The Indianapolis journal., 1896-08-09
A PRINCE IN COURT.
A Suit i'm Which Washington Society
People Will Figure.
Washington Correspondence Boston Trans

Washington Correspondence Boston Trans
cript.
ton of society in court sometime during
October. Several months ago the Metro
politan Club expelled from its most distin-
guished membership Prince 1turbide,
charging him with having made scandal
Gus accusations within the precincts OF the
club against the daughter of club mem
the Prince has brought suit against the
club, which has resulted in decision of
the court that the case is one which must
have 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 So
ciety, and will develop an immense amount
of interesting fact concerning the stuff
that Washington society. iss made of.
Iturbide is prince of the comic opera
sort, provisional prince. SO to speak. He
would be heir to the throne of Mexico pro-
vided there was a throne, and he would be
prince of the royal blood provided Mex
flow INDEPENDENT of the conditions of a
democratic rule. All that, however, gov
erns only in Mexico In Washington a pro-
as good as any in the absence OF some
thing better. Princes are scarce in Wash
ington Indeed, the only rival in the prince.
ly line lturbide has had Is Prince Pax, OF
bona fide royalty. is hampered in a social
career, even in Washington. by his hat.
This hat. which is an sigma of rank,
amounting almost to the sacred adornment
of a halo in Corea, looks like an elongated
fly sieve of the kind careful New England
of food in the cellar, and the Prince is
never seen without it. Al balls, receptions,
of his semi-celestial highness that not all
the thirst for royal blood which American
women commonly manifest can quite over
come the sense of the ridiculous which is
equally active in them, and Prince PAX
therefore, scarcely ranks as a counter at
traction to Prince Iturbide. The latter
looks more than anything like bull fight
er resolved on leading better life. In face
and form he suggests the picturesqueness
and romantic fierceness of the toreador. so
taiorized and Anglicized, however. that he
is altogether conventional and harmless.
His affair with the Metropolitan Club grew
out of unhappy matrimonial engage
ment which terminated abruptly, leaving
lturbide, as your point of view happened
to be, injured innocent, decidedly
not so. The feminine portion of society, to
a woman, chose to accept him in the for
ner role and whatever Iturbide has or has
not suffered, his stomach would doubtless
have a sad and wrong tale to tell of the
dinners. suppers. lunches, breakfasts which
one society woman We'd with another to
bestow upon the Prince in token of SYM
pathy and esteem. When he was not eat
ing and drinking this sweet consolation. he
was taking it on the road in milady' s
phaeton, or at night in her drawing room,
or in her box at the theater. 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 Washington.
outside which nobody counts-was torn by
a general and generous circulation of
anonymous letters. No one talked of any
thing else. Interest in the matter was so
intense and absorbing it was even said on
good authority that golf players were
known to speak TO one another on the
links-break through the unrelenting s-
lence of their devotion to the sport of St.
Andrew to ask and give opinions on who
wrote the anonymous letters. who killed
Billy Patterson Where was Moses when
the light went out?' Any and all memora-
BILE grave and elusive conundrums of his
tory never in their day began to threaten
general brain fog in a community did
this everlasting query as to who did and
who did not write these anonymous letters.
All the letters bore on the character and
numerously addressed to the women who
had been most conspicuous in their devo-
tion to his provisional highness. Finally
assumed to name the writer of the letters,
with the results / have stated.
In bringing the merits of this case be-
fore q jury to decide. there must develop
not alone facts concerning what consti-
tutes the really serious interests of a
life of wealth and fashion, but a clear hint
will be given of how thoroughly Washing
ton society is de-Americanized. Out of con-
sideration for the national DrejudiceS OF
the fascinating men of the diplomatic
corps, Mrs. Grundy at the capital has not
much as quarters in her back yard for
the American eagle. the vulgar bird that
IL is, with its unbearabe United States ac-
and mannerf