The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-02-27
NAPOLEON'S "WANDERING
HEIR"

believed that the direct line of the
''Little Corporal became extinct
in the person Of the unfortunate
prince, and, although various ru-
mors relative to a secret marriage
were prevalent at the time of his de-
cease, they were generally regarded
as the creations of an idle brain.
Events which have subsequently
transpired give these reports a sem
blance of truth, and, to render them
still more plausible, it is a we'll
known fact that the late Emperor
of the French spared neither ex-
pense nor labor in forming COM
plete collection of the correspond
ence and private papers of "le ills
de phOmnae.'
1t appears, however, that these
writings were not the only links
which united the present with the
past; for, in the summer of 1871,
an individual, who bore an extreme
ly sinking likeness to the Bonapar-
te family, made his appearance at
lschl, and was fined by the district
court and expelled from the Aus
tri"n dominions for having made
an Objectionable entry in his swan
der-book''-a sort of journeyma
passport. He was a tailor by trade,
and, for several years previous to
this occurrence, had been living at
Wurzen, in the kingdom of Saxony,
and also at Stuttgardt, under the
name of Carl Gustave Ludwig, aud
in both of these places he had dis
tinguished himself by his diligence,
skill, and modesty. His intimate
acquaintance affirmed that, in spite
of his humble occupation, he had
always asserted his claim to the
name and title of Prince Joseph Eu-
gene Napoleon Bonaparte. and, &C
cording to his own account. it would
seem as if he was an issue of secret
marriage of the Duke of Reichstadr
with a Hungarian countess. He
stated that, when quite young. his
mother was induced by Prince Met
ternich to apprentice him to a tailor
in Wurzen named Ludwig, as a
means of getting rid of him, and in
order to facilitate her second mar
riage in Saxony. AS a further
proof of his origin, he declared that
there was an author then living at
Leipsic, but formerly q Hungarian
officer, who had been a witness to
the marriage, and who would, if it
ever became necessary for him to
make known his rank and title,
supply him with the requisite docu-
ments in order to compel the count
ess to recognize his birth and paren-
tage. After leaving Stuttgardt, he
travelled through Germany. Switzer-
land, and part of Austria, earning
his livelihood as tailor, and main
tanning his claim to princely rank,
but never attempting to obtain mon
ey or credit by it, On returning to
Stuttdardt, In November Of the same
year, he found that his conviction
and punishment had been mentioned
in the papers of that place, and he
accordingly published an explana-
ton in the Burger ZeitWng, in
which he affirmed that he was not
punished for claiming his name and
title, his right to which the court
at Ischl had in no wise disputed,
but merely for writing it of his own
accord in his passport before he had
succeeded i'll establishing his inden-
tity before court of law. The re-
puted prince is still living, and the
Gross, of the leading newspa-
pers of Germany,-in an article
written at the time, states that not
only does he bear good character
for his steadiness and general good
conduct, but he also produces very
favorable impression by his manners.
FROM ''Napoleo,a H." By Lang
don Greenwood, IN Scri6ner's for
March.