The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-18
HE SA GOOD ADVERTISER
LEADING CHARACTERISTIC OF
PRINCE HENRI OF ORLEANS.
A Great Success in the Line of Pos
ing and Lady Killing, but 9th
eryvise N Flat Failure.
New York Sun.

Charming He is one of the lady killers of
the European continent, ranking with Duke
Ernest Gunther of Schleswig- Holstein and
Leopold, King of the Belgians, in the royal
diversion of conquering opera singers, ac-
tresses and other women of fame Aside
from lady killing and posing he has had a
sorry time in seeking the reputation that
some day might be useful for an Orleans in
France
Prince Henri is a newspaper hero. He is a
pr'ess-made man. He is a good advertiser.
That is the best index to his character in a
few words While throwing away rloney in
a way to make a Russian grand duke stare
and seeking the soft side Of life with an
acuteness to stir the envy of an Austrian
archduke he has professed the desire to
violate the traditions of both by doing
something worth doing 1t is not recorded
that he ever did that something Neverthe-
less. he has clutched at the reputation of
having done it. Therein lies the secret of
his undoing.
Two or three years ago Prince Henri was
known in Europe principally wildly ex-
travagant young man who was pouring
forth gold pieces in greenrooms to the I'M
ceasing pain of Prince Philippe, Duke of
Orleans, the parsimonous head of the fam
n.y. A1lo OlliJ ICIdliNG WIZ lOOAtu Ou MIN
with any degree of favor was Princess
Helene now Duchess of Aosta, who had an
equally theatrical streak through her ma
ture, as she has shown by her two attempts
to run away from her Ita liam husband and
her one attempt to kill herself The Duke
OF Aumale was so disguised with his spend
thrift nephew that he did not leave him a
sou IN his will. although perfectly aware
that Prince Henri's financial condition
would have made him the most grateful heir
in the family.
With 100000 francs of debt and the de-
sire to make more, Prince Henri was in a
way to do something unusual after he had
passed his twenty-seventh birthday, and he
dld IT, lie went to Asia. He decided to
gain the reputation of an explorer Just
how he went about it is matter Of some
settled down in an Asiatic city far from
the haunts of newspaper correspondents
and travelling Englishmen, and there mag
ined terrible adventures in undiscovered
country. In due time, however, he returned
to FRANCE. He returned with whOop, and
two dailies one Partisan and one not so
set about booming him in grand style. He
had been in the heart of Asia, they said,
had rlsk risks his life in thrilling encounters
routes from India to China, and, moreover,
had the maps to show he hid GiscON cred
them as he had the skins TO show that
he had killed the wild animals. lie was at
once the pet of the women, net only III the
greenroom, but in society. lie was the SEQ
invited to tell the Geographical Society of
his explorations. The President hung on his
breast the cross of the5Legion of Honor.
A FRAUD EXPOSED.
In the midst of this jubilee three news
papers came forward with positive state
ments that Prince Henri was a humbug and
that ne never had been at the headwaters
of the Irrawaddy. They compared his maps
and trophies of the chase with the fish that
been fishing. One newspaper, the Gil Bias,
proclaimed that, on Prince Henri's demand,
it would name the man who had the full
story of the princes loafng in safety while
supposed to be pursuing the roaring tiger
and the winding trade trail. 1t was never
called upon to name him. A new turn was
given Prince Henri's career by the Abys-
snian venture which led to the duel OF
yesterday morning.
The expenses of Prince Henri in Asia had
been paid by business friends in Paris. They
were out of pocket, and 80 was he. 1T is
bad thing to stop midway in the race for
reputation, so Prince Henri set out 10 keep
what he had and get more. There va
rious accounts of the why's and wherefores
of the arrangements for this journey and
its eventful aims. The special Paris CORE
spondent of the Berlin .3oersen Courier tells
this explanatory story: e,t
/ 1T was absolutely necessary for him TO
draw public attention 10 himself. Perhaps
this was painful necessity, for he was
obliged, in the glare ii publicity: TO endure
affairs. Yet others drove hlm 10 II. They
were his creditors, AMONG whom til" Figaro
and the New York Herald are he most &C n
siderable. These two newspapers We're the
organizers and promoters Ct the pril ce.
How far their speculation is success
full one remains to be seen" After a brief
resume of the princes doings in Abyssinia
the correspondent continues:
Prince Henri travels on. It is hoped that
he soon will discover gold fields, which he
can make particularly useful for himself
and his creditors, for these gentlemen did
nothing. Their services in paying part of
his debts and equipDing him for his Jour
ney to Abyssiana were not que, OF course
TO pure brotherly love These gentlemen
meant business. They have in their strong
box a great quantity Of beautifully lthO-
graphed paper; on each piece OF this this pa
ed in reading it that the piece in question
costs-it does not say is worth but costs
beautifully autographed pieces of paper,
for the promoters are not selfish. They do
not wish to keep the paper all to them
selves. But the financiers, to whom the pa
per was offered, retired modestly, leaving
the%lthographS in the hands of the pro-
motors, who now, in their leisure moments
may find diversion in studying these prod
uctS of the modern printers art. Perhaps
the promoters JOY is not unalloyed. One
must be CONVINCED Of the value of these
shares; otherwise they would not have
placed such high selling price on them"
Prince Henri started out for AbYSSiana
with a great flourish of trUmpets. He was
held up as the incarnation OF French enter
prise and colonial daring. French pride
was aroused and French pride seemed at
first to respond with Vigor as it almost in
variably does no matter whether a Panama
canal or Franco-German war IS IN cues
ton. SO Prince Henri went, loaded with
presents for the willy Menelek and with the
assorted hopes of assorted groups in Paris
and elsewhere. The expedition was not Of
fetal, but it went in such style, with such
a beating of big drums and such an as
founding amount of newspaper advertising
hat II a
sion of NJ. Bonvalot which started for Men
eleks court about the same Time.
TELLING PLAIN truth.
The two parties met in DjihOnti. Tt ere
was a sharp rivalry between them, with
series of sharp incidents to be made public
later The upshot of the meeting was that
Bonvalot told the prince some bitter truths
denounced him as a suspicious and untrust-
worthy person., approached him with hav-
ing undertaken his expedition with qGes-
tionable motives. and tnen parted company
with him in high temper. The tive parties
of Frenchmen reached the court almost SIM
ultaneously, and were received on the
same day by the Negus. Bonval0t was so
Disguised with the competition OF the
princely adVenturer that le tnen gave up
his mission and started 11lncWarc. lie mad
been expected to press onward md seek rev
routes for Frances African trade, but
the abundance and quality of the presents
offered by Prince Henri's private enterprise
created such confusion in the AbySsjana
mind as regards the motives of the two