Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-15
A SON OF NAPOLEON !.
A California Man Who Says He Has the
Blood OF the Bonapartes.

n SHuIOTuiA MAN W no says lie HAS inc
Blood of the Bonapartes.
In a little cabin down in the depths
OF IA canyon not many miles from San
Francisco lives an old man who for
years has gone by the name Of Count
Napoleon and claims to be u son OF
Napoleon l. Though uion his shoul-
ders there rests the weight of 79years,
he is still erect, and his air of quiet
dignity and self-possession causes one
to wonder if the blood of the Bona
parties really does course through his
veins. Count Napoleon tells most
interesting story OF his life. which has
been full OF adventure. ~ can we'll
remember" said he. 'that walking
through one OF the large parks OF
Vienna with my mother. Marie Louise,
daughter Of the Emperor OF Austria,
l was abducted. Two men came up.
and, grabbing hold Ut me, hastily car
ricd me to a coupe, which was rapidly
driven of. My mother, after scream
ing for the gems d armes, fell in a
dead faint, l never saw her after
that time, for l was taken t. the
coast and placed on board a vessel In
which I was brought to this country
This was in the year 1910.
when l reached this country /
was first taken to Noble thorough, Me.
l spent four years there in the house
of a French lady. was continually
Swallowed and no fewer than four at
tempts we're made to take my life.
One night left the house and wan
dered away in the darkness and never
stopped till, worn out, l fell by the
roadside. My next recollection was
that OF kind, beautiful face bend
ing over me as lay upon coach
Poor little fellow that l was Less
than 10 years of age. hunted by as
sassins buffeted about in what then
to me was a cherries world, the sight
OF friendly face was almost un-
known to me. The face was that OF
an angel imagined. knew when
saw her that had found a mother,
and was no longer to be homeless
little wandereE 1t was number of
weeks before left the sickbed. and
when l did recover James Plumme.
and his wife decided to adopt me.
They had found me that night lying
near the gate in an insensible condi.
tiOn.
Il lived with Mr. and Mrs. Plum
mer until l became OF age, when
shipped on a whaler from New Bed.
ford. always had a strong liking
for the sea, and for three years cruised
in Northern waters and visited vari-
GUS foreign countries. In 1912 de.
serted the American ship Hibernia at
Honolulu. was arrested and served
two months Of my sentence before l
made my escape from the jail and
came to this coast on the American
schooner Shark. When off the mouth
Of the Columbia River the schooner
was wrecked and / had a narrow es-
cape from being drowned. That was
Septem Der II, l846. l secured en-.
plOyment at Fort Astoria and spent
three years In Oregon before l came
to San Francisco l came here in
1S49, in the brig Sacramento.
"When reached the age of 26 l
took the name now bear, but
shipped under the name of Henry
Seaman. have not been known for
nearly fifty years past other than as
Count Napoleon Bonaparte. Many
people have no faith in my claims
and IT may be that l can never con-
vince them of the truth OF my state
mentS for have not many more
years to live. But it will come out
some day"