The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-01-16
THE STRANGE STORY OF PEPA.
NJ, d sc-van Who Exercised u Power.
frl influence.

a Vi, ID sc-van Who Exercised Power
fr1 Inluence.
Rccently there diel in France a
woman who. although iu-avo-ed AMI
disagrceabie. exerci> ed Il most power
my, tie New York Tccol der Extra
ordinary though it mny appear she
WINS nothing but servant girl with
SO little education that she barely
Knew Il W to write her name which
WAS Pera She WIS Span: ard by
birth and was the mail mi confiden-
tial .ac.o:um o. the Empress Eugelia
both before and alter ner ma rriage to
Napoleon.
1t i. generally a1lu tt1l that tho
Empress Eagenie was principally re-
snoIs;b,e for many OF the most cruel
OF France disasters. She was entire
~ under the control OF her maid who
possessed all O. the vices and uonc o.
tie virtues OF tho Spanish character.
! he emperor ana many o. Eugenies
friends ald relatives repeatedly i'm
plored her TO dismiss Pepa but with
out avail and it was current a. the
strong position to soIe dangerous
secret OF her mistress which the lat
tor cared she would reveal
Tepa commenced her career as n
mere id with white AKRON and cap.
in the service of the old countess OF
MontI:o. taking her meals in the
kitchen. She 4 terward became the
ms>id and conidantc OF Eugene. being
aware OF all her tiirta ions and adven-
lures prior to her marriage to NapO-
leon. On becoming empress. Eugene
appointed her first femme de cham bre.
AMI subse luently gave her The place o.
treasurer o. her household. just be-
fore the later promotion she married
corporal Of the imperial guard.
whose coed looks pleased her. and at
the empecor's request the corporal
was advanced to the rank Of lieuten-
ant on the wedding day.
Every purchase made by the en-
press passed through fepa's hands
not only those Of clothes but also OF
pictures statues bric-a brac and jew
els In each c,!se fepa sisted on OBJ
tanning commission. and thus it was
that when the empire cans 10 al end,
in 1870, she pc .se,sel fortune OF D.
600. OC0 francs in money and 800. 900
francs in Jewels depos ted in the vaults
OF the Bank of France. The amount
o! her wealth b,c2:n, known just be-
fore the Gcc!arat on of war; through
the de-; In of her husband. which rem
dered it necessary that an inventory
should tic taken o. her property.
All tn, dresses. and in fact the
Whole wardrobe Of the empress with
t e except .on o. certain valuable fUGs
ana laccs. We're included in Pepa )
rcrqusites. Tia empress rare'y wore
dress more than once or at the
most twice--anl accordingly they &C
cumulated fast. Every month or two
Pcpa used to organize y regular auc-
ton saa OF al these dresses i'll her
apartment in the Tui cries which
were situated in the avlliol dc / lore.
Crea. lad .es and dcni- .nondaine5 ike
attended these extraordinary sales
when it was possible to obtain i GresS
worth many thousand francs at a CO..
OF only 4 fo:v hundred francs
rcpa was small swarthy and angular;
her Ups were tn n and cruel. and her
small eyes vicious and cunning. At
the palace she was hated but feared.
Indeed the fam:licrs OF the court were
won't t. regard her in much the me
manner as the couitiers of Richelicu
looked upon the cardinals confessor,
rEmincnco GrSe.