Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-11


A lady who occupied prominent DO
sition in Partisan society, the Duchess de
Riario Sforza, sister OF the late M. Der.
ryer, has just died at the Chateau dan
gerville. She was the widow of one of
the richest notaries in Paris, whose entire
fortune she inherited, when she met at
the house of the Marquise de Boissy. bet
ter known as the Countess Guiccioli. an
old, stability dressed Italian officer, who
was attached TO the household of Joseph
Bonaparte and Murat and had served as a
Colonel in cavalry regiment under the
Empire. He was Of the type of those I'm
perialist officers no trequented the Cafe
Foy half q century ago. The notary's
widow asked who he was and was sur
prised to hear that he was Duke of Riario
Sforza and brother of the Cardinal Arch
bishop of Naples. In the course of con-
versation she learned that he was bach
elor and looking out for rich wife
willing TO barter a fortune for ducal
coronet. Pm the woman" she said
Il am ambitious. detest my present
name, which Is unexpectedly common,
and my fortune is big enough 10 regild
the Dukes battered strawberry.leaves In
troduce him to me, first telling him why
want 10 know him" The Duke was
introduced. He, the lady and friend re-
tired to boudoir, where the marriage
articles were talked over in thoroughly
matter fact way, the Duke STIMULATING
for complete independence, in fact for
separate establishment, with a large for
tune to keep it up. All his conditions
were complied with and the wedding took
place some weeks later. During his life
time he contrived to bride the fantastic
tastes of the Duchess. But when he died
she INDUCED in them to the full. She
WAS phenomenally thin. IL was impossi-
bic for anyone suddenly seeing her not
10 be startled and shocked a. her cadaver-
ous appearance. Born in an humble rank
OF lite, she might have amassed fortune
by exhibiting herself as femme sqtetstte
She was at festive meeting the deaths
head of an Egyptian feast. Though so
painfully disqualified by her extraordinary
emaciatian from going into society, the
Duchess of Riario Sforaa was one Of the
most social women In Paris almost 10 the
time OF her death, which happened in her
eightieth wear.
Her passion for dress was excessive and
she invariably chose garments suited To a
young married woman. Her faith in the
power OF the mantua- maker, and of those
artists setting up to fix the bloom Of youth
or restore il when vanished was unbound
ed. Contrary TO French custom, she over.
dressed rs much AT her own balls as at
those Of her acquaintance, The only
badge Of widowhood she wore--and she
and it were inseparable--was kind of
enameled hatChment, suspended from a
diamond necklace or gold chain, MS me-
dalton might have been, with the heraldc
quarterings and coronet of the late Duke
Of Riario Sforza. As she gave sumptuous
dinners and had, on marrying, retained
the power TO dispose of nearly El6,000
sterling year, people took care not 10
laugh at her absurd vanity and whims.
She was 4 very suspicious old lady, and,
to keep a vigilant watch on the looks and
gestures of her guests, had the mirror in
her drawing-room so arranged that she
could see, from her fauteuil, everything
that took place behind her back No
servant or tradesman was ever known To
please her week. She had her palatial
mansion at Passy pulled down and rebuilt
three times in the course of fourteen years
and, just before her death, she was think.
ing Of demolishng 1t again. The torment
OF the Partisan architects and house deco
rators, she was kind OF providence for
the masons, To stimulate whom 10 activity
she often allowed double wages Fortune
tellers, chiromantists, and dealers of other
weird, occult and supernatural causes will
miss the erratic Duchess, who patronzed
them during both her widowhoods A no
torious tirear de cartes predicted that she
would take for her third husband royal
Prince, dark eyed fairhaired, rich rs
Crusus, and devoted lover. The trouble
she WAS Mt TO fulfill the prophecy undoubt-
eddy helped Ia kill her Wherever the
Prince whom she thought was 10 become
her spouse went she followed him. When
she heard he was going TO the theatcr she
at once had herself taken. On Chantilly
day she drove TO the Northern Railway
and stationed herself In the line of private
carriages before the terminus, 10 bow 10
him rs he passed She crossed his path
ON the Bots dc Boulogne on Longchamps
days and, when at deaths door, was at
point Of attending the sources 10 which she
knew he was invited. The infant grand.
child Of the late NJ. Berger will, II is be-
lieyed, succeed 10 her property .-Paris