New-York tribune., 1896-11-22
/ SUNDAYEDITION. !
/ NOVEMBER 22, 1896. ]
h ~

unless he increased the allowance to his wife.
Indeed. the Colonel was almost driven to send
ing in his papers. and even thought OF blow
ing out his brains in sheer despair. Unsuitable
in her greed for money, the Baroness induced
the Minister of War to intrust to her some
army contracts of a particularly advantageous
nature. The rival contractors were not slow IN
bringing the matter to the ears of Henri Roche
fort, and # other journalists hostile to the
Government. who. without any idea OF the ex-
tent or enormity of the scandal involved, began
by heapng reproaches upon Colonel jung,
charging him with obtaining valuable contracts
through his wife's influence with the aged Min
lister. The Colonel fought several duels with
the editors of the newspapers thus assaillnS
him. when matters were suddenly complicated
by a report to the effect that some valuable
military documents We're missing from the war
Department. ard that they had passed into the
hands of the German Government The news
papers which had been attacking Colonel jung
at once fastened upon him as the guilty per-
son. and charged him with being traitor
Friends and foes now pointed out 10 MN tnat
this was far too grave accusation TO be met
by any mere challenge to fight duels and that
there was only one way by which 1t could be
met. namely, by suit for libel against his ira
ducers. The action which he thereupon insti-
tuted in its turn led to similar suit on the part
Of the Minister of War against Henri Rochefort,
tie Generals object being 20 clear himself from
the accusation of having unduly favored Mme
de kaula in the award of army contracts
Before the two trials were ended the entire ata,r
was brought to light. 1t was conciusiveiy
wifes friend, was. on the contrary. the object or
her bitter hatred. and of her cruel persecution:
that he had in nowise benefited by her friendship
with General de Cissey. but had, on the con-
trary, suffered therefrom and that he was en-
trely Innocent OF any connection with the disap-
pearance of papers from the War Department
on the other hand. il was shown that the OLD
General had been for the space Of nearly two
years in the habit of lunching once or twice
week at TIE residence Of the Baroness. usually
repairing thitler for the monday meal, at the
conclusion Of the Cabinet Council held under
the Presidency Of Marshal MacNahOn at the
Elysee Palace close by. 1t turned out that the
fOOtmen of the Baroness We're If not German
staff officers. at any rate agents OF the Berlin
War Department. and that while the Baroness
and her party including of course the Minister
were at lunch in the dinng-room these servants
would take shorthand notes of the contents OF
His EXcellency's ministerial portfolio. which he
invariably left In the salon while at table. and
which usually contained memoranda and records
of the subject under discussion at the Cabinet
council held an hour or two previously. These
notes were. of course. at once communicated by
cipher telegraph to Berlin.
1t is impossible 10 describe the effect OF these
disclosures The Baroness de Kaula had to
eav. France in the same way the Italian
Duchess OF Litta and the Countess of Castiglone
had been forced 10 do for offences of a similar
nature during the latter part of the reign Of
Napoleon III while General de Cissey con-
demned not as a knave. but a weak fool
in spite of his magnificent war record and great
services TO the State compelled to resign his seat
in the Cabinet and his rank in the active service
Of the army, dying soon afterward a broken.
spirited and ruined man. EX-ATTACHE.