St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-27
CAPITAL SCANDALS.
Unfortunate Events Wildly
Recalled by the Death Of
a Minister.
What Is Remembered of the
Pretty Wife Of Russian
Minister Catacazy.
An Adventures Who Became
Prominent in Diplomatic
Circles.
Minister CatacaZy Ordered
Home by Request Of Pres
ident Grant.

minister at this post twenty years ago.
Better men have been forgotten in half
of twenty years. But it is not the Rus
sian minister people care to remember
even now, but the Russian minister's
wife-the beautiful woman whose mar
velous golden hair was the envy Of
other women. Madame CatacaZy was
not only a beautiful woman, but
she was brilliant woman in in
tellect and accomplishments. Those
who are familiar with the social
regime OF the early part of President
Grants administration know all about
the "Catacazy scandal" Madame had
been married when very young to an
Italian count many years her senior.
There was no love on her side. She
soon after met Mr.. Catacazy, then
handsome young Russian, who had Just
been appointed secretary of the Russian
legation at W ashingtOn. She left her
Italian husband, whom she did not love,
and came to Washington, living quietly
here, but under the protection of the
young Russian secretary. Official
society shrugged its shoulders,
but made no protest. Meantime
the young Russian diplomat was wei
coined everywhere, courted and smiled
upon by fashionable mothers and their
more fashionable daughters, quite the
same as many young diplomats are
courted and smiled upon in the present
time. MI. CatacaZy's relations With the
'beautiful stranger did not stand in
the way of his promotion, and when he
left Washington it was to go the Austrl-
an court. Step by step he advanced in
the diplomatic service, and about fifteen
years later he returned to Washington
and presented his credentials as envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipoten-
tiary, the representative of the car.
Free to Marry.
In the meantime the Italian count
had died, and the beautiful countess
with the marvellous golden hair was
free. They we're married, and she be-
came Mime Catacazy. The interpoSition
of Providence in the removal of her first
husband was followed speedily by her
marriage to the second. This seemed
to be sufficient atOnement for her early
fault, and she was received at the Rus
sian court. Of course she returned to
Washington the wife of the Russian
minister. Her beauty and brilliant in
tellect at once attracted attention, and
she was prominent figure in the diplo
matte circle.
At first it was not known that her
coming was a return, for 1t was not Sis
pected that the Russian minister's wife
and the beautiful stranger" of fifteen
years before were one and the same
woman. A plain, undressing woman
perhaps might have passed unsuspect-
ed, for she would have attracted little
or no notice. Not so. however, with
MIME. CatacaZy and the republican
court" would not receive her. And yet,
when one remembers that the ''repub-
lican court" just at the time was not
the most circumSpect in good behavior,
one feels that its righteous Indignation
against the beautiful foreigner was
rather far-fetched.
1t has been said that Mrs. Fish, wife
of the secretary of state, gracious wom-
an that she was, tried to avert the So
cial Punishment of Nine. CatacaZy, but
in vain. American women would not
receive her, though, without doubt, had
the minister sent his wife home, he
would have been received without her.
But President Grant decided that there
should not be one code of morals for
the husband and another code of morals
for the wife. Ee declined to receive
the Russian minister, but, of course,
without half the talk about it made
by the women who would not re-
ceive the RuSsiansminister's wife. Mr..
CatacaZy was shortly after recalled at
the request of the president. 1t is Seri-
Gus thing when the recall of minister
is asked by the government to which he
is sent. 1t has hardly happened above
three or four times within a century.
In one of two instances since the Catac-
aZy recall it was kept so much of state
secret that not above dozen people in
Washington knew what was generally
understood to be resignation was. in
fact, recall, asked for by the president
and the secretary of state.
Another Case.
History, it is often said, repeats itself
If the CalacaZy episode does not repeat
itself it will not be because official So
ciety has wholly reformed since the
CatacaZy day. Several other young men
in the foreign circles are following
pretty closely the example set by the
poung Russian many years back, though
they may never become ENJOYS extra
ordinary and ministers plenipotentiary.
1t is scarcely two years since the Secre-
tary of legation, one of the clevereSt
and handsomest men in the corps, be-
came surrounded by mysterious
Friendship" Strangely enough, this
"beautful stranger is also
blonde, with golden hair The young
man is a bachelor. and, what is eXcep-
tional among the young legation men, is
supposed to be wealthy. He has spent
his money very generously here in So
cial entertainments. He did not at
tempt to introduce his beautiful
friend" and her presence in Wash
ington. t leugh known in his set, did not
prevent him from being made much Of
xxrlan I'm
the truth only shrugged their shoulders.
vi is none of our business" some of
them declared. Fortunately for the
young secretary, but more fortu-
nately, perhaps, for official society,
his duties have called him to New
York. In the great metropolis his life
will excite no question, as here in the
small official round. But in many
features it is a second Catacazy begin
ming. In one particular it is parallel,
for this young secretary is very clever,
and, like young Cataeazy, gives prom
Use of il brilliant career. One wonders
how it will end, and if the end will be
so much of Moman's constancy and
mans falthfulness as was the end of the
Catacazys.
Monsieur amuses himself over here
and madame amuSes herself over there.
If they are agreed, who shall eomplan?''
This was the comment made by the
wife of foreign minister not long ago
when the conduct of secretary of lega-
ton had become the subject of open
gossip.
Monsieur" is foreigner with a rich
American wife who prefers to live
abroad. Though he has served his
country at Washington some half
dozen OF more years, his American wife
has not once favored the American cap
itai with her presence. Naturally the
man has no home life of his own, and
he has sought it in the homes of other
men. For some time after he came to
Washington his constant attendance OH
the wife of another diplomat gave
strangers the impression that he was
the iady's husband. However, this was
diSpelled by the occasional appearance
of the husband and wife together
at the same entertainment. Then he was
supposed to be bachelor-a very fiirta-