Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-09
nd rHE COLTS on EUKoPE.
Behind the Scenes With the Nobility of
the Old Wor d.

cause celebre" is about to take place,
simultaneously at Paris and Madrid, in
which the plaintiffs are the young Duke
of Morny and his brother-in-law. Count
Serge, while the defendant is their father
in-law, Don Joseph Silva, Marquis Of
AIcanices. but who Is better known in
France and out of Spain by his more mod
ern title of Duke Of Sesto, under which.
by the by he figured as president of the
Spanish Royal Commission for the World 5
Fair at Chicago.
An immense amount of extremely I'M
clean linen is certain 10 be washed in pub
lie in connection with this affair, and
another breach of chapters added TO the
long list of scandals which have been fur
nishad by the annals of the European ar
istocracy during the last 40 years by the
ducal house of De Morny not an altogeth-
er astonishing fact when it is remembered
that the father of the present Duke boast
ed of being the illegitimate son Of Queen
Hortense of Holland and of Admiral de
Flahault, and even went so far as to en-
phasize his mothers shame by assuming
as his coat-of-arms a shield on which was
painted a Hortensia.
The dispute between The young De Nor
nys and their Spanish steo-flther is on the
subject of money. According to French
and Spanish law they are entitled TO the
major portion of the very large fortune
which their mother possessed at the time
Of her marriage to their father, and which
was still in existence shortly after his
death, she gave her hand to the squeaky-
voiced mere" Alcanices.
This fortune has now mysteriously van
ished. No trace OF it can be found, and
according to the code of both countries
it is the widower who is accountable for
its disappearance.
This is all the more the case as for years
preceding her death Ca few months ago.
the Duchess Of Sesto was a slave to the
morphine habit and utterly irresponsible.
1t is believed that her husband encouraged
her in this vice, and purposely weakened
her mental faculties with the object Of
securing possession Of her fortune, which
was not really hers. but was held in trust
for her children her interest therein be-
ing merely life interest.
No fear of besmirching their mothers
name is likely TO restrain the young
Moruys In the first place both of them.
as well as their sister. the eccentric and
masculine Marquise de Belboeuf,, simply
abominated their mother who, during
their childhood. had treated them with
shameful neglect and cruelty. More
over. they have inherited all of their
fathers greed for money, as we'll as his
unscrupulousness with regard to the
means adopted for obtaining II.
The late Duke was i'm Office in one way
or another from the time of his half
brothers becoming Emperor until his own
death some fifteen years later. and during
the whole of that period not a single
scheme requiring legislative or state rec
ognition and support either public or
secret. was started which was not heavily
mulcted by him in the shape Of brides
In fact the Mexican expedition which
proved so disastrous i'm every respect TO
France. and which was the origin Of the
downfall Of the Napoleonic empire. was
undertaken solely for the purpose Of en-
aiding him and the shady gang which had
purchased his support to sell at an en-
ormous profit a quantity Of up TO that
time totally valueless Mexican bonds
popularity known as the "Jaecker bonds. 30
The present Duke of Morny has not, Of
course. enjoyed the same advantages Of
plundering people officially as his father
But having sQuaudercd his own fortune
shortly after attaining his majority, he
has since then resorted TO all sorts Of de-
vices I'm order to restore his finances,
among the means which he employed hay
ing been the sale Of dock concessions at
ST. Petersburg. similar enterprises at Con-
stantnople. and a marriage with the
daughter Of old General Guzman Blanco.
at one time President of Venezuela.
His brother Count Serge. has been ga
zetted i'm London as n bankrupt, while his
sister. the Marquise de Belboeuf, has
been divorced by her husband, not only
on the ground of her moral eccentricities,
but also I'm consequence Of her insane eX-
travagance.
Yet the young De Mornys are deserving
of some indulgence i'm view of their bring
ing no. their mother having actually had
the heartIessness TO have her two sons. the
present Duke and his brother when in
their teens. committed to a reformatory.
TO the horror Of society I'm every capital Of
Europe There was nothing wrong about
the boys at the time. save they were both
exceedingly high spirited and possessed
of the very demon Of mischief.
Thus for iustence one of their mother
fads. 10 which she devoted a considerable
portion of her useless existence, was the
game of patience. anu the two boys used
10 delight 10 toss her cards about and to
burn them whenever her back was turned,
and the Duchess being rendered almost
wild with rage thereby. True. it was ag-
eravatng. but surely not sufficient ground
for mother to commit her sons to the
reformatory TO herd with criminal boys
and young men.
have related so often the story Of tho
Duke of Sesto i'm these columns that 1t Is
sufficient to remind my readers that he
was at one time engaged 10 be married 10
the Empress Eugene who however.
lifted him when the possibility OF marry
ing Louis Napoleon became apparent to
| her.
He was the most intimate friend and as
sociate of the late King Alfonso and in
! CURED the bitter animosity Of Queen
Christine by the manner i'm which he as
sisted and favored her Eighty consort In
all his numerous intrigues with the fair
sex. on one occasion even having his ears
soundIy boxed by her majesty when he
attempted to bar her Eruption into a
pavillion where the King was Willing
away n July afternoon with the late
Duchess of Ossuna.
He has few friends and IS. on the whole.
a rather contemplate member Of the old
Spanish aristocracy. and there are but few
people. either at Madrid or at Paris. who
vii sympathize with him in his present
difficulty with his sous-in-iaw.
The chief events Of the career Of the
,.o,,ro Dule Of Mornv have been his APP