The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-21
SOME LYING PRETENDERs.
An Amusing Spanish Duke with = HERALD
and an Enormons Fortune.

The profession of tho royal pretender IA very
much overdone in Europe just now. A Madrid
editor has found six men who think they have
claims to the one crown of France, besides any
number who think they have paramount rights
10 the throne Of Spain and the purple Of small
Italian principalitics.
The most interesting OF the Spanish PRETEND
ers Is not Don Carlos, but q man whose name Is
seldom mentioned outside the Iberlan Penn-
sula. He is the Duke of Medina Cell. Chief De-
fender of tho Faith. fourteen fold grandee of
Spain, first Of all Castilian knights. and di-
rect descendant of Ferdinand and Isabella.
For him and his family the race of
Bourbon Anjou, who now rule Spain,
are nothing more than usurpers. As often as
new King of Spain Is crowned the Dukes her
aid appears in the palace, and. In the presence OF
all the Grandecs Of Spain, protests in tho nam,
of his lord against this usurpation- sets forth
the claims Of the Medina Cells to the throne,
and challenges every knight who may venture
TO dispute the legitimacy of tho Dukes rights
to defend his opinion In duel 10 the death ION
the mountain on tho plain. by day or by
night" As no grandee of Spain has ever
seen At to take the Duke and his herald
seriously. tho head of tho house OF Medina
Cell has been left free 20 spend the income
from his enormous fortune beautiful
Spanish girls and to make perennial tours of his
numerous estates IL II bdil no eau tthNoA
from one end of Spain to tho other and sleep
every night in his own house. Under these cir
cumstances he has proved much less trouble
some pretender than Don Carlos This chief OF
Spanish pretenders once Impoverished
that with the help OF his secretary, he tried To
turn into coin the gold chain of his Order OF tho
Golden Fleece. by the death OF Count Cham
bord and some luck In matrimony. however, he
was enabled eventually to lay up a fortune
against u rainy day and keep his decorations
away from the goldsmiths and pawnbrokers.
group OF pretenders, VINO are chemically
bankrupt. affiict the Italian provinces. At
almost any time one may ind in the continental
newspapers brief paragraphs concerning tho
difficulties which a count OF Aquila, or TRAM.
or Syracuse. is having with the Sheriffs. A
census OF pretenders has not been taken. A
partial list Of those who think they have valid
claims to the throne OF France published
recently, however. They are; Don Carlos Duke
OF Madrid; Alfonso MIL. King of Spain; Fran
els. sometime King Of both Sicilies; Francis,
Sebastian's son by his second wife. an aunt OF
the dead King; Robert, once Duke OF Parma:
Louis Philippe Of Orleans. All Of these gentle
men are descendants ~ Louis Mi. Of France.
The last one "a announce his pretensiOns IN tho
world is ten. Francis OF Bourbon, who suddenly
began calling himself the Duke Of Anjou after
the Count ~ PaFs's DEATH and sent out mani
festo concerning his claims. This course has
been rather disastrous To him, for he has been
deprived not only of his command In the Spanish
army, but also of the salary that went with II.
lie can spare the command, but will miss the
salary, for lie Is poor.