Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-12
THE DUKE or BRUNSWICK.
The Mystery of Napoleon HIPS For
tune Explained.
From TIE Nea0 York World.

the Napoleonic dynasty there was one
containing a long list of bonds, securities,
bank deposits and diamonds. NJ. Theirs
government believing this to represent the
fortune which Napoleon III. had funded
abroad against rainy day, published ii
as such, and thereby vastly increased the
hostility of the French towards their
dethroned sovereign. Much astonish-
ment was therefore created when, at the
death of the Emperor two years later at
Chiselhurst, 1t was discovered that the
whole fortune which be left 10 his wife
and son amounted only to $4,000 per
annum The discrepancy has now been
explained by recent examination OF the
confidential papers Of the late Duke
Charles OF Brunswick, which are de-
posted in the National Library at Geneva,
ana it has been discovered that the list
in question was merely an inventory of
the fortune of the Duke, which he had
promised to bequeath to the Prince I'M
perial.
Duke Charles, who was probably the
most licentiOus and ridiculous of all those
monarchs who have brought the appella-
ton ''the Lords anointedp into disrepute,
was in 1880 ANONYMOUSLY elected from
his dOminions by his long-sutfering sub
jects. His popularity appears to have
showed their Indignation at his horrible
orgies by burning down his castle and pelt-
Ing the carriage in which ne fled with
stones and rotten apples, not to mention
an occasional dead cat. Convinced. how
ever, thathls people were merely afflicted
with kind of temporary mental aOerra-
ton, and thatin their sane moments they
were devoted to his royal person. he made
several fruitless efforts to regain his
duchy. On one of these occasions he dis
tinguished himself by the somewhat novel
idea OF sending man up in 81 balloon,
who, thus crossing the frontier, scattered
broadcast throughout the whole duchy
several immense bales OF pr0clamations
conveying all kinds of promises 10 the
Brunswickers ii they would only permit
him to return.
Subsequently he betook himself to
Paris, travelling in kind of gypsy cart
containing a bed, a lounge, armchair,
table, library and safefOr his vaiuables;
nor did he leave thus conveyance, all the
blinds of which were mysteFiously drawn
down, until he reached the gay capital.
AS, however, he Immediately commenced
by ordering 5000 uniforms and complete
equipments, the French government be-
came alarmed and, fearing that interna-
tional complications might result from
these warlike preparations, they deter
mined to eEpel him from French territory.
On his refusing to admit the police sent
to execute the order, the door was broken
open, and after stupidity enough allowing
him half an hour for dressings with the
assistance of his Wallets he was hustled
into a carriage and conveyed to the Swiss
frontier without stopping anywhere on the
way.
The government were just in the act OF
congratulating themselves that every
thing had gone off so exceedingly we'll,
when suddenly they discovered that the
real Duke had remained enjoying himself
at Paris, and that the person so carefully
escorted to the frontier was merely one OF
his servants.
Proceeding TO England, he made great
friends with Louis Napoleon, who was at
that time a needy adveuturer dependent
upon the bounty OF Lady Blesslngton,
Miss Howard and other kind friends. A
good deal of the money used for the Bona
parte c0nspiracies was furnished by the
Duke, and on June rs, 1S45, a secret
treaty OF mutual assistance was made by
him with Louis Napoleon. 1t is written
on white silk handkerchief in the hand
writing OF the latter, is dated from Ham,
where he was imprisoned at the time, and
has just been discovered at Geneva
among the Dukes papers. There are no
less than five clauses to this agreement,
and the contracting parties are bound on
their honor and by solemn oath on the
Holy Testament to observe the stipula-
tiOns. In return for the money with which
tue Duke was to furnish Napoleon to es-
cape from prison and restore the empire
the latter was subsequently to aid him to
regain possession OF his duchy and, if
possible, to help him "to make all Ger
many one nation, giving it a constitution
suited to it's manners, traditions and to the
needs of a progressive age" Paragraph
expressly stipulates ''that the first OF US
who attains supreme power, no matter
under what designation, undertakes to
furnish the other with arms, money and,
in fact, all the assistance required for the
realization of his plans, including, OF
course, the privilege OF raising the re-
quisite number Of troops for the pur-
pose"
On the accomplishment of the empire
the Duke took up his residence at Paris,
in a wonderful, pink-tinted house in the
Rue Beaujon, just off the Champs Elysees,
and during the following eighteen years
his eccentrieitles furnished an immense
amount of amusement to the French
public, which finally caricatured him in
opera Douffe as the Grand Due de Gerol-
stein. He was perfectly crazy on the
subject of burglars, and bad the whole Of
his bedroom lined with thick steel-armor
plates which made il resemble an i'm
mense safe. The walls, floor and ceiling
were full of the most wonderful c0ntri-
vances for the secretion Of his diamonds,
bis securities and his gold, which be
boarded like very miser. Avariclous
beyond all belief, be was being perpetually
sued for small amounts. disputing even
laundry bills OF 81. One room OF his house
was entirely devotedtO his wigs, OF which
he had no less than thirty-two. The finest
SILK was used for these instead Of hair,
and they were displayed on thirty-twO
wax figures Of the Duke. He never used
to get up till O'Clock in the afternoon,
and then he would spend at least three
hours at his toilet, painting, powdering
and enamelling his wrinkled cheeks like
any old harridan. Ever afraid OF being
poisoned for the sake Of his money, be
would never dine at home, but always at
some restaurant on the boulevard,
whittier he used to betake himself, ac-
c0mpanied by his chasseur, dressed as an
Egyptian Mameiuke, with enormous tur-
ban and scimitar, etc. His gluttony was
uiogether that OF a perverted nature,
Since he used 10 live almost entirely, on
macaroOns, dipped in madeira, and on
bonbons, of which he consumed an en-
ormOus quantity. His house was arranged
with cOntrlyances and trapd0ors like the
stage OF a pantomime. On entering the
nal the wall ia front OF the visitor opened
as II by magic, and disclosed an immense
armchair, seated In which one was
Mhisked up TO the Dukes apartments on
the ilrst floor. lis mistress, poor, uniOr-
lunate woman. lived ia the same house,