The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-09
THE LAST CT THE STUAR9S.
Death Of Vim. Rysam Oracle, Who Believed
Himself TO Be the Legitimate Descend
ant Of 'Donny FRINGE Charlie"
HIS FEARS OF ASSASSINATION.
The Pretender Claims the Throne
Of England and Styles Him
self William the Fifth.

| SAAO
Of England and Styles Him
self William the Fifth.
THE FUNERAL AT GRACE CHURCH.
Among the list of deaths published in the HERALD
oflast Tuesday morning appeared the following
| brief notice.
,s GrASImIn New YORK city on Sunday vsDr9ssy
The relatives and friends are invited to attend the f-
~ Irsce ten YORK city, on Tuesday,
Perhaps OF the hundreds Of thousands who read
this brief advertisement not dozen outside OF the
relatives and intimate friends OF the deceased were
aware Of the romance or, rather lifelong halluci-
nations attendant on the existence OF the subject
of the adver tisement. IS
For fifty years of his life william Rysam Oracle
believed himself to be the last hnea descendant OF
the great and unfortunate, well az royal houses
OF stuart and S0bieski, and there were many well
informed and respectable, but credulous, people in
this city and In Europe who had abiding faith in
his claims to the throne OF Great Britain and Ire
| land.
| Under the great dome Of st. Peters, at Rome,
| there is raised q white marble shaft, the work Of
| Third (the old Pretender) Charles the Third Crince
| Charles Edward Stuart) anu Henry the Ninth 1.-THE
Cardinal Duke of York;. 1t was the belief OF old
Mr. Oracle that ne the and last male issue OF
the Pretenuer, Prince Charles Edward, who died at
Rome on the 30th of January, 1883, without legit-
innate issue. Mr.. Oracle claimed the title OF
william the Fifth, King OF England. Many of our
citizens were familiar with the ace and figure
of the sotdtsant King of England. He
was man Of powerful Frame norid
face, with venerable appearance, fine
blue eyes, and had plentiful head
Of white hair. Since 1920 Mr. Oracle had been pos
sessed of the hailucination that he was unIustly
deprived Of his birthright ruler Of Great Britain.
On Sunday morning, February 2, at half-past three
O'Clock, the pretender to the English crown died
in o small room on the third floor Of the Washing.
| ton Hotel, corner OF Twenty-seventh street and
Fourth avenue, this city. For four years William
Rysam Oracle had been an inmate Of the Washing
| ton House, and was well known to the b0arders
| and proprietors OF the establishment. Many peo-
pie at the nrst glance took Mr.. Oracle for Horace
Greeley but 1t must be said that his features and
carriage were of the true Stuart type. He had the
oval face, peculiar chin, frank and merry eye and
| oil the appearance OF careless bOnhOnana,e which
| were Characteristic OF that il-ated race. The
father OF Mr.. Oracle was born In Scotland and was
| in some way connected with the house OF stuart ;
but what branch Of that royal line he was con-
| nected with Is not known.
| Those who knew the deceased hest represent
! him as being IN manner perfect gentleman, iul
OF courtesy and chlvarous notions, and courag-
eous in character as no Stuart ever Jailed to
be. Some thirty years ago this hallucinaton
in the brain Of MIR. Oracle became an IN:
h@s p se ewing acres e. th n
Oracle became separated from his wife, and during
the last thirty years of his life they had not en-
countered each other more than two or three tiyes
His property was placed for his benefit in the hands
| of trustees, to be administered by them. and
regularly once every three months Mr.. Charles
town house is at No. Is East Thirty,second
street, and who has country residences at Cold
| Spring and Eaton's Neck, Long Island, called at
\ the Washington House and paid the bills
| of the supposed King Of England His room rent
the restaurant on the ground moor. Almost equal
Ing tasmania in regard to his claim to the throne
Of England was the fasson which Mr. Oracle had
would take little whiskey when occasion did not
"a" During the entire month of January Mr.. Oracle
| was confined to his bed by very severe illness,
and during that time he was attended by very
carver Ts n nR9aD
reporter that Mr.. Oracle was in continual
fear OF assassination, and that the idea haunted
years he has had concealed an Old, rusty ope;bsr-
declared he would defend his life against the entire
English army In conversation with his intimates
OF the practicability Of landing troops
at direrent points in order to march
and resaiia he Ss' had two drawers full Of papers
and documents relating to his claim, fully setting
forth all the details which his poor disordered
| fancy harbered as a pretendcr to royalty. When
laboring under the influence OF liquor he would be
| seized with a mania for borrowing money, for
we're Carefully ean provided 'e for by his friends
and trustees The poor old gentleman was well
and even highly connected in this and other cities
wife OF well known lawyer in this city and for
merly Judge OF one of our principal courts. Mr..
expenditure Of money and would give charity
TO any one who asked 1t from him. His rela-
wants derns s last 20 and his
sisters family took charge OF all the papers
| and documents which were left by him. He was In
the habit OF irequenting newspaper offices and an
noying editors, by Offering for their perusal and
publication long and confused arguments, in which
he endeavored TO ventilate his claim to sit In the
place now occupied by Queen Victoria. Though re-
served ON most other subjects, he was extremely
% nn@ e f TO f Fsns to
said that among his papers which the reporter
| bequeathing the succession OF the throne OF Eng
land to some unknown person. For two days
before his death he was entirely unconscious, but
to regain possession of his faculties and he recog.
| niZed DR.. james r. Wood and Mrs. Carver, who
| were IN attendance on MIN. during MS last hours
| he did not alhde In any way to his royal claims.
and he died peacefully and without struggle. For
\ many years his haucination, with its attendant
irregular habits had alenated him from his lam.
ily and he seldom asked to see any OF them
although they visited him whenever he was IN
trouble or in sickness. His nieces were most
unremitting in their attention to him. The
:, room in which he died was very neatly
furnished and contained a table, the bed on which
he died and three or four chairs. For this room
into which he was removed when his sickness be-
came dangerous he paid $13 week. After half Q
century OF trouble and disteihpered fancies. with
no one near him but Mrs. Career, he died. ant
the bauble OF q sceptre which he had Sc
long desired to touch he never even saw
on Sunday evening the assistants OF Sextor
Brown, OF Grace church, called at the Washington
Hotel and removed the body of the poor old gentle
man to Grace church, where 1t remained until The
funeral, which took place at ten O'Clock on the sub
sequcnt Tuesday morning. At the hour appointed