New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-24
TOPICS IN PARIS.
SPECULATION ABOUT LOUIS
XVII AND HENRY V.

srorI1 nj
inc the week which has just come to close
One has been the placing on record IN colu p''"'
80 Tho minors which have long been current
among the Initiated to the effect that the uea'i
80 .ha Connie De Charnbord. the Legltmst Pre-
tender who was known among his adhereh''
90 "t<inr Henry v" was due to some virulent
roieon The allegation has appeared in the
r.,,os % rho important review La Vic Con-
ter,noraine" over the signature OF MaltTe
Robinet de Clery. who is perhaps the highest au-
thorlty in France all questions connected WIN
medical Jurisprudence, and he furnishes a series
Of proofs, many of them Of most convincing
nature. in support Of his assertions. Henry V
WAS only elxty-three at the time OF his DEMISE
and had until few days prior thereto given evil
dence that his constitution was OF most robust
character Suddenly, on June 10. 1888, he was
se,zed with terrible palms IN tho abdominal region
and with other unusual symptoms. which led him
f., declare 10 many Of the members Of his en-
touraee and household that he had been
poisoned.
The eminent doctor, Vupan, who was sum
nloncd from Paris treated the distinguished
patlent for cancer, and by the first Of July
the Comte had 50 far recovered that he was
able 10 resume his mode Of daily life just as IL
nothing had happened. Suddenly on August
Q Re WIS seized with the same pains as those
which had Frustrated him IN June. and died In
terrible agony few days later. The autopsy.
which was conducted by DR.. Vulpian himself as
sisted by a number Of physicians revealed the
fact that there was no cancer or abnormal
growth OF any kind. but that the lntestines had
been attacked by some corrosive poison. The
internal organs showed signs Of partly healed
liberation which. II the poisoning theory be ac-
cepted. would lead to the belief that first at
tempt had been made T. murder the Pretender In
June and that It's failure owing 10 the
strength Of his constitution. It had been re-
peatel in August. While DR.. Vupian and VI.
De Clery do not give any Indications as to the
nature Of the poison. yet each Of them implies
that nothing else could account for the condition
OF the Comte's stomach. During the course Of
his remarkable article Mlitre De Clery recalls t.
mind the fact that just quarter Of century
previously. another prince Of the house Of Bour-
bon the late King Of Naples. had died by poison
In an equally sudden and mysterious manner. and
II must not be forgotten that yet a third Bourbon
prince. the Prince de Condo. was poisoned at
Chantilly on the very day on which he had
ranged 10 make a new will bequeathing his I'M
mcnse fortune AMI vast estates 10 the Comte de
Chanb0rd IN leu Of the Duo d'Aumale. their
present possessor MAitre De Clery furnishes n
Glow or even insluua,l5n as to the perpetrator
= the poisoning Of Henri Clnq. merely pointing
ont tha. In a household u eighty servants It IS
quite possible that there may have been one
criminal among them. The principal heirs u the
Cpm;e DE- Chamborls great fortune are Don
Carlos. transformed by the Request from a state
u pcuury To one 81 ailluence. and the Duke OF
parma-B5urbon. who was already quite rich
humous character. i IS thc d5internlont AMI
the examination by iHedical experts Of the re-
mains OF the little boy captive os the Revolu-
tlonary cobbler. Simon. and who was buried ~
the Dauph!n the Of King Louis XIV. The
person NJ whose instance the dlsinterment has
been made Is no other than Maitre Laguerre the
former friend OF General Boulanger and now
the legal adviser Of that individual who declares
himself to b. The son Of the Dauphin. but whom
lis Gdversarcs cali Naund0rff His story Is an
old one. Il Is T. the effect that the real DauphiH
smuggcd ont u prison ana that boy
dying u scrofula was substituted IN HIS place.
That the real Daupnln was first ~ all taken -
his Two unc.es who afterward reignel as Louis
XVIII and rs Charles y: that they both refused
% have anything - d. with him and that he
grew w IN Holland as apprentice t. clock
maker - the name ~ Naundorff These aSser-
lions are % n certain extent borne ou. by the
remains dsiutcrred IN the cemetery Of -. Mar
gucrtr. For they are those ~ boy whom all
the eminent elical eXpcrt3 consulted pronounce
u b. over sixteen years If age-alm0st an adult
whereas the real Dluphin Was not more than
ten years II age at the time OF his alleged death.
There are many people " rec snized intelligence
who believe IN thc claims Of Naundorff. and II IS
worthy OF note that among the legal advisers II
the original Nlundorn. that Is % say. the father
Of the present claimant. was the famous Re
publican statesman. Jules Favre. admittedly the
foremost French lawyer Of his day. Moreover.
the Dutch authorities. who are exceedingly strict
I'm matters of registration OF births. deaths and.
what is known on the Continent as "ttat civil"
have officially recognized the NaundOrfts as
Bourbons. not only In recording the deaths, mar
riagns ana births but also in permitting the
present claimant 20 serve as officer in the Dutch
Army under the name 4 Bourbon
In spite Of the badness Of times. a5ou. which
everybody Us complaining. the number Of pic
lures exhibited at the two Salons now about 10
close has been far above the average, some OF
the best clnvases having been carried Off by
Americans. at prices witch twenty years ago
would have been considered fabulous. Time was
when "A coupe ~ thousand francs FOR a master
piece was cuEstf>fed high figure. and when
artists were go poorx paid that they had 10 work
at otlrnr trades IN orfVr 10 make both ends meet;
a notable instance IN point being BOuvln, VINO
used his brush only IN inOmcnts Of leisure that
he could spare from his duties "A clerk at the
prefecture OF police and later on in life, AZ IN
spector Of the cattle market. The Increase in
the prices paid for pictures shows a correspond
ing growth In the size and number Of the for
tunes 81 the great world here. and there are
hundreds OF fine collections now In existence IN
- "a he h.
half a century ago. one OF the finest and most
valunb,e IS that OF VI. Chauchard the principal
owner Of the Grands Magasins du Louvre and
whose name will be familiar 10 many Americans
as that Of the patriotic Frenchman who spent
$50 900 To secure the return from the United
States OF Millets MASTERPIECES, THE Angeus.
His gallery in the Avenue Nelasquez Is valued
at over S5000OO0. while those of the Barons Al
fonse. Gustav and Edmond de Rothschd are