Asheville daily citizen., 1894-09-24
A GIDDY PRINCESS.
The Sister Of 1taly's King Outs q
Caper on Wheels.
In Consequence Of Which the Frolic-
some Lady Il Placed Under the Han
Of Royal Displeasure and
Sent to Coventry.

Bicycles caused no end of bad blood
lin more senses than one, 1t is to be
feared-before finally obtaining the
right Of citizenship among orthodox
vehicles of the road; and, universal
though they have now become among
ordinary mortals, they have still q deal
Of uphill work to accomplish before
acquiring status among the surround
ings Of royalty. OF course, prince or
king may bcstride wheel" and do
anything but break record or his
neck; but were princess SO fur to for
get what she owed to her house, her
dignity and her long line Of ancestors
as to patronize this democratic means
Of locomotion, the whole civ ilized world
would be expec ted to stand aghast at
the dcsccration Of royalty implied by
the act. And this is the horrible deed
that has just been announced by the
telegraph, and has thrown Italian court
circles into ceremonial commissions.
The catastrophe, says Rome CORES.
pondent of the London Telegraph, oc.
Cured In Turin, and the heroine and
victim-the lady is both--is the pretty,
accomplished young widow, the duchess
Of Aosta, who Is staying at the castle
of Stupinigi. Princess Maria Loetizia
Is q sister-in-law Of the present king Of
Italy, she having married In 1888 his
brother, Prince Amadeo, duke Of Aosta,
who died In 1900. This lady, who is q
Bonsparte, Is not merely accomplished
and pretty, but is brimful of life and
fun, and takes a positive delight in
tramping upon the rigid court ceremo-
NAL OF past ages. The last Of her
frolics was executed on bicycle made
for one.
She set out few days ago on one
Of these tabooed vehicles, accompanied
by maid Of honor and two court cav
alters, and after o long ride the party
were flying up one Of the shady ave-
nues leading to tho palace OF the dukes
Of Aosta, when company Of soldiers
commanded by a major met them half
way, glanced at them furtively, and
perhaps o trifle too curiously or crit
ically, and marched on without making
o sign. The duchess, rendered more
sensitive than usual by the conscious
ness that she was transgressing the
bounds OF court etiquette, felt hurt at
not being saluted In the approved fash.
lon by the major and his soldiers. This
was perhaps human nature, and, as
such, excusable. But the lively lady
went much further; she actually COM
planned Of the conduct Of the major,
who had, she affirmed, culpably neg
lected to salute her. The commandant
Of Turin, Gen. dOncinn de Ia Batin, at
once summoned the officer to appear
before him and explain his conduct
The major said he was guiltless Of any
offense, as he did not recognize the
high-born lady, oddly dressed and
seated between two wheels, and would
never have permitted himself to think
Of her hlghness as severe bicyclist.
Had he known or suspected 1t was
she, OF course he would have, etc., etc.
Gen. de 10 Batin, uncertain what course
TO take, appealed to the Solomonistic
wisdom Of the war minister, to whom
he forwarded q detailed report Of the
whole occurrence, asking for instruc.
tions as to the punishment to be meted
out to the major, whom he meanwhile
kept In arrest. Tho minister Of war,
II not precisely Solomon, was at least
quite shrewd enough to sec that the
ground he was treading was courtly-
II not holy--and instead Of taking the
responsibility upon himself demanded
ON audience Of the king, before whom
he laid the report Of the commandant
The monarch cut the Gordian knot ir
. twinkling. He sent telegraphit
order TO Turin releasing the majo,
from arrest and entirely exoneratine
him In the matter. This, however, ,wai
the solution Of only one.half Of tn,
question; tho remaining moiety con
cerned the lively young widow; ant
the king sent his bicycle-loving sistor
in-law an order forbidding her TO at
tire herself irp red court costume fol
the space Of two calendar months, ,
prohibition which Is equivalent Il
strict domestic arrest for that period
The princess IL therefore absolutely In
visible to tho good citizens Of Turin
who were won't 10 watch and salut,
her two or three times daily, % sh'
rode or drove or walked about tn,
streets Of the historic old city.
The inhabitsnta console thamsalye