The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-15

~ years. D0H1eN IlFIb III GHG OJ IEfHCe
Pierre ven Sayn Wittgenstein bought the
Chateau de Kerleon as a home for ROsaIia
Leon, commonly called Princess vOn Sayu
Wittgenstein.
In 1856 Resale Leon died and was buried
in the cemetery of Guiparas. Prince Pierre
visited the grave every day. and contracted
a cold, from the effects of which he died in
1887. He gave orders that chapel should
be built to receive the remains of himself
and the woman he had so fondIy loved. but
he was inferred in the cemetery of Relncg.
near Guiparas. The chapel WAS not built,
the property is sold by order of the Witt
Genstein family and the body Of the Prince
has been exhumed and sent to Bavaria.
This violation of Prince Won Sayn Wttgen-
STEMS last request was probably tho work
of his sister, Pr iDcesS Won HOhenlohe, wife
of the Statthalter of Alsace- Lorraine.
Prince Pierre Won Sayn Wittgsustein left
lands in France and Germany. but his prop
erty in Russia is valued at 81, 100000 Priu-
cess Won HOhenlOhe inherited the greater
portion Of her brothers property, but by an
imperial ukase foreigners are forbidden 10
hold property in the Cars domiuiOns-
Prince y0n HohenlOhe, as representative of
several great Austrian and Prussian fami-
lies WHO SuH6TSu from EHb OLdT uKdSPs
hoped TO save portion OF his v lies Inherit
ance, but was Obliged TO sell the property.
1T CAUSED A SCANDAL
Prince Pierre Won Sayn WitCgenstein'S
marriage or supposed marriage made Il
great scandal In his family. and by his near
relatives he was not forgiven. Some called
the Princess daughter of a fisherman. others
say she was dansPuse, others still singer
at a cafe chantant, but not one of these
stories is true. RoSalie Leon was fash
i0nabe demi-mOndaine under the empire.
and then it was the custom for those "stars''
to seek their fortunes in Russia About the
year 1857 ROsalie heard that Princess
Mathilde'S brother-in-law, Prince Paul
Demidoff, the ideal bOyard, would sail at &
certain time from Havre for st. Petersburg.
Demidotf, in those days, attracted every
bOdy's attention, because of his palace ia
the Rue Jean G0nj0u, Paris, now the prop
erty of the Duke de Charities, because of the
famous Sancy diamond that often sparkled
in the hat belonging to his national
costume. because Of his charity and be-
cause of the wonderful gifts he had made
to his friends of the R0salie Leon type.
Rosalie determined to make his acqHaint-
ance, took passage in the same ship, aud,
aided by the dizziness of a long sea voyage.
the conquest was not difficult. Demiduf
was easy to CAPTURE, but not EASY to keep,
and when ROsalie reached st. Petersburg
she was deserted by her princely admirer.
and from the first day that she saw hn
until that of her death she was treated as
Princess Won Sayn Wittgenstein. Friends
of the Prince say that however much hg
loved Resale Leon he never legally married
her. Some affirm that he was religiOusY
not civilly married, thus avoiding a mesai-
lance, but in Russia there is no civil mar
rage.
A HANDSOME MAN.
Prince Pierre was a wonderfully hand
some man. His enormous blonde side
whiskers gave him a martial air. and he
was n remarkable soldier. Under the en-
pire and at the commencement of this re-
public Prince Pierre was conspicuous fig
ure at the receptions of the Russian en-
baSSy lie was military attache. and / am
told that when on horseback III gala uni
form, with white plumes waving, etc, he
was magnificent. Although an officer of
the mounted Imperial Guard Prince Pierre
remained in Paris as military attacae until
1874, when he was succeeded by General
Baron FTederickS, to-day in Office. Alex
ander III called him 10 an active position
during the campaign OF 1S77-78, and his
brilliant conduct at Schipka, under the En-
peror'S eyes, made him Northumberland
of the army
The Wittgensteins are noted for their
matrimonial difficulties and mesaliiances.
Prince Louis, brother of Prince Pierre, had
also his romance. Contrary to the wishes
VI MS ldiHll9 uC MAJ
and after five years of uninterrupted happt-
ness the Prince and his wife made jour
ney TO Rome, and there he died. BY his
will the Princess was made sole heir, and
the tribunals were fol hidden to interfere
in the settlement of the estate. The widow
took the remains of her husband to his
ancestral home, Sayn. The sad journey
lasted three days, and when; at last, she
arrived before the castle she found that By
order of one of her 6rotbers-in-law the gate
had been licked. The vengeance of the
WittgeDstelns had begun, aud the widow
heard that the house would never be opened
to the chief Of the family. but that the SER
va ntS' entrance to the tomb was not closed.
Before the coffin Of the dead Prince could
be carried through the small gate. the
wooden cases surrounding it had to be re-
moved. Even her own property left in the
palace was refused the widow. Tie family
attacked the will. and the tribunal, arming
itself with an old law, declared tie widow
not only without inheritance but with no
right to the title. because she was not
ebenburtg-Of a nobility equivalent to that
of her husband. The same tribunal how
ever, compelled her to pay her husbands
debts, and authorized her to sign herself
AmeIie, widow of Prince Louis Won Sayn
Wittgenstein Sayn.
LISTS AFFINITY.
The member OF this family best known 20
US all is Princess LeOntille Sayn Wttgen-
Daughter Of Prince Bariatinsky. in 1884.
she married the father of Pierre aud Louis,
of whom | have spoken. On this unf0Ttu-
nate w0man's head the Car vented all the
hatred he felt for her husband. At last she
cOnsOled herself with LISTS friendship
and he promised that when she Should be
free be would make her his wife. In 1866
her husband died and the Princess an-
n0unced her readiness TO re-enter tie mat
rimonial state, but List had made similar
promise TO Countess d'Agoult. who pro-
cured divorce at the same time that the
Russian became widow. List knew but
one way to extrieate himself from this di-
lemma-marry neither and don prIestIy
robes.
Not long ago the Deutsche RandSehau
published a series of articles about Lszt
and his feminine adorers. These articles
were in the form Of "reminiscences, and the
author thus describes Princess Wittgea-
stein:
List presented us to the Princess, aud
at that time it was said he Intended to
marry her. When we arrived We found the
Princess seated beside the fire. In one cor
ner of the salon List was PLAYING whist
with the young aud pretty daughter of the
Princess, while an English goyerneSs, stiff
and angular, watched the game, that ceased
as we entered Princess Wittgsnstein.
slight and graceful, seemed to be of our age.
The black hair, dark eyes and finely ebiseled
profile had something of the oriental. She
wore white wool dress, and headdress Of
white lace, trimmed with blue ribbons
AN ORIGINAL PERSONALITY.
She was an original personality; seeing
us, she placed her cigar ON the mautel. At
the end of an hour we took our leave. Ii
rained in torrents, and to return TO Weimar
we had only coupe, with two places. As
we took our seats List attempted to enter.
But it is impossible" said we, in chorus.
''Wlrat, no way of erowding IMP" replied
he, with silvery burst of laughter. eff l
were only large poodle l believe there
would be ROOM" Saying which, he Jumped
in the carriage and sat at our feet Now"
said he, Put your pretty feet OF me. with
out the least fear. You will be comfortable
and so shall l."
Thus we returned home. Arriving
Therese began to talk of the marriage OF