An Eyewitness Account

As the car quickly reversed, a thin stream of blood spurted from His Highness's mouth onto my right cheek.  As I was pulling out my handkerchief to wipe the blood away from his mouth, the Duchess cried out to him, 'In Heaven's name, what has happened to you?'  At that she slid off the seat and lay on the floor of the car, with her face between his knees.

I had no idea that she too was hit and thought she had simply fainted with fright.  Then I heard His Imperial Highness say, 'Sopherl, Sopherl, don't die.  Stay alive for the children!'

At that, I seized the Archduke by the collar of his uniform, to stop his head dropping forward and asked him if he was in great pain.  He answered me quite distinctly, 'It's nothing!'  His face began to twist somewhat but he went on repeating, six or seven times, ever more faintly as he gradually lost consciousness, 'It's nothing!'  Then, after a short pause, there was a violent choking sound caused by the bleeding.  It was stopped as we reached the [Governor's residence]

The two unconscious bodies were carried into the building where their death was soon established.