Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-11

A. VIC yCoA AtAA SSSl VIC 0bCoSs AO
toriously German in his tastes and SYM
psthies, looking critically around among
sixteen manageable princesses Of that
nation for wife for bis very contuma-
cious and disaQreeable son. Alexis Pc
trowitz, condescended to fix on Charlotte
Christina Sophia, youngest daughter of
the Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel.
as the lady most pleasing to himself in
the relation Of daughter-in-l Duke
Ludwig rraciousiy accepted Gar Peters
proposal. and no doubt rubbed his hands
In ecstasy at having already given one
daughter as Empress t. Austria, and at
now betrething another to the heir of
all the kussias. The young people were
not consulted, as, of course, their elders
knew best what to do for them. Peter,
at least, was accustomed to have his own
way rather freely, and always deemed
1t better than anybody else's. On this
occasion ha wanted sensible, high born
wife for his troublesome heir. Duke
Ludwig wanted mother imperial crown
IN his family, and 80 the affair was ar
ranged.
On the 18th of October the poor young
princess truly
Gave away her maiden gladhess
For name and for ring
Refined, affectionate, high spirited.
she weIft a victim of state policy to the
barbarOus Russian court, presided over
by half-civillzed Gar, and an unedu-
Gated, peasant born Czarina. Peter
could choose wife for his sou, but he
could net make that son good husband:
the narrow-minded, ferocious Czarowitz,
inheriting all the worst qualities of his
mother, the divorced Eudoxia. Peter 8
first wife hated the enlightened, polished
lady who had been given him. and soon
made her lot so exquisitely wretched
that even the society of the coarse
hammered CZarina became to the ago
nized prin ,ess positive solace. The
CZarOwitz WAS passionate adherent to
all the customs of .Old Russia" de-
testing his fathers reforms and abom-
mating everything foreign or novel:
while his chosen companions were of
the lowest class, both in mind and
morals. He several times endeavored
to poison his wife, in the hope, as was
supposed, of espousing his slave mistress
Afroslna, for whose sake his amiabls
and vlrtuOus princess was publicly neg
lected.
At length, in the absence of the Car.
the hatred of Alexis toward his unhappy
cOnsOrt reached climax. She had al
ready presented him with the much
desired heir, (afterward Peter IL and
was again about to become a mother,
when, IN a transport of fury at some
remark which did not quite accord with
his pleasure, he brutally struck her to
the ground, kicked her. and Immediately
went to his country hOuse at some dis
lance. Shortly afterwara a funeral took
place. and the European courts went
into mourning for the murdered prin-
cess. COR whose death her husband was
openly blamed.
80 TAR historians are agreed: but here
begins the disputed identity. Some
maintain that it was the princess who
was buried; others declare that Only a
log of wood was in the coffin. and
that the real state of the case was as
follows:
When the Czarowitz left his wife, two
faithful attendants bore her to Sc
cluded part of tue palace. and knowing
that her husband had resolved on her
death. reported il to him as an accom-.
plished fact, whereupon the mock fu-
neral ensued. Meanwhile these attend
ants tenderly nursed the suffering lady
through the dangerous illness which was
the consequence of the brutal treatment
undergone by her; and, as soon as her
strength was sufficiently restored, one of
them, an old man, accompanied her AS
her supposed father, under an assumed
name, to fOrient, where the two took
passage III q German emi9rant vessel for
Louisiana, then being rapidly oOlOnized
by the French and German people. Here
she was soon aftsrward recognized by
the Chevalier d'Auban. who had for
merly seen her at her fathers court
When European newspapers, forwarded
to New Orleans, assured her of the death
Of the Czarowitz. the princess. prefer.
ring the faithful love of an honorable
man to life of dignified royalty incog-
nitO, became the wife of the chivalrous
and devoted d'Auban.
Years of welded happiness compen.
stated for past misery; and in beautiful
Louisiana Madame d'Auban was fal
MOre content than the Princess Char
lOtte had ever been amid the gaudy
spiendors of the German and Russian
courts. At length the delicate state OF
d'Auban's health induced them to return
to Europe; and during their stay at Paris
the princess was recognized by Count
Maurice de SAKE, who communicated his
discovery to the king of France. Louis
Nv Immediately wrote to the queen OF
Hungary, CharlOtte's niece, informing
her of the unexpected rencOnter. Her
majesty acknowledged the courtesy OF
the king, with whom she was then al
war. and wrote to her aunt, Offering her
home betitting her birth on condition
of her resigning d'A ban, who, Lot be-
ing of royal birth, could not be received
As the husband of q princess. Charlotte
however, was true to her womanly hon.
or, choosing to maintain her wifely truth
rather than her royal state. and clingine
to love rather than rank. For several
years she resided AZ private individual
with her husband and their daughter in
the island of Bourbon: and, when she
was at last left childless widow. re-
moved to Brussels, where she remained
during the rest Of her life. supported by
an annual allowance of sixty thousand
HORNS provided for her by the House of
brunswick. Tue name of Madame d Au-
ban was long held in loving remem-
brence by the poor of Brussels, among
whom were distributed three fourths of
her income.
N. Bossu, French officer and expert
enced traveller in Louisiana. is one au-
tnority fer this version of the strange
tale; Lord Dover supports it in an arti-
ole published in 1893. Cox's History of
Russia, rs we'll as rEveque, the French
historian, contradict this account of
Madame d'Auban. and Voltaire affirms
the soi disant princess to be an English
adventures, although, as he acknOwl-
edges her receiving money from the
House of Brunswick, be scarcely proves
his position. The Russian Government
thought the story of sufficient import
anoe 10 require some notice on their
part. and published an Imperial mani
festo declaring the invalidity of the
lady's claim.
II seems scarcely probable that the
Count Maurice de SAKE, the personal
friend Of the princess. and the son of
her faithful confidants, the Countess of
konigsmsrk, could have been mistaken
IN his recognition of the missing prin-
cess in Madame d'Auban. This, how
ever. must remain among those many
things which are and will be matters of
opinion, and the story of Charlotte of