be obliged to keep to her apa.rtrfients for some'days.” That incident, so the t story continues, became, the starting-point in

i he ■ Aar-Cernian press of a campaign I the , family of Bourbon-Parma. j v. hi oh the Princess Zita belonged). | Emperor’s Suicide.— From that time Francis Joseph, who . hod shown rapid signs of senile decay, r began to be unhinged in mind. A few weeks later, at 10.30 in thq morning of November 21, 1916, the ' veteran Emperor Francis Joseph was discovered to have hft'uged himself in his bedroom in a short interval during which he had been left unattended. Consultations were held in an adjoining apartment, and there were so no angry scenes between some distinguished ladies of the Imperial Court ■ as to whether the terrible secret should’ be divulged. Finally, it was determined that the scandal must he prevented at all costs from leaking out, and so the time of .the Emperor’s death was officially stated as 9 o’clock in the evening. The violent discussions had, however, been over heard by various members of the Imperial household. It was quickly reported, not only in the capital, but also 'among the army, in the trenches, till the supreme command was constrained to issue a proclamation ordering, that any soldier found propagating the rumour would be shot forthwith.