The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-02

| The story OF the fortune of Charles Fred
erlck Augustus William, Duke of Bruins wick
Pei, Familiarity known as "the Diamond
Duke" Ia almost romance. When the
young Duke came to the age OF reason 1t was
| found that he was mad, and after short
reign OF five years he was expelled from
Brunswick by order OF the German Diet.
Here began his wanderings. He wandered
from one end of Europe to the other, his prin-
cpal residence, however, being fixed at Paris,
where he erected on the Avenue Friedland
one OF the most wonderful palaces In the
world. In this palace the doors opened and
closed by machinery, and the Duke was care
fully waited on by electricity. His extrava-
gance I'm Paris. and particularly his magnifi-
cent jewels, said to have been stolen by him
from the crown jewels OF Brunswick, made
him famous In that city, and gained him the
title OF "the Diamond Duke" The great
question with the Duke was what to do with
bis immense fortune, amounting to more
than S27 O00, 600, after his death. He at one
time proposed to make Don Carlos his heir,
but the defeat OF the Carlists preiudtced him
against his royal cousin. The Prince Impe-
rial of France YVES then chosen, and will
drawn up 10 his favor, but the affair OF Sedan
came, and the Duke, who had no pity for mis-
fortune cancelled 10.
The Franco Prussian war and the commune
drove the Duke from his Paris palace to
Switzerland. He was In failing health when
he reached Geneva, where he proposed to
spend few weeks. The Conseii dEtat of
that little city saw their opportunity, and Inn
medately seized on 1t. Duke Charles was
greeted and feted as he had never been BEFORE
and the money In the public treasury of
Geneva was freely poured out to win his favor
able regard for that city. The plot suc-
ceeded; the Duke made will In which the
city of Geneva was DECLARED sole legatee to
his millions. and promptly died a few weeks
after. To a city one-sixth the size of New
Orleans heritage Of S27,000,000 WAS an I'm
mense one. The Genevans scarcely knew
what to do with their money at first. A mill
Ion was spent on park. q half million on q
monument to the Duke; two millions on an
opera house. the finest In Europe after the
grand opera OF Paris and q large sum laid
aside to provide opera for the Genevans free
OF charge Despite their best efforts, the
C0asea d Etdt found 1t impossible to get rid OF
this immense sum on public improvements,
except by providing themselves with expen-
sive equpages and palatial residences.
On the death OF the Duke, his brother, the
Duchy OF Brunswick, Great Britain and
daughter, the Countess Of Civry, a native of
and called on the city Of Geneva to divide It's
spoils. The Genevans, however, refused to do
this, and suit for The invalidation of the will
was accordingly brought. The will has just
been decided Invalid by the High Court OF Ger
many on the ground that the Duke was mad,
and Gt neva called on to surrender the So, 000,-
600 has spent. The matter now threatens to
become a serious one. The Empire OF Ger
many Is heir to the Duchy of Brunswick, and
insists upon the surrender Of this money; the
city Of Geneva has spent the money and
could not return Ii, even Ii 1t desired to do 30.
The question promises tn acquire some i'll
teFnattenal Importance. as 1t Is said that
Germany IL determined that the order OF
court, inyalidating the will, shall be executed.