Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-06
IhE rnNCE,h RLAINRn.
fLs Wicked Career VI The wssiiLiss,
NsMAI ~ LDpl,

The New York Times prints the fol-
lowing history Of the prlAeess tllnlr
| Reh, Of Egypt, who encouraged Arab
lasha VITA money and sympathy ~
rebelliRg against tho khedlye and ~
| continuing tbs struggle until cpm-
plftrly anAihilaled ny the Brltlshl
This Princess Elmineh, sister Ot tbs
late khediye, ID the richest and most
noted woman in the East, las great
influence with the fellah population,
and hers is one Of tho pretllest, and Is
certainly tho richest, Of the palaces OF
Cairo, hhe is tho largest land owner
10 Egypt, and having received 4 EIl.
rupeah education makes good use ~
her income, Size Is not what the
French cali "passes," being a little
over forty years old, and tho hot Egyp'
liaR sun, combined with a Me 81 dis
sipation and unreslTalned enjoyment
have played havoc with one who, ten
years ago, Was called "the STAR OF the
Last"
Egyptians, like Turkish women, are
married by their parents without their
wishes eyeT hring consulted, 30 that,
~ rule there ia no pretense Of love
or even sympathy between them, Thus
was tho Princes EhnIneh, Al tho age
Of sixteen, given way 10 q Turkish
pasta, noted only Tor his wealth and
dishonesty, being old. ugly and lgRo'
rant, Tho wedding took place in Con-
staHtiROple, where tho d0wty u the
princess was estimated At SsO,000,0OD,
The princess received liberal cdu'
catiuRi she speaks three European Ian.
ggages, plays the piano, sings well AMI
IL In mot respects an accomplished
lady, and in thirty days she had seen
enough Of her husband to desplse him
and o. treat him with contempt No
Turk dare enter his wifo's private
apartment II she reyefheS her over
saocs, which every Turkish woman
wears, and leaves them outside her
door, and the Princess Elmlnch ayallcd
herself Of this privilege during the
two months she remained In Con.
stantlnoplc. At tho expiration Of
that time the doctors advised her TO
pass tho winter at Cairo, whittier she
went. accompanied by her husband,
and where she has remained ever s,ate
Immediately on arriving In Egypt she
laid herself ut tho feet OF the khcdlyc,
telling him that she preferred death to
living with her husband, who was In
every respect her inferior. and begged
him to protect her As she was u
iavorte Of his, he appointed he. hus-
band TO the gcncralship Of Souakin, on
the Red sen, and as he never arrived
there II IL presumed that he was
poisoned by the way, this being tho
ordinary method by which the khcdives
have from time to time silenced their
Goes. Tho princess, having thus freed
herself, commenced q life which for
romance, cruelty, pronigacy, adven-
ture and dissipation has not often been
surpassed. Tho old Shoubra palace,
extending from the Shoubra road to
the Nile, was pulled down and tho
present magnificent structure erected
In its stead, containing eighty rooms,
all Of which are decorated and fur.
nishcd in tho most extrayagant fashion.
Shortly after the princess had taken
possession Of this scragllo many curl
Gus and incredible rumors were alloat
in Cairo, which at the time were only
whispered, but which subsequent
events proved to he true.
There was in the service Of the khe-
dive n handsome young Swiss officer
named Coll, who had bcon in the
Pope's Swiss guard, and the princess,
happening to see him one day on duty
at the palace, became enainored of
him, and next day asked the khedive
to transfer him to her service, which
lie did. The main gate to her palace
was then pulled down and over large |
archway beautiful Swiss chaplet was
built. Lieutenant Coll took possession
of it as the princess master of cere-
monies. From that time they seemed
inseparable; wherever the princess
went young Coll accompanied her, and
those who called to pay their homage |
to the great Elmineh were introduced |
by him. He had the management of
all her estates, became enormously
wealthy and in short time developed
into a public character. He went to
Switzerland one summer and returned
accompanied by his sister, who became
the princess companion, a unique po-
sition for a Christian to oc-
cupy. About four years after
this it was rumorcd that Coll
had formed an attachment for a
French actress named Ernestine La
due. and those Of his friends whokne
the Egyptians well advised him to be
cautious, as their vengeance was terri
bic. 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
Leduc was found strangled in her
apartment. Inquiries were made
about him in Cairo, and the princess
offered $1,000 for information that
might lead to his recovery, although
she caused the rumor to be spread that
lie had murdered Ernestine and fled.
Ten days later the brake OF the Nile
overlooked, and the mutilated body of
young Coll was deposited by its waters
in field adjoining 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 de-
manded an inquiry, which, like most
proceedings of this sort in the East,
was wholly a formality. Coils sister
was never again seen in Egypt, though
she subsequently appeared in Berne,
her native town, where she lives, but
when asked about her brother she is
wont to say that the subject is too
painful for conversation.
Stories About Animals.