National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-11
NEW CLAIMANTS TO THE CROWN OF
FRANCE.
Revival OF tho Famous Nnundorn Claim by
Ill uslEs

Revival ofthc Famous Nnundorn CIaius by
His Heirs.
very curious case Is soon to DO tried be-
fore tho Court Of Appeals 10 Paris, which, n
the claim Of the plaintiffs Is made good, will
materially lessen the prestige Of tho Lcgiti-
msts In France. The Paris correspondent of
the Pail Mall Gazette thus reviews the fact,
Of the action;
The suit Is brought by the heirs Of Mann
dorif, the notorious German clock maker who
" the carly part Of the present century gave
n,unseli out as Louis XVII, and applied to
the princess Of the house OF Bourbon TO
recognize him as the only legitimate heir OF
me elder branch Of the family. They &C.
tualiy call themselves Louis dc Bourbon,
Marie Antoinettc de Bourbon, &C., and have
entrusted the conduct Of tho taso to N. Jules
.Naundorff's pretensions were repudiatcd bv
the law courts; but II would appear that tho
documentary evidence collected since his
death Is important enough to give hopes of
success TO the claimants. The alleged substi-
tuition OF an allen for the a2n Of Louis XVI,
during hh Incarceration irfvhe Temple, Ia, In,
deed, less prepostcrous than might at first
seem, and few historical problems are more
curious and fraught with more mystery, The
partisans Of the substitution allege that the
young prince was removed from the Temple
on the 10Th Of January, 1871, and base their
d'Angouleme.
"On the 10Th Of January" sho says, tive
heard loud noise In my brothers room,
which led us to conjecture that no was being
moved from the temple, and we were all the
more convinced Of the fact whom, looking
ntough me keyhole, we saw his clothes, Sc,
being carried away. On tho following day |
we heard the door opened and steps IN the |
room, and we always remained persuaded |
that the Dauphin was gone"
The substitute, Il was further alleged, wa. \
so Sa%p ,T ss,S and the stratsgem was
issaries Of the Prince de Condo, who Ind
bought over the goaler Simon. From this |
memorable day II ls historically certain that
the Dauphin-was never seen, and the precat-
lions taken to prevent any communica tlon
between the royal child and the outside world
singularly dlligent. Strict orders were given
not on any pretencc to let him communicate
Win MS sister, and he was kept In complete
soh!ude. He was further confined In n
dark room, and laurent tho head goaler Of
the temple, who, according to the Duchess
ae hngoniemcs own evidence, had hitherto
treated him with great respect, henceforth
showed no regard whatever for tho prisoner.
ms, no doubt, might lead 10 the inference that
Laurent could have no interest In an Obscure
child who was the victim Of some mysteri-
Gus machinatlon.
80 sV anse'uu Nhht tne young captive
was completely dumb from the period as
signed rs that Of his substitution. When the
delegates OF the committee Of public safety
visited him In February, l795, he did all that I
was demanded OF him, rose and walked q
rev. steps at their bidding, but dlsrcgardod all
passed tho remainder Of her DAYS at the hos
pitabls for incurables; and according 10 the
testimony OF the sisters who attended her
she repeatedly denied the death Of the 9
Dauphin. She declared that she and her hus- (
band had taken part lnhls escape on the very
~, OF 'heir removal from the temple; she eI-
planned that o basket containing toys for the
young Prince, among which was aiarge card i
board horse, had been brought to the prison, .
that the dumb child WINS 10 Il, and that the :,
Dauphin. took his place In the basket, and 4
was carried out In cart among their arti- .
rles Of furniture =,
Tho death OF Louis XVII took place ON the
10th Prairial. Tho Government, by a strange =
exception In 20 Important O matter, left to I,
Inc officers OF the prison tho care OF testify u
my to the death OF the child, and abstalned
from legally establishing the Identity OF the Y
Corpse. However, an autopsy was ordered,
but the surgeons were ushered into a room n
which was so dark that they complained of
being unable to perform their task; small
quantity OF light was then lot In, and they
irew up statement to tie effect that they
had found the body Of dead child, which
HpPoncu W w ten years Olu, anu which the
ailers described as the body of Louis Capet.
Two days elapsed before tho body was car
He'd out OF night and Inferred In tho ceme-
cry Of Sainte Marguerite. Later, under the
Restoration, the Duchess d'Angouleme re-
fused, for reasons unknown, to have the re-
nains transferred to more suitable place.
Naturally enough, Naundorff, whose de-
.cendants now appeal to the justice OF
france, was not the only pretender to an
IDENTITY surrounded with no little mystery
and doubt. Jean Marie Heryagault, son Of a
lailor OF 81. 10, put forth royal pretcnsions r
IN 1905. The adyenturer was sinKularly suc-
,essful. Feryent royalists received him with
open arms; he was feted, congratulated and
lnequivocally recognized by many noblos.
But Fouche, the Minister Of Police, ordered
his arrest, and Horyagault atoned In prison
until his death for his ridiculous imposture.
His example was followed by Eleazar Will
Jams, Richmond, and lastly by NaundorH,
whose claim was by far the most pausibly q
En- attendant that tho kepubll- @
an NJ. Jules Favre throws light In the Court v
u Appeals on the descent Of his would-bc =
royal clients, the opinion Of so serious his
.orian as N. Louis Blame may DO quoted.
This writer admits that, In spite Of the most
minute inquiries into tho fate Of Young
-opis, there Is ample room for doubt, and
hds by observing that 80 large number Of
lauphlns would not have turned up II the
npossibility OF meeting with the real ono
lad been satisfactorily demonstrated.