The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-01-14
U DE BRANCO NILES,


PAULA DE BRANoo NILRs.
Esms New Matter UonSSrninE the ssnSa
tionAl Matter.
The following article, from the Charles
ton Sunday Rem, contains q new Versiol
Of the story already published in the In
TRLLINaEcER, and will be read here witt
interest;
Last Wednesday evening q small boat
With three passengers aboard, steamed W
TO the wharf inthiB city, and made fast iol
the night. 1t was almost dark when thu
boat landed and the three travellers i'm
mediately came ashore, and, after takinG
supper at one Of the hotels, went to the
Capital Skating Rink, oatensibly in order
70 witness the exhibition OF the l.. X NJ,
Combination, but really for the purpose
Of seeing Detective ALI. w, Burnett, The
Captain was soon seen by the trio, which
wa composed OF q man named Green, Rn
attorney from Ohio; q man named Glen
dtnen, well known here, and DR., l., +,
Niles, who Is at present residing at CALI
polls. They insisted that Captain Burnett
should accompany them on a hunting ex-
petition 10 the mountains, He WSs in
formed that the party would set out the
next day, and was offered many tempting
Inducements to become q member Of Ii.
But the Captain, for good and sufficient
reasons, which appear further on, deClin-
ed the magnamious invitation, but after
some further importuning consented TO
join the hunters on Friday. With this
understanding they left the following day.
The reader will naturally ask; What
did these men want with Capt. Burnett ?
The Item will answer the question by re-
lRting Z story in which the circumstances
are stranger than those woven in the web
Of fiction,
Paula dc BranCo Is the daughter and
only heir OF R~odreguire ], 0llverra de
BrGnCo, a native Of Brazil. De Branco
possessed great wealth, his estates II
Brazil, Switzerland, France and Spain,
with other property, amounting to more
than $0,0O0,000. His wife, Lady Gabrielle
HaumOn dc BranCo, was y native oil Spain,
and, belonging to the nobility Of that
country, de BranCo spent much Of his time
there. During the trouble in Mexico re.
from the efforts Of the Republicans
10 overthrow the Government, he was with
Macmillan, but was compelled, with his
vile, Q o and two daughters, to leave the
country in order to save his life. Ds
BranCo made good his escape, but
In 1860 died at Monaco. Soon
alter his death his wife and
children went to Toulouse, France, where
they sought protection from tho BRAZILIAN
Consul. A few years later every member
the family, save Paula, was dead and
Francis Tratlord, an English lawyer, Of st.
Julien, by some mysterious means became
p%rotectorate Of the young lady who was
then scarcely eight years OF age. Mean.
Tafford had Paula confined in a cor.
vent at st. Julien, where she remained
several years, when she wa sent to Ger.
many. Twelve months later Henry Blanc
took Charge Of the young heiress and
brought her to America, having in his
possession upon his arrival, 1t is said, tho
sum Of $4,000. With this money Blanc
built q palatiAl reSidenCgr nea Gallipolis,
Ohio, where he now lives. Not long after
Blanc came to GSlllpoliB, Paula managed
to escape from him and sought refuge In =
Pittsburgh convent, whence, after q short
stay, she went To Mount de Chantal, near
Wheeling.
It was during her residence In this lat.
ter place that Paula had occasion 10 visit
Wheeling for the purpose Of having some
dental work performed. Accordingly,
she called at the office OF DR.. Morrison, 0
we'll known dentist, and explained to him
the nature Of her visit. As the young
lady was alone, DR.. Morrison dispatched a
nesenyer for Dr.. L. Z. Niles, who was
then praCLiCing medicine in Wheeling.
Knowing that tho operation would be q
painful one, DR.. Morrison administered
chloroform, and while Paula was passing
into the land Of dreams she muttered
something that attracted the attention Of
Dr.. Niles, who understood French, In
which language the young lady spoke.
When consciousness returned she was
questioned, but refused to say any.
thing until the project Of police had been
called in. Captain Bennett, Chief OF Pc.
lice, was then mentioned, but when she
was made aware Of the Office he held, she
still refused to speak.
At this juncture It occurred 10 DR.. Nor.
rison 10 send for Detective Burnett, who
was then at Morgantown, w. Va. This
seemed to please Paula, and when Capt.
Burnett arrived and met her In company
with DR.. Niles and Morrison at the Nc.
Llure House parlors, she began at nee
and told her story, relating how she had
been mistreated, dragged from place to
place by Blanc, who, said she, had no
other object than 10 rob her Of her fortune.
During the course Of her remarks, she re.
ierred 10 q couple oil pictures, portraits OF
her father and mother, which were aiter.
wards found In Nicoll'g Art store, q few
doors below the Mcclure House in Wheel.
ing. When Paula had concluded the re.
cl(al OF her wrongs, DR.. Morrison proposed
to employ Capt Burnett 10 work up the
case, which was speedily agreed to by
Paula. and q few minutes later the follow.
Ing contract had been drawn up and Algn.
ed.
WHEELING, W. Va, Jan, 20, 1885.
~ Whom q Nay Concern!
This 10 to certify that the contract en-.
tered into between All W. Burnett and
MIG u6 DTAuUui bNlu DuEuotb 10 W use lu=
diCious efforts To discover what property,
II any, belongs 10 Mile de Branco, and he
Is hereby appointed attorney In fact TO
perform whatever 10 required to do In said
case. PAULA DE BRANCo.
Witness; L. e. NtLEs, NJ. D.,
L. 8. MORRISON, D. D. s.
The story told by Miss Paula, which has
been given above, was 30 plausible In
every particular that Messfs. Morrison
and Niles and Detective Burnett felt q
deep interest In the work Of restoring the
rights oil which she alleged, she had been
deprived by Blanc. Df. Niles lost no on.
portunity TO aid her by every means In
hls power, and In many ways made him.
self useful TO the young heiress, who, II
should have been stated before, was not
only yet on the youthful side Of twenty.
one, 10 all appearances at least, but was
beautiful and accomplished, being able 10
converse tluenily In several Languages.
She was Of medium height, Of The brunette
type, with a complexion Of q slightly vel.
loWibh tint, peculiar 10 people Of Brazil.
Her dark eyes flashed with . bewitchiDg
a Naa