The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-14
Joke Of Frenoh Prefect.

NJ Henri who as project OF the Alpes Mari
times is a familiar figure TO most Of the
American visitors and residents of the Riv-
tera, says the New York Tribune is at the
present moment the OBJECT OF particular ami
mostly on the part OF the press owing 10 his
having declared in the LOBBY Of the Chamte r
OF Deputies that the new press laws might be
greatly slmphhed by TIE enactment Of
statute empowering the authorities to clap
journalists into prison for six mouths when
ever they incurred the dispIeasure of the gov
eminent. he remark was repeated. and not
only has he teen assailed in the most IN
measured terms by newspaL ers of every
class and description but has also
been9 challenged to several duels.
will extricate himself from this dihiculty. as
ne mas from so many others, for he Is q man
Of ready wit or this the folio story
may serve as al Illustration; II seems that
wnen Nine. Melba went TO Nice year or TWO
ago 10 take the part OF Opheha IN the opera
o. Hamlet, the newspapers as usual, re
ported that the Duke of orleans was Ia her
tram 1t was partly in consequence Of this
that the house was crowded when the per
torrance began, and the audience was some
what diverted from what was going on on the
stage b. manifest anxiety to dis over IN
what part OF the theatec the duke was sit
ting. Finally one person, bolder than the
rest, entered the box occupied by the project,
ana after the customary salutation, proceeded
10 ask that dignitary whether he was aware
that the duke was present in the house not
outstanding that his crossing the French
border was prohibited.
II know as well as you do that NJ le Due
is present tonight" replied M Henri, with
the greatest seriousness, put please don't
saw SO.
Certainly" replied his interlocutor, ''but
YOU wo Ia be very kind if you would point
him out 10 me-
With pleasure " exclaimed the project IF
can RELY upon your discretion, and upon
being ass red the eof he pointed out boX in
the third row Of which a coal black negro was
seated behind two ladies, apparently wishing
to keep himself in the background and out Of
sight
"ACoYe everything" continued NJ Henri.
not a word about this Il intend to- have
him arrested after the fourth act, DO you I'M
derStand:''
Within ten minutes afterward the negro
had become the cynoSure of all eyes. The
rumor spread like wildnre through the house
that the cOlOred gentleman was no other than
the Duke OF Orleans in disguise. Inasmuch
as the newspapers had familiarized the PEG
pie with the story to the effect that the prince
had once refOre visited Paris with Nine
Melba, dres cd in livery and disguised as one
OF her toOtmen, it was thought perfectly nat
ural that on this occasion he should have
made up as negro. BY mere chance the OBJ
lect OF popular attention happened to lelve
MS LoX at the close of the fourth act being
probably too sleepy to remain for the contlu-
sion OF the performance. This conf rmed the
conviction of the p bile and to this day it is
dlmcult to make any one believe that the
Duke OF Orleans has not visited Nice in the
disguise OF O negro and sur Sequently been
quietly expelled by the government.