Above: Baron Albert Salomon von Rothschild (1844-1911) (detail). Fritz Judtmann says that the Baden stationmaster telegraphed the news of Rudolf's death to Baron Nathaniel Rothschlid, but the telegram was more likely sent to Baron Albert who was running the Rothschild family's Austrian business interests.

Source: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

14. The Next Morning (continued)

Ironically, if Inspector Bayer had stayed in Baden he might have learned of Rudolf's death that same morning.

When Josef and Count Hoyos arrived at the Baden railway station the Vienna-bound Trieste express train was due to arrive. The express dropped passengers off at Baden but since it was not permitted to pick passengers up Count Hoyos asked the stationmaster for permission to board. Hoyos said that he had to get to Vienna on imperial business.

The stationmaster, who probably heard the same story before, questioned Hoyos and Hoyos either confided, or let slip, the news that Rudolf was dead. No sooner had Hoyos boarded the express than the stationmaster telegraphed the news to Baron Rothschild, a major shareholder in the Southern Railway.

While Rothschild alerted favoured financial and other contacts in Vienna (including Prince Heinrich Reuss, the German ambassador) the stationmaster, realizing that squads of imperial officials would soon be descending on Baden, began making preparations to receive them. This entailed confiding in subordinates.

Not surprisingly, the news leaked into the station and onto departing trains. As a result dozens if not hundreds of ordinary Austrians learned of Rudolf's death well before the news reached the Hofburg or the police.