Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-22
NapoleOn's &c WANDERING Heir

For years il has been universally believed
that the direct line OF the "Little Corporal
nate prince, and, although various rumors rela-
tive to secret marriage were prevalent at the
time Of his decease, they were generally re-
which have subsequently transpired give these
reports q semblance of truth, and to render
them still more plausible, IL Is a well known
fact that the late Emperor of the French spared
neither expense nor labor in forming complete
collection of the correspondence and private
papers of "le fIs de ThOmm>-"
Ii appears, However, that these writings were
not the only links which united the present with
the past; for, In the summer of 1871, an indl-
vidual who bore an extremely striking likeness
to the Bonaparte family made his appearance
at IsOhl and was fined BY the district court and
expelled from the Austrian dominions for hav-
ing made an objectionable entry in his s'wander
boOk"-a sort Of iOurneyman's passport. He
was a tailor by trade, and for several years pre-
vious to this occurrence had been living at
Wurzen, in the kingdom OF Saxony, and also at
Stuttgardt, under the name Of Carl Gustave
Ludwig. and in both of these places he had dis
tinquished himself by his diligence. skill and
nc,lesty. His intimate acquaintance at
firmed that. in spite of his humble &C.
cupatiOn. he had always asserted his claim to
the name and title OF Prince Joseph Eugene
Napoleon Bonaparte, and, according to his
own account, il would seem a. if he was an Is
sue Of secret marriage Of the Duke of Reich
stadt with a Hungarian countess. He stated
that. when quite Young, his mother was induced
by Prince Metternich to apprentice him to
tailor in Wurzen, named Ludwig, As a means of
getting rid Of him. and in order to facilitate her
second marriage in Saxony. As further proof
of his origin, he declared that there was an au-
thor then lying at Leipsic, but formerly Hun
garian 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 documents
in order to compel the countess TO recognize his
birth and Parentage. After leaving Stuttgardt,
he Travelled through Germany, Switzerland,
and part of Austria earning his livelihood as
a tailor; and maintaining his claim to a prince
~ rank. but never attempting to obtain money
or credit by il. On returning TO Stuttgardt, in
November of the same year, he found that
his conviction and punishment had been men
toned in the papers of that place, and he ae-
cordingiy published explanation in the
Burger Zeitung. 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 Il of
his own accord in his passport before he had
succeeded in establishing his identity before a
court Of law. The reputed prince is still living,
and the Cross-one of the leading newspapers
Of Germany-in an article written at the time.
states that not only does he bear good charac-
ter for his steadiness and general good conduct,
but he also produces a very favorable impress
sion by his manners-From '.Napoleoa U,' Jy
Langdon Greenwood, in Seribner's for March.