The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-20
FRANCES RED sPEcreR.
The Scarlet Ghost That Warned Napoleon
of His Impending Downfall,

| sS ~ PeAhuAnk DoWnh6ls
According to the general belief. the
"Red Specter' Of the French (Which is q
familiar" corresponding to the "Weisse
Dame" or white Lady" of the German
royalty) only made his appearance at the
Iulleries on the eve Of some great nation
al disaster.
Some accounts declare that tho red nd
partition visited both Louis XVII and Ma
rae Antoinette on several occasions, max
Ing his last appearance TO the latter ON the
evening preceding the day upon which
she suffered death by the guillotine, but /
have it on pretty good authority that he
was unknown prior to the battle OF the
Pyramids, July 81, 1898, a fact which will
be more clearly set forth before this note
Is finished.
The news of the Red Specter's periodical
visits to the great Napoleon first became
the property Of the general public in 1914.
no less parsonage than Count Mole be-
Ing responsible for its publication. Mole
declared that he had been acting as n
guard at tho Tuileries, and that he had re-
ceived express command from the emperor
to admit no one. Hardly had an hour
passed when a queer looking character,
dressed in scarlet from head to foot, made
his appearance in the hallway. He was
promptly halted, but as promptly demand.
ed to SEQ the emperor Mole attempted to
explain the situation, but the Red Man
would not bear to it. "Tell your master" {"
he persisted, that the Red Man is await
ing an audience" Mole obeyed the spec
ter's command. Napoleon, the imam of
iron," blanched and his arms dropped
neryeless TO his sides when Mole made the
announcement. Finally he regained his
composure and gave orders for the unwel-
come guest to be admitted. Mole, at the
risk of losing royal favor, listened at the
chamber door, and afterward attested ON
oath that he heard the following rcmarka-
bio conversation between the Red Man
and the emperor:
"GencraA" said the specter, 'this Is the
third tune that have appeared before you
as man. The first time we met was In
EGYPT on the eve of the battle of the Pyr
amids (sic); the second, after the battle OF
Wagram. At the last named place gave
You four years in which to conquer all
Europe or make peace with the allies.
Now l come for the third and last time tu
warn you that you have but three short
months of power. In three months from
this hour the allies will be in Paris A
general conquest or a general peace must
be had within 90 days; otherwise your
power will be confined to small bleak |
island OF the sea-" Saying this, the specter |
left the room even while the emperor was
trying to explain that either conquest or
peace would be impossible in such short |
space of time. On March 81 (this meeting |
Is said 60 have taken place on Jan. /, 1914 |
the aliens were In possession of Paris, and |
Napoleon was soon after made a ''soy-
reign" over the miserable little island of
Elba. The red ghost is said TO have once
visited the little king of Rome (Napoleon's
'on) also Louis XVIII in 1924, and tc
rave made his appearance in Paris in 1871,
Turing the last days of the commune. He. |
ias never, TO my knowledge, been spoken
u In connection with the rulers of repub.
lean France st. Louis Republic.