The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-10
Se7rrf Sfory.
EcCEYrRIcgriEs OF AS AGED DANDY.

There are but few persons WHO have
resided in Paris for any length of time
who do not remember The late Duke of
Brunswick, whose follies, eccentricities
and diamonds made him the talk of all
Europe. \ small volume recently pub
liSiled in Paris, gives some strange and
new details about this royal oddity.
The Dule was born in 1901 He was
the first child born to his parents, the
Prince Frederick WILLIAM. son aud heir
to the reigning Duke OF Brunswick, and
the Princess Marie WIhelmina of Baden,
sister OF the then Empress of Russia and
to the Queen Of Sweden. The Dukes
youth was a stormy aud adventurous one
His grandfather was killed at the battle
Of jena, being blinded by ball which
put out both of his eyes, and he was
borne from the field only to die few
days later of his wounds; and the ducal
family were driven from their dominions
His father fell at the battle of Waterloo,
and the young and throreless Duke was
consigned to the guardianship of his uD-
Gle by marriage, George ". The nego-
tiations of Prince Metternich restored
our hero to the throne of his fathers
when he was nineteen years old. Two
years later he contracted vhiIe in Eng
land, Il morganatic union With young
English lady of great beauty, Lady
Charlotte Colville The only child of
this union, the Countess de CIrrey, was
that daughter with whom he afterward
had such long and scandalous lawsuit.
On the 7th Of September, 1880, the rev
o!ution broke ont which drove the adven-
turous prince from his throne, and there
after began the wandering, eccentric life
which ended ut Geneva few years ago.
According to his French biographer
the Duke had q great influence in con
ferring upon France the doubtful bless
ing Of the late Empire. One day, while
Prince Louis Napoleon was prisoner at
Ham, there came to him messenger,
bringing with him paper which he pre-
senteG to the Prince for his signature.
| This Prince signed it and the man depart
ell, leaving behind him as the price of
that signature a package containing S00,-
600 francs golden key which was to
unlock for the oap.iye his prison doors.
This man was II Smith, Chief Treasur
er to the Duke of Brunswick, and the
paper was n treay by which the two
c.ownless exiles pledged themselves, the
| one 70 re establish the Duke upon his
throne, and to form, if possible, united
Germany. and the other TO aid Prince
Louis to gain his un, les throne.
After the coup a'etIt the Duke install
ed himself permanently in Paris. He
purchased on the Rue Beaujon, near the
Are De Triolnphe, the hotel which had
formerly belonged to Lola Montez- There
he caused to be erected the huge and Gu
rious structure which, with its rose col
ored walls and profuse gliding, seemed
the very realization Of apalace in fairy
tale. Into this marvellous building but
few persons were allowed to penetrate.
To effect a suIreptitiouS entrance was
almost an impossibiiity. The walls sur
rounding the house were of immense
height and were covered by giIded
spikes, with ali OF which an electric ap-
paratus was so connected that if one of
them were touched a chime of electric
bells was INSTANTLY set in motion. To
gain entrance the woull-be visitor must
core provided with a pass word, "a letter
OF Introduction, or some potent or un-
mistakable reason for being admitted.
| Once within the walls he was introduced
into an elevator lined with blue satin,
which bore him gently to the ante cham
bar OF tie Dukes apartments. The bed