Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-08
A STRANGE STORY
Recalled by the Recent Death OF the
Duchess of Hamilton.

The Dowager Duchess of Hamilton, who
died at Baden Baden, was the youngest
daughter OF the Grand Duke Charles OF
Baden by bis marriage with the celebrated
Princess Stephanie de Beauharnais. Her
sister Is the dowager Princess OF Hohenz0l-
leru-Sigmaringen, the mother OF the reIgning
Prince aud OF the King Of ROumania and the
Countess de Flandre.
The Duchess had lived abroad almost en-
tirey since 1851, when she took an aversion
10 Scotland because during the papal sg-
gressIon frenzy a mob OF furious fanatics
attacked her carriage when she was driving
from Hamilton Palace to the Roman Ca,ho-
Inc church, and she only escaped from beng
matreated through the cOaehmac suddenly
whipping up bis horses and starting Oh at
gsllop. During the last twenty-four years
the Duchess had passed her time between
her villa at Baden Baden, her chdicda on
tile Lake Of Constance, At Paris, and on the
Riviera. She possessed very large fortune,
which was increased few years ago by
bequest Of S2jO,00O from the Duke OF Bruins
wick. Her sou. the present Duke OF Hamil'
ton, and daughter are both very rich, aud 1t
Is expected that Prince Alexander OF Hesse
and bis sons, the Battcnbergs (of whom she
was very fondl will benefit considerably by
her Will.
Tue late Duchess was a very great person
In ParIs, reloteS the London Truth. during
the reign OF her cousin, Napoleon III. She
began 70 take position when be was Prince
President at the Elysee. She was Mar
chioness OF Douglass at that time, had three
children in the hands OF nurses and govern
esses, and a husband who spent his eve-
nings ln bigh play at the Cerles and haison
dor. His father, Scotch nobleman OF the
old school and ayerse to foreign ways, left
him a splendid fortune and palace near
Glasgow filed with rich and rare furniture
and eurios, but the Duchess refused to live
in Queen YictOria's dominions.
She was lett widow about thirty
years ago in consequence OF her husband
having fallen down stairs after a supper at
the MaisOn d'Or aud broken his neck. The
real reason why he aud his wife resided so
much on the Continent was the Queens re-
fussl to allow her precedence at the drawing
rooms OF the Duchess OF Norfolk; as men,
Der Of a sovereign German family, from
German point Of view she was just as "h high
and mighty" "a no matter what, Meckien-
burg-Hesse or SsXe-C0burg.
There was no valid excuse for the refusal,
which seems inexpicible, when II Is remem-
bered how the morganatic son OF younger
Hessian prnceet is being fOised as high
royalty on the BRUSH peOple. Her Majesty
could not have believed the story current at
Mannheim about the Princess Marie OF Baden
duchess OF IIamilton) being a suppostiouS
child, and substituted for a prince with
malformed head, deuoting the idiOcy which
from time 10 time appeared In the grand
ducsl (or before Napoleon's time hargraye-
incl family. II there had been substitution
boy would have been slipped into the place
= a. AT.r, l,nfr alHs
whose city the Grand-Duchess Stephanie
used to reside, had some plausible explana-
ton to give for the substitution OF girl-or.
at any rate, one that satisfied them.
The "true heir" was never complain
ant. lie was, the story went, found one
dsy-just grown, helpless, undressed, harry
as an OrsOn and unable to quit crOuching
posture-neqr the Grand Ducal Park. Alto
gether, he was more like an anima than
human being. How he got to the place
where he was discovered nobody could
ever guess. Ills vocabulary contained but
two words: "Caspar Hauser." "Cas-
par Hauser" was the unyaryipg an
swer to every question. For some
timo it was supposed that be was the victim
of some theorists, who wanted TO prove
Locke's philosophy 10y experiment, aud who
had kept him without any sort Oi experience
oluer than that OF q boe in which be was
brought up IN solitude. Those who found
him put bun IN human training. He bright
ened up took, in his sunday clothes, dis
tinguished air. was mild, tractabe, and
showed CLEANS OF memory extending far
back to few cases In his desert life.
Speech was coming to bin as he was as
sassluated. This murder caused stir aiOUg
the Rhine. Caspsr iaDser bad a striking
resemblance TO past Margraves OF Baden.
This perhaps, was the reason why the tale OF
the substitution was told and believed.
However, the late Duchess Of Hamiton's
early married lie was poisoned by the
Queens refusal to treat her as a princess on
Baden. The terrible misfortune OF the rest
OF her life was the terror oi an internal cam
Ger. She fancied herself liable TO this dis
ease, and believed she was preserved from
lts rayages by an American doctor, who,
through her patronage, won great practice.