Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-26
THE DUKE D'AUMALE.

ROMANTIC CAREER OF Tue RICHEST OF
FRENCH PRINCES.
Paris has above all cities an exclusive
hierarchy tenacious of caste. Entrance
to the Faubourg ST. IIonore implies six
teen quarterings at the least. For
century these great families. the pale
spectre of that splendid noblesse that
dazzled the courts in the days Of the
Bourbons. have lived in exclusion. Dur.
ing the Empire they held austerely
aloof from the parvenu monarch and
alluded to the Emperor and Empress as
NJ. and Madame Bonaparte. An event
that draws them from their secluslon
interests all Paris, and what interests
Paris, Victor Hugo says, must necessa.
rily be of interest TO the world. This
event was the appearance OF the Duke
d Aumale the other day as the master
Of ceremonies at the academic recep.
ton of Rousse "a the successor Of the
late Jules Fayre among the immortals.
The Duke is the fourth son of the Or.
leans King Louis Philippe. About his
life there attaches more scandal and
piquant on dts than any member of
the House OF bourbon since the merry
and valorous monarch Henry N.
The Duke has been for forty years
force in certain sort in the salons and
the policy Of France. He came into
notice in scandal and tragedy OF tone
and incidents in keeping with the lurld
annals Of his house. II was the Duke
d'Aumale who succeeded to the colossal
inheritance OF the Prince de Conde,
Duke de Bourbon-the last OF the great
race Of Conde. The Princes proper.
ties and revenues exceeded in ailIurnce
the Crown revenues and lands. lie was
an old man when Charles y. was driven
from Paris. in 1890. lie had been an
exile during the great revolution and
on the return OF the Bpurbons his es-
tates were restored, with accumulated
interest, at the national expense. Dur.
ing his exile he had fallen in with an
English adventures, named DAVIS.
whom he caused to be created Baroness
so soon as the King was in power.
This woman WAS mad tor social recog.
milton. The Prince .VAc"d q young
soldier 70 marry jm yen,uScss, TO
give her the entree q courts OF the
Tulcries and the title ofSaroue-s. The
Baron soon discovered the relations be
tween his wife and the Prince and blew
his own brains out. She was none the
less bent upon being the leader Of the
court Of Maria Amelia, mother of the
Duke d Aumnle. The Queen knowing
the womau's hold upon the old and
chldlesa Prince de Condo. encouraged
her hopes, but made as the price Of
recognition the adoption by the old
Prince of the Duke d d'Aumalc as his
heir One morning the Prince de Con.
de, who had arranged for grand hunt.
ing party near his chateau. was found
hanging to his window, stranrled to
death. The affair was wrapped in pro
found mystery, but suit brought by
certain friends OF the Prince left no
doubt that he had been foully dealt
with the very day after he had been in.
duced to make a will in favor Of the
fourth son OF the house of Orleans.
which he held in cordial hatred There
was no doubt whatever that the mistress
bad either made way with ibe last of
the Condos or had admitted the assas
sins to his chamber. as she alone had
the keys.
The Duke d Aumale. in spite of the
proof of fraud and murder. gained pos.
session OF the estate. lie became at
once potent parsonage in the mon.
archy. His excesses were the talk of
the clubs, and when, in lsiS, the Re.
public drove his father, King Louis
Philippe, out, he carried splendid
fortune into exile. He resented a fling
made against the venality and avari.
ciousness of his family. as we'll as
against the parsimony of the King, by
Prince Napoleon jerome, the present
pretendef, and sent him a challenge
from Chiswiok, near London, where the
Orleans family had established them.
selves in regal conditions, in the very
walks and haunts Of Pope. But the
Emperor forbade the combat. and Il
was from this that Prince Napoleon
derived the character Of coward and
nickname Of "Plon. Plon," by which he
Is known to this day.
On the fall Of the empire d'Aumale
returned TO Paris. His name had be.
come known for intrigues even in Lon.
don, but he had bravely become settled
in his chateau when Paris was agape
over his escapades. His most widely
gossipped liaison was with Madame.
moiselle Croizette, the rival of Sarah
Bernhardt In the Comedie Franchise.
whose beauty ten years ago was the
reigniDg theme in the clubs and on the
boulevards.
But the Duke d'Aumale il = crafty
fellow, who hopes n secure the crown
one of these bright days. lie managed
TO ingratiate himself With Thiers during
bis presidency and was made president
of the Bazaine court martial. He was
restored 20 his rank in the French
army, and is now Lieutenant General
and Inspector General OF the forces.
He was sure Of being MacMahan's sue
cessor, either as king or dictator, and