The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-03-25
THE HEIR OF THE LDSY D4PHN.
An Interesting suit, in the French
Courts. ~

Courts. ~
Next to the Tichborfie .GBse, pehaps no
suit of the present century has engaged
Adalbert de Bourbon and Princes Amelia
de Bourbon, plaintiffs, against the Count de
Chambord, the Duke of Parma, and the
Duke and Duchess of Angoulenr, defen-
dants. which was called up in thecOurts OF
Paris on the sixth of February, and has Just
now been decided. J
The plaintiffs in the case claimed posses
sion to all the rights and property of the
Bourbon f;,mily. AS being the legitimate
heirs. OF Lonis XVII, son Of Loui. XVI. and
Marie Antoinette-the famous Lost Dau-
phin. whom we at one time believed to Lave
been a missionary with the Indians III our
own country, but who in this case was
alleged to have been a certain Charles
William Nanndortf, father Of the two chill
dren who instituted the suit.
This Naundortf first made mis- public ap'
pearance as matchmaker in Berlin, where
he gave himself ont to be the Dauphin OF
France, and pretended that he had escaped
from the Temple of Paris in the year of ter
tor. 1893. His face had the true Bourbon
tyne. and bore remarkable similarly to
the features of Louis XVI. He was minute
" acquainted with all the details of tn. i'm.
prisonment Of his unhappy father and
mother, and their many attempts to effect
an escape. Nearly all the people with whom
he struck up a personal Acquaintance be-
came convinced Of his identity, and of bis
right to tho claim he preferred to the throne
Of FRANCE. He signed his letters Charles
Louis, Duke of Normandy: and madeout 90
strong popular case III his behalf tiht the
~ I'D tr<,ryt or
him out of the capital and assign himl resi-
dence at spandan. There he married q
Young girl, the daughter of merchant.
but soon after the marriage was arrescd on
~ charge of forgery. He was triel, con-
yicted. and imprisoned for several years in
Silesian fortress
After his release he first reappeEed in
Paris IN the year 1888. where he Instituted
snit as Louis XVII against the Dn.e and
the Duchess of Angouleme for the possession
of their property. This suit he lot He
then opened negotiations with Louis
Philippe, and offered to show the King
secret closet full of rich treasures md i'm
portant documents, the existence Of md clue
to which closet he claimed were kno,n only
to him. Louis Philippe listened fir some
time to the propositions of Naundrff and
offered him a position in the army if he
would renounce his pretensions, butthe end
of the negotiation was that NaunOrff was
expelled from France, and took uphis resi-
dence in Holland.
In Holland he was remarkably ncccess-
ful. His claims were immediatel' recog-
nized by the Government, and histOmb at
Delft still bears the inscription "Lonis
XVII, King of France and Navarro" His
son received high position in tie Dutch
army and the title of Count; and lis daugh-
ter was permitted to bear the r,lk of
Princess. He died in the year 1875, and in
the suit that has just been decideda report
of the doctors attending the dissection of
his body was introduced, specifying the
marks found on him, all of witch were
alleged to agree perfectly with he marks
said to have been on the body OF the Lost
Dauphin.
Upon his death theDutch Cont Gruan
do la Barre, the interchangeable offender Of
Nanndorfffs claims. to the Bourbon inheri-
lance, transferred his zeal and ffectinn TO
Naundorfi's children, and has Sver since
supported their pretentlons withall the in
fluence and money at his disposal. The son
of Naundorff, Count Adalbert. is now forty
five years old, and still retains his positions
in the Dutch army. His. sister Amelia. fifty
markahle resen blance to Marie !htninnctte.
Assisted by the money Of the Count de Ia
Barre, the two Bourbon claimants have
pressed their suit with all the Dispatch pos
siblr.r During his residence in hriS, Naun-
Gurtf had been successful in winning over
to a belief in bis identity as ,ouis XVII
hundreds of the highest pesonages in
France. amongst them former ministers OF
Louis XVI, priests, conrtiers, and some Of
the few f'thtul servants who ttended the
unhappy. King to the last. Int the most
x,5T0ns fifen,I 0t th-~clainraIt seems to
have been the great Republican LAWYER.
Jules Favre, who was consequently e gag i
as fine counsel for the chillen. An lm
mcrse number Of witnesses wee summoned,
and over two hundred docnmelts submitted
on the parG Of tina plaintiffs toestabllsh tn"
identity of Naundorf.
Mr.. Fayre made one of his lest speeches
He dwelt eloauently on the remarkaole
prosecutions to which NauntbrH had been
subjected in his life: how ills poor " VIC,
tim of reasons Of state" had been exposed
1 to repeated attempts of assassination; now
1 in Strasburg some hired soundrels mad
4 tried to disfigure him for life ~ cuts IN Inc
i face: how in Prague he had received a
sword thrust in the public streets; now In
London he had been twice slot in the arm;
aIand how, finally, after various attempts 10
d poison him, the last ATTEMPT, at Del T. IN
ii Holland, had proved sncc ssfnl. Many
r,lother persons, said Mr.. JUGS Favre, VINO
n eonld have proved the identity OF tGe
1elamant beyond dispute, lave died sna-
denly under tho most suspicious and terflv-
e ing circumstances.
nd Being asked why the snit had not oeen
Brought sooner, Mr.. Favre replied that jas
), ,itice in France had not before been Tree 70
;" .pfonounce in a case Of such a character: Il
1my one could have saved the cause OF zoe
,leaimant-, it certainly was Jules faVre' sai
eaeh is doubtful whether under the pftSn'
ION regime, any proof could lave saved 'nell
'nesuuse But, however that may bt, the sOlf'
bydecided against them. The decision OF w
hapss cart was that LoniS XVIIdid IL fact df oE
coatihe s,h of July, 1897, in the Temrle' aa
tbAanthentic proof of his death exlsie"'ou
sian NJ destroyed in the year 1871 by the oln
yam M of the Hotel de Vile, IN. =
.ess xFtifed copies of it had been carelIl
nine mserved; that the fiji ght OF w
haphiu would indeed have been an i!I'o'
lin, |blity: that the death Of the Daupnlnsa
IL