Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-09
THE ECCENTRICITIES OF AN AGED
DANDY.

There are but few persons who have re-
sided in Paris for any length of time who
do not remember the late Duke of Bruins
wick, whose follies, eccentricities and
diamonds made him the talk Of all Eu-
rope. A small volume, recently published
in Paris, gives some strange and new de-
tails about this royal oddly.
The Duke was born in 1904. He was
the first child born to his parents, the
Prince Frederick William, son and heir to
the reigning Duke of Brunswick, and the
Princess Marie Wilhelmina of Baden, sis
ter of the then Empress of Russia and to
the Queen of Sweden. The Dukes youth
was stormy and an 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 throneless Duke was consigned
to the guardianship of his uncle by mar
rage, George w. The negotiations of
Prince Metternich restored our hero to the
throne of his fathers when he was nine
teen years old. Two years later he con
trdcted, while in England, 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 aiterward
had such long and scandalous lawsuit.
On the It'll of September, 1880, the revolu-
ton broke out which drove the adventur-
Gus Prince from his throne, and thereafter
began the wandering, eccentric life which
ended at Geneva a few years ago.
According to his French biographer
the Duke had a great influence in confer
ring upon France the doubtful blessing of
the late Empire. One day while Prince
Louis Napoleon was prisoner at Ham
there came to him a messenger, bringing
with him paper which he presented to
the Prince for his signature. The Prince
signed it and the man departed, leaving
behind him as the price Of that signature
package containing 500, 900 trancs-the
golden key which WAS TO unlock for the
captive his prison doors. This man was
VI. Smith, Chief Treasurer to the Duke of
Brunswick, and the paper was treaty by
which the two Crownless eXiles pledged
themselves, the one to re-establish the
Duke upon his throne, and to form, If pos
'ible, united Germany, and the other to
aid Prince Louis to gain his uncle's crown
After the coup d'etdt the Duke installed
himself permanently in Paris. He pur-
chased on the Rue Beaujcn, near the Arc
de Triomphe, the hotel which had former
y belonged to Lola Montez. There he
caused TO he erected the huge and curious
structure which, with its rose -colored
walls and protuse gliding, seemed the
very realization OF a palace in fairy tale.
Into this marvellous building but few per-
sons were allowed to penetrate. To effect
a surrepttious entrance was almost an i'm
possibility. The walls surrounding the
house were OF immense height and were
covered by gilded spikes, with all Of
which an electric apparatus was so con-
nected that if one OF them were
touched chime of electric bells
was Instantly set in motion. To gain
entrance the would-be visitor must
come provided with a password, letter of
introduction, Or some potent or unmistak-
able reason for being admitted. Once
within the walls he was introduced into
Al elevator lined with blue satin, which
bore him gently to the ante-chamber of
the Dukes apartments. The bedroom Of
this eccentric gentleman was made en-
urely OF iron-walls, ceiling and floor
alike. 1t WAS, in fact, an immense iron
cage, wherein the TX sovereign, thanks TO
dozen complicated pieces OF machinery,
could bid defiance To the thieves and as
sassins, the fear OF which poisoned his
existence. AT one side OF this apartment,
and only 10 be opened with its secret key,
vas closet containing the gigantic
'uong-boN, wherein was deposited bis
marvellous collection Of diamonds. The