New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
A PARTISAN GAMBLER
END OF A FAST CAREER-GKEEK ROYAL
TIES ON A TOUR.

"HoA TN Para October 10.
do not suppose the suicide Of Prince Caracci"io
M.Iissauo will, Notwithstanding the moral TO De
deduced from it, affect practically the h'e OF
angle gambler in existence. That unfortunate
was a gran lson of the Admiral of the same name
who was hanged in 1899 on yard-arm OF the
Minerva in the Bay of Naples under the eye oil
Lord Nelson, and whose tra9cal death cast
.tcma on the fame Of the British naval hero
Alberto Caracciolo Prince of Messano resembled
the istarre Admiral in size and in the outline OF
his head. bat was devoi of his d gnity his self
mastery and irmness of character He was small
and wiry. and his little person was always attired
IN what is here supposed to be q correct English
stvl that il TO say. like groom In the morning
and ike a masher" in the evening. His shirt
bosom and collar ened to be of metal with
white enamel on 1t. and his cravst was 10 keeping
with the shirt He hal bilious complexion and
there was something in his profile which set one
thinking OF raven The eye that was not per-
petualiy hidden by eve-class was hard. sunk.
inoni.tive and suspicious II appeared to have
retreated as tar back IL could to lie in ambush
and to hide its own movements. Italians thought
q An evil eve. and would not gamble with its
owner Irdeed. his Neapoitan compatriots of his
own rank thinking him Jettatore would not on
any ,.cconnt STAY in a room where he was At the
cIubs to which he belonged. both ut Rome and
Naples. his entrance into the card-room frightened
away players
This supers,itions dread of his evil eye Obliged
him 10 ooms TO Paris. where as he was provided
with the hest intrOduction|. and had an uncle who
was the lover of Madame Kranss. the opera prima
DONNA be was at once we'll launched lie took
handsome suite of rooms in the Rue dAutn. get
admitted to the most select ,ubs cerctes mainly
those of the Rue Royale and Champs Elvsees
r,.n and rph RAM a
ton - collector of choice and art furniture
He had good manv lady friends. who were too
we'll known in Paris and IN the pleasure AMI
gambling resorts of Europe. Some of them were on
the stage 1t was WHISPERED that whenever any OF
them intro luced to the Prince rich fiat he
shared with her the money that he won OF him.
The Neapoitau nobleman was extremely intimate
with the red whiskered Polish Count who some
years ago became the iDseparable friend of the
Prince of Wales and remained so until he died. In
O short time Prince Messsnos set of rooms IN the
Rue dAntn became a centre to which illustrlons
and Wealthy pleasuressekers from ali prints OF the
compass gathered His gambling parties were so
"swagger" that rich money-enders who wantrd TO
extend their social relations did not mini to what
an extent they themselves or their sons lost money
at them. Since Mile Schneider shut up shop there
was no place in Europe where a vulgar millionaire
had such good opportunities for becoming &C
qua inted with Royal an Imperial personagcs.
The host. howev or. had too long and strong spell
of lcck for this sort OF thing to go on forever lie
ne"er al this period 90 his played but to win
md he always PLAYED for high stakes. Nobo ~
Thought here of his evil eye but 1t was remarked
that he had phenomenaIly thin an / long nails. and
1t was suspected that ~ their aid he INDUCED IN
that kind of cheating known as la pousette Gold
coins placed side certain line on the card-table
could be showed forward by the long nails within
the boundary. if to DO inside was to win. This
caused his to be sud enlv deserted As he al
ways we'd at the top of his speed. creditors came
down in a shoal upOn him when his gains decreased.
His art furniture was sold by them: but he
trved to keep his curious canes He was involved
ip the scandal of the Cercle de la Rue Royae, and
when it broken up to be reconstructed the
COMMITTEES refused to a Init him Mile. Zina Dalti.
TIE Opera Comique singer with whom he went to
America, ordered him from her presence, and when
he would not 20 but kept ming after her behind
the scenes horse " hi pped him. He became Que of
the most cantankerous of human beings HIS nails
being closely watched whenever he played his
duck" utterly forsook him. The committee OF the
Champs Eiysees club. where he had a bedroom.
watched for oppor unities o expe him. lie often
lost temper when he was cleaned Out"-a thing
one must never do among gentlemanly gahesters in
Paris According to their code Of manners. when a
mean TO commit suci lie thev should do so without
apprising any one of the intention. Prln Meis-
bano got IL , scenes about b gambling mlstnrtunes.
When himself pOste as a dsiaulter no
smashed the vast mirror upon which his name
was poste and in airing his grievances ra ised
storms at the clubs just before he shot himself
he wrote a letter 10 the Prince of Wales aud an
other to lazy of rank who had previously lent
him 1000 To stave off an execution. but who re-
fused lend him $500 to clear of the debt OF honDr
for which ne proclaimed a dsfa iter, the day
before his suicide. financial promoter here tells
me that he at different times lent Prince Melis.ano
sums amounting i'll all to $4,000. but that be
would never have pressed for payment as be OBJ
tainei from MS eb'or letters of introduction to
great folks n London which TUNED out OF great
value to MIN as business man.
Prince Melissapo's relatives have not come for
ward 10 MORN for his death. As there are lots of
cIeditors watching foi the II, dare say they will
suffer his remains 10 lie IN provisional vault at
Pore Lachaise until he IS pretty we'll forgotten ana
then order them to he thrown INTO the common olsch
There was funereai pvmp at his ob>equies vicar
of the parish OF tho Madeleine hurried through
a low mass, ana then about thirty tri-nds no less
hastily Sphinx cd the coffin IN which his body lay.
1t was theL taken unattended except by a few nm
dertakers men to the cemetery. Not Que OF the last
!a.iies with whom MS name had been associated
was at the ceremony Prince loronlo pail the OK.
pensss of the fnnera professionally and caused one
of the two wreath, that we're on the coffin TO be
placed there. This suicide has revived the dispute
a. to whether public bells not better than pr-
yate heils. they for those Who go TO them. But
they dem ocraiize the vice Of gambling, and so
demcralize the lower orders. who are already ex-
pose to far too many causes for degeneration. No
credit is given at the public hell, so that no gam
bier an 90 beyond the money that he takes IN with
him il he Oses aud less Chez ting goes on than in
the private hell cercle, however arstocratic 1t
may be-
The King and Queen of Greece have been here
with their children. ostensibly to avoid cholera
regulations by return ing to Athens via Marseilles
Instead of via Trieste Brin'lisl. Queen Olga rs
tho dau ghter OF one Of the most beautiful women
that Germany ever furnished wife for Rus
sian Prince-the Gran Duchess CONSTANT ne-and
was herself. whom young. remarkable for her ele-
cant appearance. There is not now. | suppose. a
more dowdy- looking matron in existence. King
George IA Q regular pater famias he and she had
81 Of their vonpg folks with them. a tutor. gov
erpess q eeeretary. two aides de-canp, and lot Of
menas they put up at the costliest hotel in Paris
the Bristol where thcv occupied not only the Hat of