Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 176, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1917 — The Secrets of the Hohenzollerms [ARTICLE]

The Secrets of the Hohenzollerms

STARTLING EXPOSURE OF INNER LIFE OF KAISER AND CROWN PRINCE AS TOLD BY COUNT ERNST VON HELTZENDORFF TO WILLIAM LEQUEUX

EDITORIAL. NOTE. William LeQueux,' who here chronicle* for hi* friend, Count Ernnt von Heltnendorff, the latter’* revelation* of the Inner life of the imperial German court, haa long been reeoKnlaed throughout Europe «*a the poaaeaaor of it* innermoat ■ecret*. • The En*Uah “Who’* Who* aaya Of him: “Hr haa intimate knowledge of the secret service of Continental countries and is considered by the government (of Great Britain) an authority on auch matters.* Another authority says: “Few people have been more closely associated with or know more of the astounding inner machinery of Germany than he.” I.eQueux probably has more sources of secret Information at his command ♦han any contemporary in civil life, and for the last six year* the British Government has made valuable use of hla vast store of secret information through a specially organised department with whleh LeQueux works as s voluntary again tfints Count von Heltsendorff became an Intimate of LeQueux several years prior to the outbreak of the war j he haa been, living in retirement in France since August, 1814, and it was there that LeQueux received from the crown prince’s late personal adjutant permission to make public these revelations of the Inner life of the Hohensollerna-—that the democracies of the world might eome to know the real, but heretofore hidden, personalities of the two dominant members of the autocracy they are now arrayed against.

The Crown Prince’s Amazing Adventure

1 SUPPOSE that none of you have ever heard the name of Thyra Adelheid von Kienitz? She was a funny little deformed person,, aged, perhaps, seventy, Xvldow of the great General von Kienitz, who had served in the Franco-German campaign, and who, before his death, had been acknowledged to be as great a strategist as Lord Roberts. Countess von Kienitz was the daughter of a certain Countess von Borcke, and after living for many years in retirement in her picturesque old schloss, perched on a rock not far from the famous wine district of Berncastel, on the Mosel river, became suddenly seized with an idea to re-enter Berlin society. With this view she rented a fine house not far from the Lelchtensteln bridge and early in 1911 commenced a series of wildly extravagant entertainments with a view, as it seemed to me, to attract the more modern and goahead section of Berlin society. One afternoon, seated by the crown prince as he drove recklessly his great Mercedes car along the Bismarckallee in the direction of Potsdam, we passed an overdressed old woman, very artificial, with yellow hair and short stature. ~ “Look, Heltzendorff! Is she not like Von Kienitz?” “Yes, her figure is very similar,” I admitted. • “Ah I The old woman was Introduced to me the other night at Bisraarck- . Bohlen’s house. Himmel! What a freak! Have you seen her wig?" I replied that I had visited once or twice at the Stulerstrasse and that the company I had met there were certainly amusing. I mentioned some of their names, among them that of young \on Ratibor,-Major Gersdorff of the Death’s Head Hussars, Van Heynltz ,of the Konigsjager, a well-known man about town, his friend Winterfeld, together with a number of ladles of the very ultra go-ahead set. At this his hlgh“She certainly"seeme a very curious old person,” he laughed. “Fancies that she’s but twenty-live, and actually had the audacity to dance at BismarckBohlen’s.” New Arrival at Court. Judge my great surprise when, about six weeks later, Frau von Alvensleben, the pretty grand maitresse of the court of the crown princess, stojn ped me in one of the corridors of the Marmor palace and, drawing me aside, whispered: “I have news for you, my dear count We have a new arrival at ' court —Frau Yellow-Wig." Y She saw that I did not follow her. “Countess voh Kienitz —a friend of yours, I believe.” - “Friend of mine 1” I echoed. “I’ve only been in her house three or four times, just in a crowd, and out of curiosity.” i. r■ “Oh, la la! Well, she has told the crown princess that you are her friend and, in brief, has entirely fascinated her imperial highness,” What the grand maitresse had told me was perfectly correct for three days later a dance was held, and as I entered the room I saw amid that gay assemblage the widow of the long-for-gotten military hero talking quite familiarly with her imperial highness. To my utter amazement also, his majesty the emperor, in the gay uniform oF the Third regiment of Uhlans of Saxony, advanced and smiled graciously upon her as she bowed as low as rheumatism and old age allowed. The fascination which the shrillvoiced old woman exercised over “(Mill" (the crown princess) was quickly remarked, and, of course, gossip be-

came more rife than ever, especially when, a week later, it was announced that she had actually been appointed a lady-in-waiting. The crown prince, too, soon became on friendly terms with her, and many, times I saw them chatting together as though exchanging confidences. Why? “I can’t make it out,” declared Von Behr, the chamberlain du service, to me one day two months later. “The old woman has the most complete control over her highness. Because she was averse to the journey we are not going to Norway this year. Besides, since her appointment, she has succeeded in plotting the dismissal of the Countess von Scheet-Plessen. A Conversation in Italian. One evening I went to the countess’ house In the Stulerstrasse to a dinner party, at which there were present the crown'prince, Admiral von Spee from Kiel and Von Bberg, the emperor’s doctor, together with the old Duke von Trachenberg, who held the honorary and out-of-date office of grand cupbearer to the emperor, and the eternal “Uncle” Zeppelin. With us were a number of ladies, including their serene highnesses, the Princess von Radolln and the Duchess von Ratibor, both ladies of the court of the kaiser-. in, and several others of the ultrasmart set. - After the meal there was a small dance, and about midnight, after waltzing with a pretty girl, the daughter of the Baron von Heintze-Weissen-rode, we strolled together into the fine winter garden, with its high palms, its plashing fountains and its cunningly secreted electric lights. Ttfo persons were approaching somewhere behind us, conversing in Italian —a man and a woman. “Hush I” I whispered mischievously. “Listen! Do you know Italian?” “Alas! no,” was her reply. ’“Do you?” I did not answer, for I had already recognized the voices as those of our hostess and the crown prince. Next moment, however, my companion’s quick ears caught that unmistakable squeaky voice. “Why, it’s the countess!” she exclaimed. His highness and the little old lady--in-waiting seated themselves out of sight a short distance away and continued a very confidential discussion in an undertone in the language in which, after German, I happen perhaps to be most proficient. The pair were discussing somebody named Karl Krahl. “I saw the emperor today,” declared the old woman, in her sibilant Italian, undoubtedly so that no one should understand, for Italian is seldom spoken in Germany. “His majesty shares my views now, though he did not do so at first. Indeed, I was very near being dismissed in disgrace when I first broached the affair. But, fortunately, he -now knows the truth and sees the advantage of —well, you know, eh?” “Certo, contessa,” replied the crown prince, who speaks Italian extremely well. “I quite foresee the peril and the force of your argument.” “How shall we act?” asked the old woman. “It remains for you to devise a plan. At any moment matters may approach a crisis. One can never account for the confidences exchanged by those who love each other. And, remember, Krahl is in love.” The crown prince grunted, hut as several couples entered at that moment the pair broke off their confiden-tial-ehatr- andj -risingr went out 4ofeOlffi!/ '.y~ Who was this Karl Krahl? I searched various directories, lists of persons engaged in the government offices. in the Wil£elmstrasse, the Liepzlgerstrasse and Unter den Linden ; I consulted the director of Berlin police, Von Jagow; the well-known Detective Schunke and Heinrich Wesener, assistant director of the secret service of the general staff; but nobody knew KaH Krahl. There seemed to be no record of him anywhere. • An Unexpected Caller. In October I accompanied his imperial highness to . Ballenstedt, the beautiful schloss in the Harz mountains. Here once or twice each season the crown prince’s habit was to invite a few of his most intimate chmfiF to shoot in the forests of Stecklenberg and the Lauenberg, and along that curious sandstone ridge known as the Teufelsmauer, or “Devil’s WalL” The guns consisted of five wellknown officers from Berlin, together with Doctor Zeising, the master general of forests, and Lieutenant Gen J eral von Oertzen, the fat old inspector general of cavalry. As usual, we all had a most enjoyable time. ' On the third day, after a champagne luncheon taken at the forester’s little house at Neue Schenke, we were about to resume our sport. Indeed, all the guests had gone outside, preparing to go to their allotted stations, when the head forester entered and, addressing the crown prince, said: “There is a man to see your Imperial highness and refuses to leave. He gives his name as Karl Krahl." His highness* brows narrowed for a second, which showed his annoyance;

then, smiling affably, so clever was he, like his Imperial father, in the concealment of his real feelings—he replied: “Oh, yes—Krahl 1 I recollect. Yes, I will see him here.” —> Next moment the person whom I had heard discussed so strangely in the little old woman’s beautiful winter garden was ushered in. He was dark-haired, aged about twenty-el'ght, I judged, with small, shrewd black eyes, dressed in a wellcut suit of gray country tweeds, and, but for his German name, I should have taken him for an English tourist, one of those familiar objects of the Harz in peace time. “Come in, Karl 1" exclaimed the crown prince, affably, as he grasped his visitor’s hand. His highness did not often offer his manicured hand to others, and at this I was greatly surprised. “The forester did not know you, of course. Well, I am very pleased to see you. Have you come straight here?” “Yes, your highness. I went first to Berlin and, learning thatT'you were here, I thought I had better lose no time.” “Quite right,” laughed’ his highness, who, turning to me, said: “Heltzendorff, will you tell the others to go on that I am detained for an hour on state business, apd—and that I will join them as soon as possible. I will find you in the woods, on the left of the Quedlinburg Toad, before one comes to the Wurmtal. Apologize for me, but the delay is inevitable. I have a conference with Herr Krahl.” The Crown Prince Disappears. While his highpess remained behind at the forester’s house to chat alone with the mysterious Karl Krahl, we went out among the birds and had some excellent spSrt. Yet the sight of the young man, whom I had long endeavored in vain to trace, caused me considerable wonderment. Who was that young fellow in whom the little old countess seemed, to take such deep and peetfllar interest? What was his offence that she, with the crown prince, should concoct, as it seemed to me, such a plot as that I had partly overheard?

That there was a woman In the case I felt assured, but her name had not been mentioned and I had no suspicion of whom it could be. I realized, however, that something Important must be in progress, otherwise hi» highness, devoted to sport as he was, would never have given up the best q ft prnnnn tn ponsilit. Wltll StriiDLlcr in gray tweeds. The foresters and beaters had come with us, as the crown prince had, at his own request, been left alone with his mysterious visitor. After a couple of short beats we arrived at the spot on the forest road to Quedlinburg, a most romantic and picturesque gorge, where his highness had arranged to meet us, and there we sat down and waited. A full half-hour had passed, yet the head forester, who was keeping a lookout along the road, did not signal his highness’ approach. “I wonder what can have detained him?” remarked Von Oertzen, the inspector genera! of cavalry. I explained that a strange young man had come to the forester’s house. An hour went past. The light would soon fade and we, knowing “Willie’s” utter, disregard forJiis appointments, at last decided to continue the shoot, leaving one of the foresters to tell his highness the direction we had taken. The crown prince did not, however, join us, and darkness had fallen ere we returned to the forester’s house. Of his highness there was no sign, a fact which much surprised us. In the room wherein I had left him, his gun and. green Tyrolese nat ( were lying upon a chair, and the fact that all the cars were still ranged outside showed that he had not driven back to the castle. The crown prince had disappeared! A Lady’s Bag. Knot, his highness’ chauffeur, who had been walking with us, was sent back posthaste to the seftioss to ascertain whether he had been seen there, for his highness’ movements were often

most erratic. We knew that if the whim took him he would perhaps go off in an opposite direction, or trudge back to the castle with utter disregard of our natural anxiety. Lights were lit and we enjoyed cigars awaiting Knot's return. In an hour he was back with, the news that nothing had been heard of his highness. Soon after we had left that morning, however, a young man In a gray suit had called and seen the major domo, who had directed him where his highness might be found. Upon Eckardt—the commissary of police responsible for his highness’ safety—-the onus rested. Yet, had he not been sent out with the party, as his highness had expressed to me a wish to be left alone with the stranger, whose name I alone knew? While we were discussing the most judicious mode of action—for I scented much mystery in this visit of Karl Krahl—one of the party discovered, lying upon the ledge of the window, a lady’s small and rather elegant handbag of black moire silk. “Halloa!” I cried, when he held it up for inspection. “This reveals to us one sact —a woman has been here.” I opened the bag, and ivithin found a small lawn handkerchief with a coronet embroidered in its corner, a tiny tortoise-shell mirror and four one-hun-dred-mark notes, but no clue'whatever as to its owner.

The mystery was increasing hourly, but the gay party, knowing “Willie’s” susceptibility where the fair sex was concerned, only laughed and declared that his highness would assuredly turn up before the evening was over. Truth' to tell, I did not like the situation. His highness* disappearance was now known to fifty or so persons, beaters and others,- and I feared lest it might get into the Berlin papers. With that object I called them together and impressed upon them that most complete silence must be maintained regarding the affair. ThensKnof drove me alone back to the schloss. L wondered if his highness, wishing to get away unobserved, returning in secret there, had left me a written message in his room. He had done that on one occasion before. I dashed up to the small, old-world room which by day overlooked the romantic and picturesque valley, but upon the table whereat I had been writing early that morning there was nothing. The Countess Von Kienitz. As I turned to leave I hegrd a foot* step, and pext lnstant eaw the littla deformed old countess facing me. Her appearance quite startled me. Apparently she had just Arrived. for she was .in a dark blue bonnet and warm traveling coat. “Ah! Count von Heltzendorff!” she 'cried in that squeaky, high-pitched voice of hers. “Is his imperial highness here? I must see him immediately.” “No, countess. His imperial highness is not here,” was my reply. “This afternoon he mysteriously disappeared from the forester’s lodge at Neue Schenke, and we are unable to trace him.” “Disappeared!”-gasped the old lady, Instantly pale and agitated. “Yes,” I said, looking her straight in . ' | “Do you know whether he had a visitor today—a young, dark-haired man?” “He had, countess. A man called, and saw him. At Ms highness* request I left him alone with his visitor at the forester’s house.'. The man’s name was KarlKrahl.” “How do you know his name?” she asked, staring at me with an expression of distinct suspicion. “Because—well, because I happen to have learnt it some time ago,” I said. “And, further, on returning to the house we found this little bag in the room wherein I had left the crown prince.” “Why!—a lady’s bag!” she exclaimed as I held ft out for inspection. “Yes,” I said tn a somewhat hard tone. “Do you happen to recognize it?” “Met Why?” asked the old woman. “Well, because I think it teyour own

property,” I said. “I htyve some recollection of having seen it in your hand!” She took it, examined it well and then, with an artificial laugh, declared: “It certainly is not mine. I once had a bag very similar, but mine was not of such good quality.” “Are yon really quite certain, countess?” I demanded. “Quite.” she declared, “But why trouble about that bag while there is a point much more important—the safety and whereabouts of his Imperial highness?” she went on in a great state of agitation. “Tell me, count, exactly what occurred —as far as you know.” I recounted to her the facts just as they have already been written down, and as I did so I watched her face, noticing upon it an expression full of susr plclon of myself. She was, it seemed to me, undecided as to the exact extent of my knowledge. - “How did you know that the young man’s name was Krahl?” she asked, eagerly. “You had perhaps met him before—eh?” » The Search. To this leading question I maintained a sphinxlike silence. That the little old woman who had so unexpectedly become a lady-in-waiting was playing some desperate double game I felt sure, but its exact import was still an enigma. “In any case,” she said, “would it not be as well to return to the Neue Schenke and make search?’ ’ I smiled. Then, in order to let her know that I was acquainted with Italian, the language she had spoken on that well-remembered night in her own conservatory, I exclaimed:" “Ahe! alle volte con gll occhl aperti si far del sognl.” (Sometimes one can dream with one’s eyes open.) Her thin eyebrows narrowed, and with a shrug-of her shoulders the old woman replied: "Dal falso bene viene 11 veto male.” (From an affected good feeling comes a real evil.) I realized at that moment that there was more mystery In the affair than I had yet conceived. His Imperial highness was certainly missing, though the female element of the affair had become eliminated by my recognitlqp of her own handbag. She, too, had been in secret to the forester’s house —but with what object? Half an hour later we were back at the little house in the forest The guests had all returned te the castle, and only Eckhardt the police commissioner, remained, with a forester and his underlings. Already search had been made in the surrounding woods, but without result. Of his imperial highness there, was ao trace. In the long room, with its pitch-pine walls, and lit by oil lamps, the old countess closely questioned Eckhardt as to the result of his inquiries. But the police official, who had become full of nervous fear, declared that he had been sent off by his highness, and had not since found any trace of him. He spoke of the little silk bag, of course, and attached great Importance to it Within half an hour we had reorganized the beaters from the nelghborhodd and, with lanterns, set out again to examine some woods to the east which had not been searched. About ten o’clock we set forth, the countess accompanying us and walking well, notwithstanding her age, though I could see that it was a fearful anxiety that kept her active. To the inen with was familiar, and for hours we searched. A Startling Discovery. Suddenly, not far away, a horn was blown, followed by loud shouts. Quickly we approached the spot, and Eckhardt and myself, as we came up, looked upon a strange scene. Close to the trunk*of a great beech tree lay the form of the crown prince, hatless, outstretched upon his face. Instantly I bent, tore open his shooting jacket, and to my great relief found that his heart was still, beating, fife was, however, quite uncopsdous, though there seemed no. sign of a struggle. - As he had left fils hat and gun in the house, if- seemed that he had gone forth only for a moment. And yet we were quite a mile from the forester’s house! The countess had thrown herself upon her knees and stroked his brow tenfierly when I announced that he was still living. By her actions I saw that she was filled by some bitter self-re-jjroach. . T With the lanterns shining around him —surely a weird and remarkable scene which would, if described by . the journalists, have caused a great sensation in Europe—the crown prince was brought slowly back to consdousness, until at last he sat up, dazed and wondering. His first words to me were: “That fellow! Where is he? That —that glass globe!” An hour later he was comfortably In bed in the great old-world room in the castle, attended by a local doctor — upon whom I set the seal of official silence —and before dawn he had completely recovered.

Yet, even to me, he declared that h® retained absolutely no knowledge of what had occurred. “I went out quickly, and I —well, I don’t know what happened,” he told: me soon after dawn, as he lay In bedStrangely enough, he made no mention, of the man, Karl Krahl. Later on be summoned the Countes* von Klenltz, and for twenty minute* or so he had-an animated discussion with her. Being outside the room, however, I was unable to hear distinctly. Well, I succeeded, by. bribes and threats, in hushing up the whole affair and keeping it out of the papers, while by those who knew of the incident it was soon forgotten. Karl Krahl Again. I suppose It must have been fully three months later when one evening, having taken some documents over to the emperor for signature at the Berlin schloss, I returned to the prince's private room in the palace, when, to my t great surprise, I found the man Kart Krahl seated there. He looked very pale and worn, quite unlike the rather athletic figure he presented at the forestgr!s hquse, —, - “If you still refuse to tell me tha truth, then I shall take my own measures to find out —severe measures! So I give you full warning,” the crown prince was declaring angrily, as I entered so unexpectedly. I did not withdraw, pretending not to notice the presence of a visitor, therefore his highness himself beckoned the young man, who followed him down the corridor to another room. The whole affair was most puzzling. What had happened on that afternoon In the Harz mountains I could not at all imagine. By what means had his highness been rendered unconscious, and what part could the little old countess have played in the curious affair? In about half an hour the crown prince returned in a palpably bad humor and, flinging himself into his chair, wrote a long letter, which he addressed to Countess von Klenltz. This he sealed carefully and ordered me to take it at once to the Stulerstrasse and deliver it to her personally. ’ :k “The countess left for Stockholm this morning,” I was informed by tha bearded manservant. “She left by the eight o’clock train and has already left Sassnitz by now.” “When do you expect her to return?” The man did not know. On going back to his highness and telling him of the countess’ departure, he bit his Up and then smiled grimly. “That “infernal old woman has left Germany and will never again put her foot upon our soil, Heltzendorff,” he said. “You may open that letter. It will explain something which I know must have mystified you.” 4 I did so. And as I read what he had written I held my breath. Truly it did explain much. What the Crown Prince Told Me. ” Imposing the strictest silence upon me, the crown prince then revealed how utterly he and the crown princess had been misled, and how very narrowly he had escaped being the victim of a cunning plot to effect his death. The little old Countess von Klenltz had. It seemed, sworn to avenge the degradation and dismissal of her son, who had been in the famous Death’s Head_Hussars. She had secretly traced the crown prince as-author of a conspiracy ffgainst niiu, ijm? ufltivnymg motive being jealousy. With that end in view she had slowly wormed her way into his highness’ confidence, and introduced to him Karl Krahl, a neurotic young Saxon who Uved in London, and who pretended he had unearthed a plot against the kaiser himself. “It was to tell me the truth concerning the conspiracy that Krahl came to me in secret at Ballenstedt. He remained with me for half an hour, when, to my great surprise, we were joined by the countess. The story they told me of the plot against the emperor was a very alarming one, and I intended to return at once to Berlin. The countess had left to walk back to the schloss, when presently we heard a woman’s scream—her voice—and we both went forth to discover what was in progress. As I raq along a little dlsKrahl, suddenly what seemed like a thin glass globe struck me in the chest and burst before face. It had been thrown by an unknown hand 1 and, ;on breaking, must Have emitted soW poisonous gas which was Intended to kill me, but which happily failed. Until yesterday the whole affair was a complete mystery, but Krahl has now confessed that the countess conceived the plot, and that the hand that had thrown the glass bomb was that of her Son, who had concealed himself in the bushes for the purpose.” < Though, of course, I hastened co congratulate his highness upon his fortunate escape, yet I now often wonder whether, if the plot had succeded, the present world-conflict would ever have occurred. (Copyright, MJ, by William LeQueux.)