The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-25
A GENUINE ROMANCE.
An Old story Revived by the Death of Lord
Marlborough.


LONDON, Dec. 24.-The death Of Lore
Newborough three weeks ago at the ad
vanced age OF SO will, il is said, lead L
revival By the present peer OF the
claims OF the family to the whole OF the
property OF the princely house OF Or
leans. The wife Of the first Lord New.
borough and the mother Of the present
holder OF the title was certain Maria
Stella, the adopted daughter OF one
Chiappini, the iailer OF the city prison
OF Modena. Proofs, however, are said
TO exist not only in the Marlborough
family, but also in thu imperial and
royal archives at st. Petersburg apd at
Amsterdam, which cJnClusively prove
that Maria Stella was the eldest daugh-
ter OF PhillipfS Egalite, Duke OF Or
leans, and OF his wife, the Duchess. 1t
will be remembere9 that King Louis
PHILIPPE was born ut Modena on exactly
the same date as Lady Marlborough, and
the proofs above mentioned show
without n doubt TINT the infant
son OF the jailer Chiappini was
substituted for the newborn daughter OF
Philippe Egalite and his wife; the illus
trious pair were then Due and Duchess
de Chartres, and having no male issue,
the motives for the substitution were
both obvious and OF u powerful nature.
The little girl who was victim OF this
fraud grew up into beautiful woman
and made the conquest OF the first Lord
Newbofough. Not only did the Jaiier
Chiappini make confession on his
death.bed concerning the whole matter,
but at his own request it was taken
down in writing by the procurator and
by the head of the ecclesiastical tribune
OF Modena. Chiappini's wife confirmed
the dying statement OF her husband and
related how the substitution had been
effected ut the time when the Duchess
was confined in her house. The story
was further corroborated by the registry
in the prison in which Maria Stella was
and in which she figures MS
the legitimate daughter OF their Royal
the Due and Ouch
ess dc ChOrtres. On the de-
mand OF the first Lord Marlborough,
the Supreme Court OF Modena issued a
judgment fully confirming the claims OF
his wife to public recognition as the le-
Ultimate daughter OF Philippe Egalite
and his wife. Copies OF this judgment
exist to this day in many Of the public
libraries OF France, and notably in that
Of Rouen. Fearing that the French
monarchial government might possibly
attempt TO rob her OF the documents re-
Iating to her claims, Lady Marlborough
took the precaution OF addressing duly
legalized copies thereof to the Emperor
of Russia and the King OF Holland,
with both OF whom she was acquainted,
mud the fact remains that not only the
Dutch monarch but also the Gar NiCho-
las professed a firm belief in their au-
the lticity, absolutely declined to recog-
niGe King Louis Philippe in any posi-
Bile way. During the Whole OF tn: Citi-
zen Kings reign, both Holland and
Russia were without diplomatic repre-
ut Paris. The whole storywas
well known forty and fifty years ago, and
the political caricatIrists OF the day de-
lighted to represent King Louis Phil
ippe in the garb OF a goaler. Even
Thiers is reported to have expressed an
opinion entirely favorable to the New
borough claims; it is true he was no
longer Louis Philippe's minister at the
time. As the Citizen King inherited
the whole OF Egalite's vast property,
which constitutes the basis Of the i'm
mense Orleans fortune, the recognition
by the French and English tribunals OF
the decision of the supreme court OF
relative to Lady Newborough's
parentage would be OF extreme import
ancc. Indeed, it would invalidate the
OF the Comte de Paris, the
Due d'Aumale, and all Of the other
of Louis Philippe's family, to
the throne OF France, TO royal blood, and
even to the very name and fortune
which they now possess. The year 1889
is likely to. be fruitful in sensational
events, but none is likely to be more far
reaching than that growing out Of the
claims which the present Lord Newbor-
ough is about to bring before the tribu-
nails of England and France.