New-York tribune., 1890-03-30
A LITIGIOUS DUKE.
HIS SERENE HIGHNESS DEARLY LOVES A
LAWSUIT.

Vienna, March 10.
If gratitude were sentiment OF which lawyers
were capable the legal profession OF Germany ana
Austria would certainly combine for the purpose
of raising some magnificent memorial to HIS serene
Highuess. the Duke Of Biclitz. Prince Sulkowsk1.
lie is one of the most wealthy landed proprletors
in Europe. His wealth may be estimated oy the
fact that his estates in Hungary alone yield an
income of some So 800, 900, and that he owns
the entire town of Biclsk, a trading centre, win
a population of 10000 Inhabitants. From the
day when he was expelled from the Theresianum. OF
Imperial Military Academy, at Vienna, for IN
subordnaton and riotous conduct. he has lived
in one perpetual whirl of lawsuits, and at the
present moment constitutes the principal figure
in about sixty different civil and criminal actons
In 1868, when barely twenty-five years OF age he
scandazed the world and disguised his relatives
by cloping with Victorinc Lehman, woman some
ten years older than himself, who had been actihg
as governess to his only sister. Princess layda'
In response to his fathers indignant remonstrahces
he contracted a marriage with the LADY lor 'n.
express purpose as he declared at the tl"e' VI
exaspcratng the old Duke. III this was reahy
the object which lie had in view, it must dc ao-
mltrd that his efforts were crowned with SUCCESS
for his father expired from an attack OF apopieAy
a few hours after receiving the news. Mafrieo
life however, had no charms for the young man,
and accordingly he deserted his wife few weeks
after his fathers death, leaving her WITHOUT re-
sources. She was accordingly forced TO appeal to
the Austrian courts for decree OF separation anu
alimony. These were gianted to her. although
bitterly opposed by her husband on the ground
that owing to the absence of certain formalites.
his marriage with her had been invalid. flndins
that the Austrian tribunals declined to grant
III. tha
Peer he avaIcd himself of the fact that ne
nosses,cd vast estates in Germany, near Bonn, 10
bccomc naturalzed as a Prussan subject. AS
soon ms the necessary formalities in connection
with his change of nationality were completed
he began suit Tor complete divorce from Ills VIII"
in the court of Bonn. Judgment in his FAVOR was
granted in 1879, that is, after eleven years oi
wearsome and costly legal processes. Two years
later the Duke, who had rendered hmseIi famous
throughout Europe for the eA'IaoluihaiS otaS
of his eccenrrcites and eXtravagances, contiaceu
a marriage with Wcll-knOwn premiere ud'iseuSo
by the name OF Ida Jaeger, by whoh nc ailcauy
had one child The new Duchess was H. Sni.wn ~
woman and on becoming aware III 1880 ohao 10
was on the eve of descrtlng her for some o.hvi
siren. she took, while playing In thls ciS, au
vantage Of of his fits OF temporary apeIId'ios
OF mind. following on drunken spree vi
uurslal violence. to have him consigned 10
private lunatic asylum at Doebllng village
about an hours drive from here.
The numerous and extraordinary ldlosyncraclcs
Of the Duke rendered this action on the parI
of the cN-baerna fully justified in the eyes OF
the general public; but 1t was pitteriy cones.u pt,;
by the other members of the SulHowsSi-bleli,9
family They resented that the Duchess shouid
be permitted To retain the control OF her huspanu
enormous wealth during his detention. ana 9ues1 S
toned the legality of her marriage lhey GAINED
that as the Duke had not taken the troupie 10
remove his name from the roll OF the hungarian
House of Peers when he became Prussian, ne
had remained subject of the Emperor of Austria.
and as such his act of naturalization as German
was both invalid and incomplete III tnls were
proved to be the case II necessarily iolioweu r,Iv
also his marriage TO the ballcrina, were iilegai.
Legal proceedings were at once begun IN tne courts
Of Prussia, >aNony, Bavaria. AUSTRIA and hungaly;
indeed in every country where the Duke owned
estates for the purpose Of preventing the Dncness
from obtaining possession Of the revenues thereoI.
During six years these Lawsuits were carried on,
those in Austria and Hungary. however. being
decided, much TO the aS'Onishment OF everybody
in favor Of the Duchess This was chiefly due
to her intimacy with the late Count Hans WilzeK.
ore of the most powerful personagcs OF the 'enneSe
Court who eXerted all his extensive influence TO
obtain legal recognition OF her marriage.
Last autumn the Duke. who Is perfectly sane'
AT length succeeded in eAccting his escape rom
the asylum al Vienna. and fled TO Zurich. where he
was arrested shortly aftcrward as an escaped ana
dangerous lunatic nj the instance OF the austrian,
who acted in accordance with the request OF the
Duchess The Swiss lawyer whom the DUKE,
howcver had prudcnilv retained beforehand,
opposed his surrender to the Viennese ponce on me
ground that be had been declared by the Austrian
courts as n duly naturazed Prussian subject.
and insisted that if il was indispensable that he
should be surrendered t. the authorities OF any
country. II should be 10 those OF Germany: Inc
Swiss Government admitted the cogency OF these
arguments. and NJ the request of the lawyer. trans
ierrcl the custody of the Duke 10 the authorities
of Bonn. Tie latter appointed n medical com
mission - examine the mental condition OF his
HighncsS and in November last he was officially
pronounced Sarc.
lie has now begun an action 70 have the judg-
mcnt of the German tribunals on the subject OF his
sanity recognized by the Austrian authorities, VINO
still adhere 10 the opinion that he is Insane. lie
has likewise begun proceedings against the
Duchess for the recovery Of the control OF his
estates and possessions. and finally. by way OF
climax has Instituted n suit for the dissolution
of his marriage on the ground that he was insane
when he married her. Should the latter argument
he admitted the marriage bond will receive rude
shock. good many men will he prepared TO
set up The same plea Whenever there is do
nestle tiiT-whcncvcr thai is 10 say. husband
cannot get his own way-there is temptation To
think onc'sself lunaic for having been married
n; all.
or course the Duchess contests all these claims.
and with the object of protecting the interests or
her li;tlc erl has begun an action against the
Duke for the purpose of obtaining separate al
lowancc for her child on The ground that. al
though born before the marriage. he had recog-
ni1rd IL a> legitimate on three separate occasions.
namely. az its baptism. and on the occasions or
the civil and religions ceremonies Of his marriage
Finding that his wife had taken advantage of his
Incarceration i'm the insane asylum NJ Vienna 10
disposc of several magnificent collections Of armor
and pictures t. the Nuremberg Museum and 70
Baron Albert RothS'hild. the Duke has in
s'itncd proceedings against the purchasers 10 re-.
cover the objects in question. ON the ground that
the collections being family hcrlooms and form
ing part of thc entail. were Illegally sold. As
there every prospect of his winning his case
In these two suits the defendants have begun
action AGAINST the Duchess for obtaining money
under false prc'cncss Then, 700. there are GRIM
inal actions against the persons concerned in the
Dukes flight from the asylum The defendants.
however. declare that they cannot he held on the
charge # connivirg NJ the escape Of n lunatic
since the Prussan courts have recognized tho
Duke as n sane person. The latter has proved
unsfatcful for their services and has not only
failed 20 reward them. but has even neglected 70
refund them the money dsburs"d by them in effect
ing his evasion This has led 10 NJ least dozen
suits aqairst him fo~ the recovery of cash spent
in his behalf Finally. there is a snit against the
-.il.- .is..a..