Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-15
VICTOR BONAPARTE.
The PRETTY ROMANCE WHICH SUR
BOUNDED HIS BIRTH.
ae was Nearly an Americsn--His Hosnsr
Was Betsy" Patterson
Baltimore Belle
Nav YORK Press.l

The efforts OF the bonapaftis'S W P'"N
punee Victor Bouaparte on the throne OF
France recalls the romance when pre-
coded b,s birth and played an important
,,o,e in the shaping of his destiny-a TO-
nance which began in America ana tne
seouel of which took place In Europe
shawi,o how near he came TO being an
American.
Prince yictor's grandfather was Jerome
Bonaparte. the youngest brother OF hapo-
leon The story of Jeromes hrst lofs
and marriage to an American girl - sad
tale of romance, imperial ambition, ana
d,nlemacv. When Jerome vas but IL
wears old Napoleon /. had already won
fame in Italy. Napoleon soon placed
his vounp brother in the french navy,
The desire being to make him a formida-
HE adversary for Nelson. But an EnRilsh
frigate DESTROYED this p an BY driving the
French frigate which bore Jerome ln ny
American waters. Jerome iandeu III JAIL l.,
more. and there he later tell IN love WIN
ami married handsome Elizabeth Gatter-
son daughter OF Billy Patterson, or lrlsh
birth and a rich merchant OF baltimore
Rstsv. "a she was called. was q very am,
bitions woman. and when her friends toid
heI she was about 10 take an unwise step
IN her approaching marriage she repiien:
HER FAMOUS REPLY.
II would rather be the VIE o. o1o-
thor ~ Napoleon Bonaparte for an hour
than the wife of any other man Tor me-
reply which has become famous.
Napoleon was now on the throne anu no
ras b,gbiv d,spleased with this marriage.
and when lie became First consul u was
sfinutated that jerome and his brother
Tucien be debarred from the line OF sue
cession for marrying against Napoleon
Jerome and his young wife sailed Tor
Lisbon in 1905, intending 70 ASK LOT Ior-
gveness Jerome was tneIt "a, -, en- S,r
taken TO France by order OF the lrst Con-
ami after a pathetic an reo0r and prOtesta-
tions ~ eternal fidelity to his WIFE. she
U,os not allowed TO land; So. having a.
reodv what IL now denomInated as the
BIG head Betsy sent the following mes
sage TO Napoleon: ,p
"'Tell tie Emperor that Madame Bona
parte demands her rights as member OF
the imperial family"
This simply ELECTED a smile; so Betsy
then proceeded TO England. where her
son. Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte. was
horn. Her husband went TO Paris by com
,nand of the Emperor, little dreaming that
he would never see his wife again save
with another wife upon his arm.
Tie Emperor refused TO recognize the
marriage, but granted Betsy An annuity OF
81. 600 for returning TO America ana agree
ing TO renounce the name OF p"hapfItc'
She however. returned 10 Europe many
times. where she figured az the centre OF
sensations ut foreign courts, her beauty
and aueenly bearing winning her muen
Jerome. her husband. was forced by the
Emperor TO contrac bigamOus marriage
with Catherine of Wurtemberg. the Kings
daughter and was soon after made hing OF
Westphalia. He tired in vain to get
Retsy's son. who was called 9" Boz for an
Authorization of Bonaparte. She declined
an offer from Jerome of ducaI crown
with S4O. 900 yearly on these terms
Westphalia is too small for two queens.
Besides. / already receive $4,000 yearly
from the Emperor, and / would rather be
protected by the wing of the eagle than be
dependent on the bill OF goose?
DO" later frequently visited his father,
however. and was well treated by the
family. principally by Princess Matilda,
his half sister. After marrying. against
his mothers wishes, a Baltimore woman,
he visited Emperor Napoleon, Ill, his
cousin. at the latter's invitation. lie was
legitimized and received as member OF
the family. His half brother, Prince Ma
poleon. the son of his father by Catherine;
and the father of Victor. having quarrelled
with Napoleon I'LL, "Bo" came near beng
made heir presumptive, but he was de-
clared Ineligible. SO Napoleon and now
Victor became the recognized heirs to the
throne.
BETsYs OLD AGE.
King Jerome died in 1860. when Betsy
made futile attempt to obtain part OF his
estate. She then fell somewhat into
Innocuous desuetude. In her old age her
constant companions were carpet bag
and red umbrella. red being the color of
the Napoleonic dynasty. Bo" died In
1870. and Betsy, his mother. in 1879, at the
age of a. She left a fortune of $1,000 900
to-" Bo's" two sons. Jerome and Charles j.
The latter married Miss Nellie Day, of Bos-
ton.
And il was this concatenat ION of circum-
stance that barely prevented Prince Victor
from being born on American soil. He is
but 80 years old. having been born in 1862.
The circumstances attending the rather
uneventful life of "Plon Plon" and OF
Victor are of too recent date to need repe-
tition. When Victor practically seeded
from his father he declared his allegiance
to the republic and renounced all claim 10
a throne which he could not see even IN
the distance. Will he now, at the instance
of a few followers, disavow his promises!