To Guard Millions Of Insane Empress.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 14, 1912:
Austrian and Belgian Courts Agree Concerning Property of Maximilian's Widow.
SHE STILL EXACTS HOMAGE
Never Violent, She Receives Relatives — No Mirrors In Palace to Dispel Illusion of Youth
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, July 13.— A Brussels dispatch states that after long-drawn-out negotiations between the Belgian and Austrian Courts in reference to the property of Princess Charlotte, ex-Empress of Mexico and widow of the Emperor Maximilian who was executed in June, 1867, at Queretaro, Mexico, an agreement has been reached.
    The Princess, who has been insane for many years, and lives at the Chateau de Bouchout, near Brussels, was the sister of Leopold II. After the death of the King the Austrian Court made inquiries regarding the administration of her estate. A delegate has now arrived from Austria to look into the accounts, and will henceforth pay a visit of inspection yearly.
    From the estate of her father, Leopold I., the Princess received $2,000,000 on his death, in 1865, but owing to the condition of her health she has furnished no accounting of the cost of her maintenance, &c. The value of her estate is now $12,500,000, a large proportion being invested in England.
    The Princess is 72 years of age and enjoys good health. The fits of mental illness from which she long suffered are now rare. Since the death of her husband she has been under medical restraint.
    Leopold II. was devotedly attached to her. For some years she lived at the Teroueren Palace, but in those days her malady took a violent turn, and she contrived to set the palace afire and burn it down. With advancing years her illness became less acute, but she is never seen outside the gates of her own park.
    She often receives visits from relatives, who invariably present to her rare flowers. Formerly they brought her handsome presents, but she brushed them aside to snatch a bouquet. The Princess plays the piano frequently, but cannot be persuaded to try any new composition. She performs only the pieces which she learned as a girl.
    In the evening she plays cards with one of her ladies in waiting, but always in silence, and she is permitted to win every game. The Princess is careful to exact homage, which she believes is still due her as empress of Mexico; for throughout her weakness she has never forgotten that she occupied a throne.
    There are no mirrors in the Castle of Bouchout. Once the afflicted Princess saw her reflection in a mirror and shrieked:
    "No! No!" She could not believe that the wrinkled face and bent figure which confronted her were the representation of the once young and beautiful woman who sailed with her handsome husband from Triest many years previously to occupy a foreign throne.