The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-06

When her mother old Princess Stourdza,
died at Baden Baden she left property val
ued q few weeks before her demise at the
c lossal sum of SIS, 900 600. Her daughter,
Princess Gortchakoff, was the only MEM
Der Of her family with her at the time of
death 1t was well known that the old
lady was in the habit Of wearing dry
and night a soft chamoIs leather belt
tied around her waist and containing all her
most valuable securities, jewels and title
deeds That this belt was in its usual place
when she died is shown by the sworn evil
dence Of the two Sisters of Mercy
who tended her through her last i'll
ness, but when the body was ready
to be placed into the coffin they noticed
that it had disappeared. Nor is this all
for Nine. de G0rtchakoff had dispatched
telegram to Paris. as soon as the death
agony had commenced, summoDing an eX-
ceedIngiy clever locs5mith of the name
of Landry, who was known to have
designed the complicated locks of the four
steel safes In which the old princess boarded
all Of her yaluables which she was IN
able to carry in her belt. Landry arrived
on the evening before the funeral took
Princess Constantine picking the locks Of
the safes, the keys OF which had been 50
carefully hidden away by the old
lady that they had escaped all her
daughters researches. When the local au
thOrlties presented themselves 10 make the
duly prescribed inventory of the property
left by the deceased it was discovered that
an enormous sum had vanished mysteri~
ously.
Prince Gregory StOurdza at once COM
menced proceedings against his sister for
the purpose of compelling her to sur
render what he was certain she
had stolen. The trial was begun at Paris,
but the plaintiff was nonsuited in conse-
quence OF the absence Of two Of the priuci-
pal witnesses against Princess Constantine
namely, her maid and groom of the
chambers, who had seen her rife the safes
OF their contents the night before the
funeral. Mime. de Gortchakoff had pur-
chased their silence by giving them part Of
the deadslady's jewels.
But as soon as she found out that they
we're going to be subpPnaed as witness
against her she caused them to be arrested
in Germany at Frankfort on
charge Of having robbed her of
her diamonds. As the jewels
we're found in their possession the case
looked very black against them, and it is
only short time ago. after long and tir =
some judicial proceedings that they were
able TO obtain their liberty, and that the trial
has been continued.
Princess Constiue Gortcbakoff's story is a
strange one. She is the daughter of the late
Hospodar of Moldavia and was married
IN the year 1868 to Prince Gortcbakoff,
by whom she had three children.
She did not love her husband and
determined to rid herself of the bonds
Of matrimony a few months sitter the
death Of her father-in-law, the great chan
cellor, OF whom she stood in great dread.
In 1883 she Travelled all over Europe in the
company of an Englishman of obscure
origin, creating thereby great scandal, but
her husband even after this act of open de-
fiance refused to sue her for a divorce.
In despair at her failure, she actually
went the length OF lodging petition for
divorce against him at st. Petersburg and
at bucharest. but in both cities the holy
Synod rejected her demand.
She next tried STEAMBOAT, and there she
was more successful, for by enormous brides
she succeeded in inducing the patriarch of
ConstantinOple to pronounce the annulment
Of her union with Prince Gortchahoff.
OF course the decree in question IS re-
garded as entirely invalid both in Russia
and in Roumauia the synod on the Bos-
phorous having no legal competence to deal
with her case.
In referring to Count Victor Crenneville,
tire secretary OF the Austrian legation at
Washington, in connection with the law
suit brought In London by Miss
Valerie Wiedman against Mr.
Corbins son-in-law, Capt. Walpole,
for betrayal. l mentioned the fact that the
count had been obliged TO appeal
for protection to the authorities a.
Constantinople against her VIC
lence. | now find that according to
his affidavit and to the records Of the
Austrian embassy at Constantinople she at
tempted to murder him on two separate oc~
casions, and almost succeeded IN strangliug
him. She is tall and very powerful, and II
was only with difficulty that he was rescued
from her hands.