The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-26
Relics of BOnaparte.

For the first time the largest and
finest collection of Napoleonic relics in
the world is on public exhibition in this
city. Eighty years ago when the First
Napoleon was still alive, the grand
uncle Of their present owner paid 5000
for them. Today they could not be
purchased, and the proba bilfties are
that they will eventually be placed in
the city'S museum in Central park.
They are owned by Mrs. Julia H.
Caryl, who inherited them from Mon
sieur Stephen Jumel, and who has hith-
erto kept them in her home and IN her
safe deposit compartments. They were
loaned by her to the Womans Guild Of
st. Andrews church, which opens its
four days exhibit on Tuesday in the
basement of the church. at One Hun
dred and Twenty-Seventh street and
Fifth avenue.
day and the public may inspect them
only from a distance. At night the
jewels are locked up in a safe. and are
only brought out when there is suffi-
cient force on hand to guarantee their
safety, for there are many of them
that are of great intrinsic value.
Monsieur Jumel purchased them In
1916 of the widow of Count Henri Tas-
cher de Ia Pagerie, into whose possess
sion they went from the fallen emperor
when he went into exile. Monsieur
Jumel visited France in his own ship,
the Eliza. with the idea Of bringing Ma
poleon to this country, and offered him
a safe conduct TO America and an asy-
lum here, but Napoleon declined to &C.
cept the escape.
Count Henri Tascher de Ia Pagerie,
TO whom Napoleon left his personal pos
sessions. had lived in the same house in
Paris with the Jumels, and, when his
widow was forced through straighten-
ed circumstances to part with the relics,
Mosieur Jumel purchased them and
brought them TO America.
They remained in his historic house.
the famous Roger Morris house-Jumel
Mansion-until they passed into the
hands Of Mrs. Caryl
Perhaps the most interesting relic is
Napoleon's army chest. Black with
age and charred by the great fire in
Moscow, it stands in the basement OF
the church. with a story IN its poses
sion which no man can tell. It was de-
signed by Napoleon. and carried by him
in all his campaign from Toulon to
Waterloo
IT had a secret lock. the key to which
never left Napoleon's person until trans
mitted by him, through General Bert
rand. TO Nine. Jumel. on July Il, 1915.
the day before his embarkation 10 ST
Helena. The key was in the posses
sion OF Nine. Jumel and worn on her
person until the day Of her death, July
Is. 1865.
Four Of the eight chairs used by the
great consul in 1900 still retain their Ma
poleonic finish in empire green and
stars. Then there Is the bed he slept
on. and on which Nine. Jumel breathed
her last: jewel casket. painted by the
Empress Josephine in 1897; a tortoise
shell box that belonged to her. the en-
peror's chess board and chessmen. and
the chair and table used by him while
playing with Nine. Jumel. and a host
of other relics equally interesting.
But the attention Of most visitors to
the exhibit is centered upon the jewels
Of the Empress Josephine. They are
kept in the safe-deposit vaults general
ly. and in the church are continually
under lock and key. with a guard be-
side them.
They are the jewels which the empress
wore a the coronation. \ diamond
chain and a bejeweled watch are the
principal pieces. but besides these there
are two quaint diamond pendant ear
rings. a gold bracelet, and a diamond
tiara.
Lace Of fabulous value, also worn by
the empress. are under lock and key.
and beyond reach are the eagle wings
and culver. for the possession OF which
Nine. Jumei was arrested in Paris Ma
poleOn's clock. the Gobelin tapestry
used a Malmaison. a satin-wood table.
decorated by Josephine, and an slsbss-
ter vase. from the Tui'eries. are also in
the collection New York herald