The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-14
Death OF a Descendant of Columbus.

The Madrid papers announce the death OF the
Duke OF Neragua, a grandee of Spain of the first
class. The Paris papers, in reproducing the
news, describe him as admiral and Governor
General of the Indies" The deceased Duke was
neither an Admiral nor Governor of the Indies
or of any other place. These were merely titles
which he inherited from his ancestor, Christie
pher Columbus, or Cristoval Colon, as he is
called in Snain 1t is known that Columbus
LETT two sons, Ferdinand and Diego; the former
illegitimate, who inherited much of hIs fathers
genius, OF whom he lett a valuable memoir
The neglect and ineratitude with which the
great discOyerer was treated by King Ferdinand,
after the death of Isabella, Is a matter Of his
tory. His legitimate son, Diego, after long
and tedious lawsuit against the Crown obtained
q decision from the Council of the Indies that
he was entitled to the privileges and titles con-
iemed upon his father.
But the cares and anXleties he has undergone
in the pursuit of his just claims had done their
work upon his frame, and there is no doubt
that trouble, grief and disappointment hastened
his pTemS ture death. "He was worn out"
Herrata says "by following up his claims and
defending himself from the Calumnies of his
competitors, who, with many stratagems and
devices, sought TO darken the glory of the
! father and the virtue OF the SON." Diego lett
twosons and three daughters His widow con-
| tinued the struggle IN defense OF the rights of
her eldest son, Luis, then only six years of age,
! She left ST. Domingo, where she was on the
| death OF her husband, and arrived in Spain.
! The title of Admiral OF the Indies was imme-
| diately conferred upon HIM by Charles V, who
augmented his revenue, but set up opposition
| to his claim to the YicerOyalty of the province
| OF Veragua, conferred upon his grandfather,
| which was thought too vast tor a subject to
enforce, and moreover, involved an intermina-
bic litigation.
The claims were at last commuted for the
titles Of Duke of Veragua, Admiral of the
Indies and Marquis of Jamaica. Don Luis left
no issue, and was succeeded by his nephew
Diego, son of his brother Christopher. Diego
married his cousin Philippa; but he also died
without issue, and with him the legitimate male
line of Columbus became extinct. A long law
suit ensued among the surviving members OF
the family, Of whom Balthaser Colombo, of the
house of Cuccaro in Montferrat (Piedmont)
was the most active and perseVerng, and who
maintained that it was he who had the right to
inherit the estates and dignities descended from
the great Admiral. The cause lasted for thirty
years, and was finally decided by the Council
of the Indies in 1908, who formally declared the
male line extinct. Nuno Gelves de Portugallo
grandson OF Isabella, third daughter of
sion of the titles and estates, and became
Duke of Veragua, Isabella having mar
red George of Portugal, Count of Gelyes
and thus those titles and estates passed
= into branch of the house of BraganZa es TIA.
blished IN Spein 1t Is from this branch that
the Duke whose death is just announced was
} descended. His titles were Don Pedro de Portu
gallo Colon, Duque de Veragua, Marquis de
| Ian aica. Almlrante de las Indias. The late
| Duke never figured in public lite. 1t was hi
: pasture grounds that used to turn out some o
the best bulls for the Madrid arena. Th
I, archives of the family were carefully preserved
( by him. and Washington Irving gratefully ac
a knowledges the liberality of the descendant an
e representative of the great discoyerer in submit
e ting them to his inspection, ana exhibiting Tn
h treasures they contained when he was collectin
/, materials for his history of the life and voyage
/, of Christopher Columbus. Diego, the son {
?; ! Columbus, married a niece OF the celebrate
J., | Duke of Alva of the great Toledo family, an
e such an alliance shows the place which ti
| father attained in Spain in bis lifetime