The evening times., 1895-11-04
PRINCESS MARIE BoIlPlRTE
Row She Figures ID 1 xJdgIsus l,rislia
Dlanlad llbbslJ.
Starting az Princess Bonaparte. She
Rang the Changes as Madames
Ratazzi, Soims and Rute.

Emperor Napoieon's cousin, Marie. who
| now rejoices In the Spanish name of Rute,
after ha wing borne In turn the Italian name
| Of Ratazzi. the German name Of soims,
| the English name OF Wyse, and the French
| name Of Bonaparte. is apparently deter
mined 10 keep herself before the public to
the end or her days. For her name-the
Spanish one, OF course-figures Just at pres
| ent in all the Partisan newspapers as the
victim OF a very remarkable jewel rob
| berry, the gems stolen being estimated at
about $50 900.
Like all the events of this kind in which
| she has been concerned. there has been a
good deal OF mystery enveloping the entire
affair, and her conduct has been such as 10
convey the impression that she does not
wish the veil of mystery TO be raised. IL
seems that until bout q year ago she was
| III the habit OF confiding her world famed
collection of Jewels to one of the leading
jewellers Of the Rue de la Paix for safe
keeping, repairing. and resettiDg.
Suddenly, without the slightest reason,
she transferred the care OF her gems to o
relatively unknown Jeweiey named Sets
in the Boulevard Montmartre. who ceait
not only in real jewelry, but also I'm imita-
10 recommend him. Nine. de Rute, or Prin-
cess Marie Bona parte. as she calls herself.
did not. however. send all her jewels TO his
shop, but permitted him TO have the free
nun Of her superb residence, and TO take
away as he thought fit the gems which he
thought needed repairing or resetting.
A short time ago the comTniSsary Of po-
lice OF the Montmartre district received an
f,I,..
jeweler Sets with being an ex-convict,
and likewise accusing him of having stolen
d number of Princess Aaries jewels, avoid
ing discovery by substituting imitation
for real stones. The police functinnary be-
took himself to Princess Aarie's residence,
informed her of what had come Ia his ears,
and defna nded To see her jewels. Examina-
tion revealed the fact that limitations had
been cleverly intermingled with the real
gems.
Without more ado the commissary pro-
ceeded to search the jewelry store, and to
arrest the jeweIer and his sister, discover
ing n number OF Nine. de Rute's precious
stones in the est blishment and on the person
of the prisoners. Princess Mariescemed far
more disconnected than pleased by the re-
covery of her jewels. and after reluctantly
affiNiag her signature TO the charge, as
prosecutrix. she hurriedly left for Madrid,
where she proposes to remain for some
time, apparently being anxious to avoid
tai king any part in the proceedings. Her
home is really Madrid, where her husband
occupies the pnst of Dnder-sccrctary of
state for foreign affairs.
Senor dc Rute is her fourth husband. Her
first, whom she married at the age uf
eighteen, wasa GeTmanbankernarnedS Solms.
She lived with him only short time. Soon
afterward she made the acquaintance of the
Italian prime minister. Urnan RataZZi, at
Florence, and infatuated the old man to
such degree that, in defiance of the
entreaties of King Victor Emmanuel and of
all his friends. he made her his wife, and
it was as the cons.'rt of Itaiy's prime ininis-
ter that she returned 10 Paris. Her first
husband, the banker Solms, died in the
meantime, thus leaving the way clear for
her marriage to Ratazzi.
In London she managed in some way to
scrape an acquaintance with Queen Isabella
of Spain's young son and pia yed a part in
the network "r diplomacy which preceded
the restoration to the throne of King Al
foDso. one of whose first acts after recover
ing his crown being to cunfer upon her thu,
order nf Marie Louise. a highly priced and
rarely granted distinction. At Madrid
she acted ior a time as the hostess at the
entertainments given by her oid friend, the
then liberal prime minister, SaSasta. He
finally recommended ber to secure a third
husband in the person of the very noffensiye
De Rute.
Her mother was the eldest daughter of
Sie great Napoleon's brother Lucicn, and
married Sir Thomas Wyse, who was az the
time English envoy at Athens The mar
rage did not, however, turn out happily
anu the couple separated. Princess Lett
TIA. may add, Was q sister of Prince
RolaDd's father, Peter Bonaparte, and un-
til tier death in the SOS was a great thorn
in the flesh OF Napoleon III, from whom
SHE was in the habit Of extorting large SUMS
by means of threats Of going on the stage.
Mime. de Rute herself is q sister of that |
Lieut.. BoDaparte wyse who was one OF the |
original promoters Of the Panama canal.
while her sister Is married to the Hum
garian revolutionary general, Turr. the
creator Of the Corinth canal.
This is not the first occasion ON which |
Mime. de Rufe has been robbed of Jewels |
forming part OF the collection hequeathed |
to her by the Marquis de la Pommeraye |
Some years ago her butler decamped with a |
quantity of them and fled TO Constantine |
pie. They were recognized at Berlin as \
tue gems stolen from Nine. de Rute and, /
as the latter made a dema nd for them upon |
the Empress, the Empress was compelled |
to give them up, though not until legal /
proceedings had been instituted in the |
consular court OF Constantinople against 1
tue jewcler who had purchased the gems |
from the thief. Indeed, it was this law
suit that brought the whole affair to light
Marquisc de FontenOy in Chicago Record
Woods and Water.