The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-09-24
wAsHrNeToN's SOCIETY SCANDAL.
Cause and Eject of Prince Iturbide's
Expulsion From the Metro
poIitan Club.

we are PROMISED rare ana racy ex-
hibition Of society in court some time
during October. Several months ago the
Metropolitan expelled from Its most dis
tinguished membership Prince Iturblde,
charging him with having made scan
dalous accusations within the precincts
of the club against the daughter Of a
club member. In consequence of this
more recently the prince has brought
suit against the club, which has resulted
In decision of the court that the case Is
one which must have a Jury trial, and
the club and His Royal Highness are
ordered to make ready accordingly. This
will Introduce on the witness stand the
elect Of Washington society, and will de-
velop an immense amount Of interesting
fact concerning the stuff that Washing
ton society is made of.
lturbide is prince of the comic
opera sort, a provisional prince, so to
speak. He would be heir to the throne
of Mexico provided there was throne.
and he would be prince Of the royal
blood, provided Mexico any longer per-
mitted royal blood to flow independent
OF the conditions of democratic rule,
All that, however, governs only in Mex
leo. In Washington a provisional prince
Is royal enough, and quite as good as
any In the absence of something bet
ter. Princes are scarce in Washington.
Indeed, the only rival in the princelv
line Iturbide has had Is Prince PAX. of
the Corean legation, who. in spite of his
bona fide royalty, is hampered in a
social career even In Washington. by
his hat. This hat, which is an insignia
OF rank, amounting almost to the sacred
adornment of halo in Corea, looks like
an elongated fly sieve of the kind care
ful New England housewives are wont
to place over dishes of food In the cellar.
and the prince is never seen without ii.
At balls, receptions, the theatre, II IL
such conspicuous feature Of his semi
celestial highness that not all the thirst
for royal blood, which American women
commonly manifest, can quite overcome
the sense Of the ridiculous which Is
equally active in them, and Prince PAX,
therefore, scarcely ranks as a counter
attraction to Prince Iturbide. The lat
ter looks more than anything, like a
Dull tighter resolved on leading a better
life. In face and form he suggests the
picturesqueness and romantic fierceness
OF the toreador, so tailorized and An
glicized. however, that he Is altogether
conventional and harmless His affair
with the Metropolitan Club grew out of
an unhappy matrimonial engagement,
which terminated abruptly. leaving
Iturhide, as your point Of view hap
pened to be, an injured innocent, or de-
cidedly not so. The female portion Of
society, TO woman, chose to accept him
In the former role, and whatever Itur-
bide has or has not suffered, his stomach
would doubtless have a sad and wrong
tale to tell of the dinners, suppers,
lunches, breakfast which one society
woman We'd with another to bestow up
on the prince in token of sympathy and
esteem. When he was not eating and
drinking this sweet consolation, he was
taking 1t on the road In milady's phae-
ton, or at night in her drawing-room, or
In her box at the theatre. During this
public and private exhibition of fashion
able feminine coincidence with Iturbide's
lot, all Washington-that Is to say, the
first one hundred and fifty Of Washing.
ton, outside Of which nobody counts
was torn by general and generous cir
culation of anonymous letters. No one
talked Of anything else Interest in tht
matter was so intense and absorbing I
was even said on good authority tina
golf players were known to speak to on,
another on the links-break through tn,
unrelenting silence of their devotion Il
the sport of st. Andrews to ask and Civ,
opinions on who wrote the anonymou
letters. who killed Billy Patterson? p
Where was Moses when the light wen
out?" Any and all memorable, gray,
and elusive conundrums of history neve
in their day began to threaten genera
brain fog In a community as did thi
everlasting query as to who did ant
who did not write these anonymous let
ters. All the letters bore on the charac
ter and history Of Prince Iturbide, an,
We're most numerously addressed to TIL
women who had been most conspicuou
in their devotion to his provisional high
ness. Finally, in the Metropolitan Clul
one day, Iturbide assumed to name tn
writer of the letters, with the results
have stated.
In bringing the merits of the case be
fore jury to decide, there must develo
not alone facts concerning what consti
tutes the really serious interests of
life of wealth and fashion, but a clea
hint will be given Of how thorough
Washington society is de-Americanizet
Out of consideration for the nationa
prejudices of the fascinating men of tn
diplomatic corps, Mrs. Grundy, at tn
capital, has not 50 much as quarters |
her back yard for the American eagl'
the vulgar bird that 1t is. with its ur
bearable United States accent and mar
ner!
Ride of a Royal Messenger.