The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-12-28
ECCENTRIc PERsoNAGES.
Some Peculiarities of a Few of Europe
Oldest "Cranks."


Oldest "Cranks."
To the Odyssey of Prince Joseph Sui
koffski, who was imprisoned in lunatic
asylum at Vienna, escaped to Switzer-
land, and once again imprisoned in an
asylum at Brun, has now been added
another chapter. A board Of medical
men who have been sitting on" the
eccentric Austrian millionaire have de-
clared that he is perfectly sane, and
that what in his case has been pro.
nounced insanity was nothing but origi-
nality and eccentricity, and consequent
ly his Highness the Prince is once again
at liberty and able to pursue the uneven
tenor of his ways.
Apropos of Prince Sulkoffski'S release,
the Paris Figaro publishes an account of
number of other eccentric personages
in European high life; among them
King Louis ii. of Bavaria naturally
takes the first place. Duke Theodore
of Bavaria, who has recently performed
his thousandth successful operation as
an oculist, is mentioned as the one
member of the Bavarian house whose
eccentricity is of useful and laudable
kind. His two august sisters, the En-
press of Austria and the Queen of
Naples, have also many traits in their
character which mark them at once as
belonging to the eccentric Bavarian race.
In the Hohenzollern this particular
ism" has, ever since Frederick William
1. and Frederick the Great, shown itself
in brutal and cynical trait. An excep-
ton to this rule is Prince Frederick, the
owner of the charming Castle of Rhen-
stein, on the banks of the Rhine, who
often shows visitors over his beautiful
residence and explains the treasures of
his museum of antiquities.
But the best and most frequent speci-
mems of an eccentric nation hail from
the land of John Bull. Among them is
men toned Mr.. Cecil S. (the Figaro
warily suppresses the surname), who,
for many years, made Paris ring with
stories of his wild doings. Finally govt
attacked him, and he was doomed to
perpetual confinement at home. The
ballet having always been specially pat
ronized by him, Mr.. S. started a ballet
in his own four walls, where he kept an
entire stage with all that belongs to it,
including costumes of every possible
variety. Five or six spectators were in
vited to the photographic Spectacles,
the artists in which were paid with more
than princely liberality. Although Mr..
S. could never set a foot outside his
house he always retained his ten horses
and four carriages, which were regularly
driven about in the Bots and on the
boulevards, somewhat like the empty
carriages seen behind hearse.
Russia, too, has always had her eccen-
trio representatives at Paris but has
now accepted the social law of France,
according to which, among the inhab
itants of the most revolutionary country
in Europe, it is considered extremely
ill-bred to show any eccentricity. The
last Russian of the old school who made
Paris the scene of his exploits was NJ.
Dimitri d., whose fame was chiefly ac-
quired by his marvellous capacity for
drinking champagne. In gratitude to
the bottles cut of which had come the
chief enjoyment of his life, he collected
the lead papers with which the corks of
champagne bottles are covered, and out
of those which he and his friends had
consumed a lead coffin was made in
which the Russian was carried to his
grave.-Pall Mall Gazette.