The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-03-17
spirituaIism In Frnnce-A Strange
History and Stranger Lawsuit.

Inc Inris correspondent OF LOhuon
journal tells, and tells well, the following re-
mnrkable storyi
"Among the noble families of France there
Is none of more ancient HobtsSSc than that Of
the Crnons. At the close of the thirteenth
century their great ancestor, Pierre dc Crnon,
was powerful prince, with palace In
Paris and large estates between the narrow
domain of the then King of France, Charles
VIA raving maniac-and the vast posses
slons Of the Dukes of Burgundy. He took
an active part In the politics OF those days,
and made himself famous by numbering the
Lord High Constable of France, Oliver Clls-
son. The crime was an unusually atrocious
one, even In those days of raplne and blood
shed, and Pierre dc Craon was tried by de-
fault by the Parliament ofParis. Entrenched
in his stronghold In the country he could
afford to laugh at the sentence of death re-
corded against him, but he was made to
suffer pretty heavily in purse. His palace In
Paris was RACED to the ground, and street
was built on the spot-which may still exist
unless NJ. Haussmann has demolished it
which received the inausplcious name of
RYE DIES Mdurdis GdrcoHs.
"The family Is now rcpres ented by the
prlnccly house Of Beauvan -Craon, which an
extraordinary lawsuit and the tragic death
of one Of its members have of late brought
into notice. You may remember that Prince
de Bcauyan CraOn was accidentally killed last
summer as he was getting out Of n cab at the
door of the Jockey Club. He had loaded
plstol in his pocket, and somehow or other
h went off, and the charge lodged In his
body. inaicting wound which proved i'm
mcdlately fatal. People wondered at the
time what on earth could induce young
man of high birth, aud moving In the highest
/ circles, to carry loaded. firearms about with
I him In place like Pans.
The lawsuit now going on has afforded
au explanation. The deceased had slste.,
the Princess Isabeau, who enjoyed a large
| fortune in her own right, and owns the
magnificent Chateau of ST. Oucu. She lived
there in utter seclusion, refusing to sec any
member other family, and receiving Only
two persons-a Russian sprit-rapper, well
known in Paris, Baron Guldenstubbc, and
his sister. They arc not adventures like
most of the spiril-rapping brotherhood, but
PROFOUND the most extraordinary doctrines
respecting the communications between the
spirits Of the dead and the sense OF the living
"a communication which takes place IL
hlcroglyphics which no one but the baron Is
able to deeper. The family of the Princes
Isnbeau adjudgcd her to be mad, and think
ing that the company of the Guldenstubbe
must increase her insanity, and perhnp
doubling the disintcTcstedncss of thcs
ducc her to break off the connection.
''Prince Louis went with his pistol TO tr!
and Brighten the spirit rapping Russian int,
leaving his sister alone, but failed; and /
was on his return from that sinister dwelling
that he persisted in the tragic way statc'
above. The family then sought to have tn
Princess Isabcau placed under interdict,
and q curator appointed to take care OF &c
property. decision to that effect wa
b t,Ern hv tho Tnusgn a., T,fiuiWT IAN instlttl
ton which some recent occurrences ought 4
recommend for adoption In Englnnd.) Til
Princess first took to flight SO as to proven
the possibility of an inquiry into the stat
of her mind by the faculty, and appealcD
from the decision of the CoHScR dc FdiHWc l.
, the civil tribunal.
The family Joined issue, and the case ha
been going on for some time, and cXtraOrd
nary disclosures have been made. TIL
, Princess charged her family Cher mother In
. cludcd) with trying to poison her Tn
princcly chateau where she and the Gult
= stubbcs used to live was visited and found
= be in state of filth and dilapidation c
= which no words can give an adequate Idea
The ground was strcwcd with bits of paper
= scribblcd over by the spirits. lnnumcrnbl
: bottles, which denoted the presence Of spirit
. far more COnclusivcly, were all scattcre
about, and correspondence with splr
Y rnppcr, who appears to have baggcd
: check for f2i0, was also discovered. TIL
course of the tribunal under such Circuu
J. stances would appear plain cnOughi hI
@ there exists a great difficulty in the CAGE.
"Thc Princess keeps out Ofthc way, an
cannot therefore be personally examined; an
c her correspondence with one of her relative
. the Duke de Mortcmart, are models
cpistolary ComPosition-wltty, lucid al
l. sensible. The government advocate, hoy
n recommended the COurt TO confirm n
Judgment of the CORScR dc Fdmilf, At
}. quoted many instances when persons not
10 be left at large, yet wrote and sOmtim
c spoke far more cogcntly and sensible thu
d humdrum people in the full possession
Ic their senses. The court has taken time
e. consider It's decision, which will be tran
mittcd to you In due course