The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
MIR. FLAGLER's sON-IN-LAw.
Baron Harden-Hickey as "a Limited
Liability Sovereign.


Baron Harden-Hickey as "a Limited
Liability Sovereign.
Harold Frederic. in the London Saturday
Review
Until the news came the other day that
the British government had annexed the
island Of Trinidad, in the South Atlantic.
probably not one Englishman in ten thou
sand knew thatsuch place existed. Even
now fear that the tidings of Brazirs
grave resentment. and of the growing ex-
citement' in Rio Janeiro, will fail to stir
up any profound interest in the subject
These little things are always happening
ana some one is forever being annoyed by
them, and nothing important ever comes Of
them. As for Trinidad itself. it is such a
remote and useless reef in an unfrequented
sea that many geOgraphers omit it from
their maps altogether, and not one of the
others has ever ventured a guess as to
whose possession it was. Although there
are records of alternate English and Port
uguese occupations in the last century,
these seem to have been merely incidents
in prolonged naval cruises, and not formal
acts of proprietorship. In truth, the island
was, until last year, a veritabie no mans
land, which was not regarded in any quar-
ter as worth the trouble of taking. 1t
would not he worth talking about now,
We're 1t not for one curious and even re-
markable incident which, strange to say,
has almost entirely escaped attention.
Some seven years ago all Paris talked
for day or two about the failure of a
paper called Triboulet, which had played
queer sort of role in the shadier ranks Of
boulevard journalism, and about the sim
Infamous disappearance of its founder and
director, Baron" Harden Hickey He had
been an amusing adventurer in his way-a
big, handsome, oVerdressed fellow, appar-
entity. an lrishman by birth, but spea king
French like a native-and many genial
stories were recalled of his ingenuity and
impudence. 1t was not until last year
that Parisans, much to their surprise.
heard of him again. They rubbed their
eyes with amazement at the discovery that
he had become James l., Prince of Trini-
dad. l have before me the four-page
prospectus in which he announced his
formation of himself into a kind of limited
liability sovereign, and invited popular
subscriptions. There is probably no other
such document in the world. He set forth
gravely the fact that, having married tho
only daughter of the well known American
millionaire, Mr.. John Flagler. he had be-
come person of great fortune, and haV-
ing stumbled upon Trinidad i'm a cruise
around the world, he had decided to create
a new state. After study and deliberation
he took possession of the island and de-
1873. His form of government was to be a
military dictatorship, with officers wearing
the mustache and imperial of the second
empire. The arms of the prncipalty were
dor chape de gueules, and the flag was a
yellow triangle on red ground He had
moreover. instituted an order-the Cross
of Trinidad-for the reward of LETTERS,
the arts, the sciences, industry, the hu-
manitarian virtues and devotion to his
dynasty" Finally it was announced that
certain European states had already reco-
gnized and entered into diplomatic rela-
lions with the new principality. In pass
ing it may be said that this was to some
extent true. Several Central American re-
publics, for reasons known to themselves,
did recognize him, and allowed their rep
resentatives in Europe, notably in Austria
and at the vatican, to inscribe Trinidad on
their official cards. This recognition may
of course, have been accorded from the
most disinterested of motives; however
that may be, the willy baron has taken
advantage of the fact in his recent appeal
to the American government and has bas-
ed his claim to the sovereignty of Trinidad
on the fact that several powers had rec
ognized him, while none had objected.
The business part of the circular is not
less characteristic. 1t points out that those
white colonists who first settle on the ISL
and are, of course, destined to form the
aristocracy of the principality; the prince
therefore can have no one who does not
possess good social position in his own
country, and some private fortune to boot.
To further insure agreeable social rela-
lions on the island. and to guarantee the
success of the enterprise, IL will be neces-
sary for each of these certain selected
white colonists to take a certain number
of 000f shares of government stock the
state reserving the right to buy them back
in not less than one year from the date
of the embarkation of the colonists The
state deereed for itself a monopoly in
guano, turtles and the legendary pratt
cal treasure, said to have been buried in
1925 To everything else the cOlonists
would be free-the vegetation luxuriante
de fougeres, dacacias ct de haricots sau-
wages, propres a la nourriture de rhom-
me- the vie dun genre tout nouveau er
la recherche de sensations nouvelles''
This alluring document was signed by
lie Grand Chancellor, Secretaire d'Etat
pour les Affaires Etrangeres.' NJ. lie Comte
de la Boissere. 2l7 West Thirty-sixth street
New York-another old Partisan journal
list. by the way.
What responses this quaint appeal met
with / have never learned. In March last
it was announced that the first colony
of fifty whites and 800 cooise was to sail
for Trinidad in May, but whether they
went or not is unknown One source OF
revenue was certainly exploited An i'm
mense number Of postage stamps We're
printed for this "Prncipaute de Trim
dad" and sold to the dealers in Ameri-
ca and Europe who minister to the strange
craving for the collection Of postal labels
IL Is possible, too. that a few scattered
purchasers may have been found for the
Gross OF Trinidad" But the adventure
as a whole has undoubtedly failed 20
reap rewards CONNIE nsurate with It's noble
simplicity and brilliant play OF fancy.
The guano. the buried treasure. the limo.
cent turtles basking on the sands under
the watchful eye Of the zOuave with the
mustache and imperial, an have been
swept abruptly into the TapaciOus nav Of
the British empire.