The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-01

counter between the count and prince as
an act of lese majestic and as an actual
crime committed by the former.
A pathetic element was add to this
tragedy by the fact that the dead princes
mother was. like her half-brother. King
George of Hanover, afflicted with blind
ness. This led her surviving children to
keep her in ignorance of the death Of her
passionately beloved eldest son. She was
made to believe that he was merely tray
ling around the world. and regularly ev-
cry month letters purporting to be from
him were read to her by her other son
and daughter, giving accounts of his trav-
els and adventures, all of which were
concocted with pious intent by her chill
dren. Just about the time that the prin>
cess was becoming seriously concerned
about the absence of her boy, she died
without having obtained any knowledge
Of mis- tragic fate, which was brought
about entirely through his own hot temper
and arrogance.
The prospect, therefore, is not encourage
ing for Baron Won KotZe. and the best
that can be hoped for him is that he him
self will receive a slight wound In the
event of the encounter between himself
and the emperor's brother-in-law taking
place, the general impression being that
the kaiser will force the duke to fight
in view of his share in the responsibility
master of the ceremonies has been sub
jected. For If the baron should have the
misfortune to kill the duke, or even to
cripple him permanently little else would
be left for him save the same kind OF ex-
patriation as that Of poor Count Wedel
King Oscar of Sweden was on one occa-
sion the recipient Of a cartel which was ad-
dressed to him by the Norwegian author,
playwright and politician. Bjornsen. The
quarrel may be said to have originated in
a bit Of literary jealousy and rivalry. King
Oscar, as is well known, has literary pre-
tensions of no mean order, and has figured
extensively as poet, author and play
wright. just in the same manner as Born
sen. The latter having learned that his
majesty had criticised in most merciless
and unsparing manner one of his plays
the same which was recently on the boards
at Paris under the title Of La Faillite"-
Immediately flew into a great rage. Re-
garding 1t not in the light of an expression
of opinion by his sovereign but merely as
a piece of envy on the part of a jealous
and soured rival. he at once challenged
King Oscar to fight a duel and to grant him
satisfaction on the field of honor. Oscar is
very democratic simple and unaffected,
save in literary matters. This, however,
was more than he could stand, and accord
ingly he issued orders for the prosecution
of Bjornsen on a charge of lese-majestie,
occasion to relate in these columns, entails
all sorts of terrible penalties, rather than
face which the irascible Norwegian play
wright preferred to seek refuge in Ger
many. This took place in 1879 and 1t Is only
comparatively recently that he has vent
ured to return home, being encouraged
thereto by King oscar comforting upon
him the highly priced order of st. Olaf,
gift which must be regarded as eonstitut-
ing far more suitable, sensible and alto
gether royal method of granting satsfac-
ton than that demanded by the poet in
the shape of pistols for two. This, / be-
lieve, is the only occasion in modern times
in which reigning sovereign has been
challenged TO mortal combat by one OF his
subjects. Had the fight taken place and
terminated fatally for the king. 1t is diff
cult to see how Bjornsen could have es-
capped he.penalties of regicide.
The manner in which Prince Peter Bona
parte father of Roland Bonaparte, received
the demand for satisfaction addressed TO
him by NJ Pascal Grousset toward the end
OF 1869 will be remembered by all those
who have had occasion TO study the his
tory of the Napoleonic reign; for his ac-
ton in shooting down in his own drawing
room NJ Groussets second, Victor Noir,
contributed in no small measure to the
fall Of the empire. Another Bonaparte
who received challenge during the palmy