Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-04-08
BARON MUNCHHAUSEN.

| sell baron (Qrl Frledrlcn Muncnnau-
sen. He came there. he said. to claim
some estates that belonged to his fam
| lily. but which had been leased and
the leases were about to expire. Ho
gave out that he belonged to that
branch OF the family which was set
tied IN Courland. near Golding. His
father Lieuteuant-C Colonel Munchhau-
sen. was dead. and the supervision OF
the family property had devolved on
himself. He had travelled much and
had met with surprising adventures
Through his lawyer he had made
the acquaintance of and married a
middle-aged spinster named Anne
Margaret Heint1 daughter and heiress
of counsellor lately deceased.
Both parties were content-the lady.
because her husband had given her a
title; the gentleman, because at the
time he was EN- barrassed for money,
and his bride was ready to let him
sell one or two of her houses in Hal
berstadt to provide the funds he
needed.
! The baron treated her with kind
ness and courtesy. and dazzled her
vain mind with the pictures he drew
of the wealth that would eventually
come to him. The pair lived as
though they were already in receipt
OF revenues of estates which were all.
curiously enough. in dispute and
could only be recovered by actions at
law; and to pay for this extravaganza
more OF the baroness property had
to be sold.
In order to expedite legal proceed
ings the baron now proposed TO visit
the North Of Germany with his wife;
she saw no objection. and in May,
1903. the travellers arrived at lever.
where the drost or high sheriff, was
a Munchhausen. In the neighbor-
hood was property belonging to the
Courland Munchhausens, and on this
the baron attempted to raise mort
cages. The tenants received him
with respect not doubling for an in
slant that the stately noble with rib
bon and star was their lord; the no.
! tares doubted quite as little. Only
/ the money Lenders desired delay and
inspection of the deeds.
| AS in duty bound. directly on their
arrival the baron and baroness called
on their relatives, the Drost MUNICH
hansen and his wife, and claimed q
kinship which could be proved by
pedigree and which established a
certain cousinship. 1t does not seem
that the sheriff doubted that his visit
or was what he pretended and re-
ceived him accordingly. Entertain
ments were given. and the baron and
baroness were introduced to the best
society of the neighborhood. The
cousinship it is true. was distant for
the Courland Munchhausens were a
branch somewhat remote. but stout
well-endowed branch, not to be dis
regarded.
The baron talked great deal about
his travels and extraordinary adven.
lures. One day he told Madame Won
Munchhausen that his first wife had
been q daughter OF Major General
Won Werder. Madame Won MUNICH
hansen was puzzled, as it happened
that she knew the Won Werders. and
next day, when the baron called she
told him that his story perplexed her.
as MaJor-General Won Werder had but
one daughter, who was married to a
gentleman named Haseler in Saxony.
The baron turned crimson, suffered.
and finally admitted that his story HAD
been rodomontade-that he had never
been married before he took his pres
ent wife.
One would have supposed that this
would have opened the eyes OF the
neighborhood to the character of the
man. and provoked inquiries. But it
did not People laughed. and said he
was boaster, and that perhaps his
travels were as fictitious as his matri-
monial adventures but it did not oc =
cur TO them that he was not the Baron
Munchhausen he gave himself out to
DC.
One night the Baron's secretary,
Monsieur FOlte dined with the Baron
and his lady in their apartments
After dinner at which the Baron was
silent he said:
"Folte. l am out of spirits; let us
make an evening of it. and get roar
ingly drunkr'
Folte declined the invitation; he h nd
work to do at home. letters to answer.
and at ten o'clock he retired to his
lodgings. AS he left he saw that a
maid was busy cleaning and arranging
q reception in which carpenters
had been engaged that day. The Bar
oness had desired that the cleaning
might be postponed until the morrow.
but the Baron insisted upon It's being
finished that night The girl contin-
ued her work until midnight and then.
tired out lay down in the kitchen to
sleep.
Suddenly. about one o clock in the
morning, cries were heard in the
street.
Murder! Thieves! Helpl 1 am
robbed! My wife is nurdered!"
The maid was reused; SO also was
the servingboy; and the baron APP
peared in his dressing gown. pro.
foundry agitated. Folte was sent for.
windows opened. and citizens walked
by their cries asked what was the
matter. Monsieur Folte appeared
half-dressed. with drawn sword.
Some OF the neighbors hastily clothed
themselves and entered the house.
They found the baron wringing his
hands in despair by the bedside of his
wife. who had been shot through the
head. The baroness was still breath
ing. but was unconscious and unable
TO speak. There was no sign OF a
struggle. The coverlet was smooth;