, 1891-04-26

ner, are now forced to do so in ways that are
frequently criminal. Both by training and
tradition they are, with few exceptions, un-
fitted for Labor Of a ramunerAtive kind, and
they are therefore tempted to seek their
livelihood in paths which are exceedingly
crooked. Poverty and n lack Of the where
withAl to maintain the kind OF existence
to which they have been accustomed must
account for the almost Incredible number
OF titled personages, bearing names that
are often historical, who are now wearing
the garb Of c~onvicts, There was n time
when men Of noble birth who were guilty
Of crime made a point OF putting an end to
their days for the purpose Of avoiding the
disgrace involved by public trial and con
demnation. but these old fashioned ideas Of
personal and family honor have become
greatly modified
Dukes are, / believe, as yet unrepresented
in a penitentihry or convict establishments.
They came very near II, however, when the
late Duke OF Choiseui-Praslin went so far
as to murder his wife In 1s47. for the pur.
pose OF marrying the beautiful goveraess
OF his children. The duke. who was the
fatherlnlAw Of the New York girl, Miss
Elizabeth Forbes, the present Duchess OF
Choiseul-Praslin, permitted his friends to
induce him to take poison on the eve OF his
trial, and he was found dead in his cell. IL
may be Of interest TO add that the fair
young g~overpess, whose beauty had been
the involuntary cause OF the dukes crime,
became subsequently the wife Of a noted
New Yorker, and now lies buried in Wood
lawn cemetery.
Princes, marquesses, counts, barona and
chevaliers are, however, as plentiful in
European prisons "a h~lackberries upon a
hedge. and / even know "A bishop aud an
English peer who have had an opportunity
OF aequiring practical experience Of a felon's
life. Lord st. LC6nards. the grandson ofthe
lord high chancellor Of that name, spent
several months behind the bars for au
ofense committed near Richmond. while
Mgr. S~toialowski, the bishop OF Kuli KUw,
in Austrian Poland, has just been sen.
fenced TO a years hard labor by the tribu-
mails Of Lemberg for blackmail and fraud.
With regard TO convict princes, the most
notable case that / can remember is that Of
Prince Eristof de Gourie, who three years
g was the lion OF the New York season.
and maintained his vogue until be was
recognized by myself as having been sen
fenced In 1880 at BeGln to two years penal
servitude for %swindling tradesmen and
hotel servants. Although he s~trenuously
denied the truth Of my assertion, aud com
menced 4 suit for criminal libel against the
newspaper which gave publicity thereto.
he was forced to admit the fact OF its cor
rectness when Identified by an English de
~tectlve, who happened 70 be in America at
the time, as having been arrested by him
in London on a charge Of felony, shortly
after completing his term Of hard labor in
the German state prisons. The discovery
and publication Of his Jail record proved
the death blow to his well nigh accom-.
plished project OF marriage with n wealthy
New York widow, and he speedily van
ished. During his stay he had been invited
everywhere, even 70 the most exclusive
houses, and the German minister pleui-
potentiary, who was unfortunately iguo-
ant Of Prince Eristof's past, even went 50
far hs to act as his social sponsor at Lenor
and 10 give a dinner there la his honor. |
may add that Notwithstanding the presence