The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-06-24
COUNTESS IN POVERTY.
A RELATION or C. r. HUNTINGTON
IN MEAD,
Could Get No Help From Him Bee
yond . Ten Dollar Bill.
Her Story.

Atf VI "
nobility and celebrity that had its be-
ginning more thai 100 years ago. lives In
| a four-room fat of a Harlem tenement,
with daily want staring her in the face.
To make the matter worse, the afflicted
one Is a female. and little more than a
child at that. Her name Is Olga Regina
Hatzfeldt, and she came into the world
in this way:
Count Edmund Won Hatzfeldt. a half
brother to the German Ambassador 10
England and uncle OF Prime Francis
Won hatfield, son-in-law of Coils Z.
Huntington, the railway millionaire. fled
| to America some years ago as the result
Of a duel.
Soon after reaching America he married
q woman I'm New York. She died. ana
he welded a beautiful half-lndian girl
| from whom ne obtained a divorce. Then
he married Annie Auer, who in her DAY
| had some celebrity as an actress.
Olga Regina is the fruit OF this union.
| Her father had brought some money to
! America. but subsequent TO his last mar
| rage he lost II in touring the country
with theatrical companies. He settled
| finally I'm Evanston, Ind, where he now
lives. This .hird wife, Olga's mother.
got a divorce from him on statutory
grounds.
The hatfield family has been more
noted for divorces. perhaps, than for any
thing else. though the line has furnished
| distinguished soldiers and statesmen.
After separation from her titled hus-
band the Countess Won Hatfield mar
RED Willis Baker, a good stage utility
man, and ordered her daughter never TO
| acknowledge her hatfield lineage. which
| order was obeyed.
The child has been known simply as
Olga Regina Baker. The daughter, moth
er. and stepfather are now In poverty.
Olga had a good voice. which was train
ed in a way, and inherited talent for the
stage.
she toured the country in THE Runa-
way WIFE and Little Lord Fauntleroy,'
but found neither profit nor fame in barn
storming. Then she began singing IN
vaudeville halls. being forced thereto by
the vulcar necessity OF eating and wear
ing clothes. No one who heard her trill-
ing My Mother Was a Lady" dreamed
they were listening TO the first cousin of
Prince Won Hatzfeldt and a countess III
her w right.
Through il all she kept her identity a
secret and labored hard TO keep meat on
the family table. She has been unlucky
Of late and has been reduced to sore
straits.
Finally necessity forced Mrs. Baker 10
declare herself. Taking her daughter
| one day last week, she went TO the office
Of Coils p. Huntington. which is in the
Mills building in Broad street, New York
City. She sent in her card and was adj
mitted to the m%illionaire's presence.
She was received cordially. Mr.. Hunt
ington did not deny the identity OF the
girl. The object of the visit was TO ask
his aid in obtaining a theatrical engage
ment for Olga. He told them he knew
no theatrical people. and that II he should
give them a note to Roster & Bal that
firm would naturally want TO know what
| claim he had on them.
Il can't do anything for you myself
said the millionaire. but just go and
see my wife. She can fix everything
Then We went" said Mrs. Baker, Ito
the splendid mansion i'm Fifth avenue.
IL was no trouble TO see Mrs. Huntington
and we had quite a talk. | told her that
while Olga had never made public her
IDENTIFY. she could obtain a lucrative en-
gagement in an hours time If she were
10 announce to the world that she was
the Countess Olga Regina Won Hatzfeldt.
Mrs. Huntington threw up both hands.
"'Oh. for goodness sake, don't do that
| she exclaimed. II would cast a shadow
| over the ancient house OF the Hatzfeldts.
BE patient. as you have always been.
| Things will come right in time
Then she led Olga to the window,
brushed her hair back from her fore
| head. and told her that she was a beauti-
FIJI child.
You resemble my friend Lillian Rus
, SELL said Mrs. Huntington. Olga Is no
ut q rIf.. D,r-.D than Nnry In
| derson. As we were about to leave Mrs.
Huntington regretted that she could do
nothing for us in the way Of a theatrical
| engagement. but she told me that il |
| ever found myself in financial straits l
had only TO let her know.
had as good as told her we were prac-
tically destitute, so | did not press The
subject OF means at that visit. I had
called simply to see IL she would not use
her kind Offices in getting Olga an en-
gagement.
As we left Mrs. Huntington kissed Olga
and again asked her to continue her in
cognito.
"a little while after that l found starva-
ton staring me IN the face. | wrote 10
Mrs. Huntington for aid and received no
reply. Forced to it by the growing Of
the wolf AT the door | went to the house
in person.
/ handed my card to the butler and ask
ed to see Mrs. Huntington. In u little
while a lady came TO me will the state
ment that Mrs. Huntington was busy
and could not see me. She had been
commissioned, she said, to ask why l
wished TO see her.
Il told her that we were in the grip OF
poverty and there was little or nothing
left in the house TO pawn.
She went hurriedly upstairs with the
remark that she would lay the case be-
fore Mrs. Huntington Immediately. When
she came back she handed me a so bank
note, saying, Mrs. Huntington presents
his with her compliments. and hopes
IL will do you some good. She trusts
that Olga will keep her word and never
allow her name TO get into the public
prints
Il told the lady when leaving would
repay the so so kindly loaned, and l
mean 10 do it,"
\ New York reporter called on Coils
p. Huntington in his office and asked
him about the affair. He said that he
knew Olga Regina; that she had been to
his office and asserted that she was a
relative Of his son-in-law.
Il referred her to my wife" added Mr..
Huntington, and my wife gave her 80.
not because she declared she was a HAITI
feldt. but because she was needy"
Being asked whether or not he knew
hat Olga was living in four little rooms
in a Harlem tenement. he replied that
he did not know it. but it made no diff