Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-10-04

chanting thousands of listeners with
tales of brave and gallant deeds.
The princess received a liberal edu-
cation; she speaks three European
languages, plays the piano, sings well,
and is IN most respects an accomplished
lady, and during these 80 days she had
seen enough of her husband to despise
him and to treat him with contempt. No
Turk dare enter his wife's private apart
nent If she reverses her overshOes,
which every Turkish woman wears, and
leaves them outside her door, and the
Princess Elmineh availed herself of this
privilege during the two months she re-
manned in Consta ntiDople. At the ex-
p1ration of that time the doctors advised
| her to pass the winter at Cairo, whittier
she went, accompanied by her husband,
/ and where she has remained ever since.
Immediately on arriving IN Egypt she
laid herself at the feet Of the khedlve,
telling him that she preferred death to
| living with her husband, who was I'D
! every respect her inferior, and begged
! him 10 protect her. As she was a
favorite of his he appointed her hus-
band to the generalship OF Souakin, on
the Red Sea, and, as he never arrived
there, it is presumed that he was
poisoned on the way, this being the or
binary method by which the khedives
have from time to time silenced their
foes. The princess having thus freed
herself, commenced a life which for
romance, cruelty, prohigacy, adventure,
and dissipation has not often been sur
passed. The old Shoubra Palace, ex-
tending from the Shoubra road to the
Nile, was pulled down and the present
magnificent structure erected in it's
stead, containing 80 rooms, all of which
are decorated and furnished in the most
extravaganza fashion. Some are in the
graceful old Arabian and Moorish styles,
others are copied from noted European
palaces, and others again are a mixture
of both, SO common In all wealthy Orien-
tai mansions A high wall surrounds the
garden, and in each of the corners a
pretty building, half tower, half kiosque,
rises nigh above the wall. Shortly after
the princess Lad taken possession of this
seraglio many curious and incredible
rumors were afOat In Cairo, which at
the time were only whispered, but which
subsequent events proved to be true.
There was IN the service of the khe-
dive a handsome Swiss officer named
Coll, who had been in the Pope's Swiss
Guard, and the princess, happening to
see him one day on duty at the palace,
became enamored of him, and next day
asked the khed1ve to transfer him to her
service, which he did. The main gate
to her palace was then pulled down. and
over a large archway beautiful Swiss
chalet was built. Lieut.. Coll took pos
session of it as the princess master of
ceremonies. From that time they
seemed inseparable; wherever the prip-
cess went young Coll accompanied her,
and those who called to pay their
homage to the great Elmineh were in
troduced by him. He had the manage.
ment of all her estates, became enor-
mously wealthy, and in a short time de.
veloped into public character. He
went to Switzerland one summer, and
returned accompanied by his sister, who
| became the princess companion,
unique position for a Christian to &C.
cupy. About four years after this it was
rumored that Coll had formed an attach
ment for French actress named Ernes-
tine Leduc. and those of his friends who
knew the Egyptians well advised him to
| be cautious, as their vengeance was ter
rible. He, however, paid little or no at
tention to the warning. Coll suddenly
disappeared, leaving no traces behind
him, and at the same time Ernestine Lee
due was found strangled in her apart
ment. Inquiries were made about him
in Cairo, and the princess offered SIS, 900
for information that might lead to his
discovery, although she caused the
rumor to be spread that he had muir
dered Ernestine and fed. Ten days
later the banks of the Nile overhowed,
and the mutilated body of young Coll
was deposited by its waters in a field ad-
+. joining the palace. The hands and feet
were tied together, the eyes had been
| torn from their sockets, and the heart
had been pierced through and through.
| The Swiss consul demanded al inquiry,
which, like most proceedings of this sort
in the east, was wholly formality.
| Coils sister was never again seen IN
| Egypt, though she subsequently, ap-
peared in Berne, her native town, where
| she lives, but when asked about her
brother she is wont to say that the sub
ject is too painful for conversation.
During the following seven years Cairo
was startled by frequent disappearance
| of young gentlemen belonging to the
best native and European families. and
| these remained unexplained until the
following incident occurred: A young
Austrian doctor named Canelli had been
in Cairo about year. He had been a
military surgeon IN his own country,
and, besides being thorough master of
his profession, was handsome, gay and
dashing. One afternoon as he was driv-
ing on the Shoubra road, the. fashionable
promenade and drive in Cairo, he saw a
yelled Turkish lady making signs to him
from her carriage. He mentioned this
to a friend, who told him it must have
been the Princess Elmineh, and that he
had better avoid her. Soon after that,
and at short intervals, Dr. Canelli re-
ceived numerous gifts from an unknown
benefactor. They took the shape of
flowers, fruit, jewels, and even horses and
carriages, and he was at loss to know
whence they came. At about IL o'clock
one night, as he was preparing to retire,