The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-18
THE KINGS NAME INVOLVED.
HrMBERT IMPLICATED IN THE no.
MEsTic SCANDAL OF DUKE.
the Enmisy of Empress EuGenfe
and the Incarceration of the

q
most sensational scandal IN which the
name Of no less 4 parsonage than King
Hgmhert Is Implicated For many years
the Duke Of Litta. wso - at the head
Of the patrician houses OF yisconti and
Ares has been eudsavrring 10 secure a
dissolution Of the bonds uniting him 70
his wife 50 az 10 be free 70 marry again.
But inazmBea "a divorce has no place
In Italian Jurisprudence. ali his efforts
were fruitIeSS.
Some time ago young Count Menabrea,
son Of the celebrated italian statesman
minister and general. who distinguished
himself by arresting Garfhaldi in 1857.
finding that IL was impossible 10 divorce
in italy the English woman of question
able reputation whom he had the mis-
fortune 20 marry while attached 10 his
fathers embassy IN London secured
naturalization papers as Frenchman.
and az such secured from the French
courts the divorce which the Italian
tribunals had beer unable to grant him.
lie has since married axsin and returned
10 Italy. and the legal question was raised
ss 20 whether his French divorce
would be regarded as valid there or
whether he would be prosecuted for big
amy. The issue has recently been settled
t- his favor. ard this has lsi the long
suffering Duke Of I.itsa TO take stems 30
secure a divorce from his wife by the
same means. That Is 70 say he has
abandoned his Italian nationality. become
= French citizen, and has Instituted in
the French courts divorce proceedings
against his duchess on statutory grounds.
naming no less a parsonage than King
Humbert as correspondent.
II is probable that the suit will he un-
defended. unless. indeed the French
courts question their own competence to
summon reignlng sovereign 10 answer
-. -
tmacy between the king and duchess Is
known from one end Of Europe TO the
other. II existed for several months
prior to his marriage. continuing after
ward. the INDICATION felt by Queen Mar
guerite who AT that time bore the title
of Princess Of Piedmont. upon the sub
ject being intensified by the fact that
the duchess had unanswered as to
cure the position as one of her ladies'
in-waitlng, and thus formed part and
parcel of her household. Finally mat
ters reached such a pass that the prin-
cess appealed TO her father-in-law, the
late King Victor Emanuel threatening
to leave Humbert and return to her
mother unless the intimacy was termi-
mated. Victor Emanuel though scarce
~ fitted TO give advice on the score of
morality. expoStulated with his son and
gave TO the duchess the order to travel
abroad. whereupon she betook herself 10
Paris, where she became a source of great
jealousy 10 Empress Eugene. who. when
the war OF 1870 broke out took advantage
Of her nomination as regent to get even
with the duchess by imprisoning her in
the castle az Eincennes as a German
spy.
The duchess returned to Italy after the
war and established herself at Milan,
where she was frequently visited by Hum
bert. who became the father of her young
net - LATE trst, y,I t14
in ist3. and King .Jumbert. Who was at
Rome at the time. travelled ali the way to
Milan In order TO attend his boys funeral.
Since then the duchess, who has now es-
tahlished her residence in that city and
who still retains much of her former mar
velous beauty. has devoted herself to
works of charity and some time ago sold
her superb collection of jewels, with the
proceeds of which abe has founded a hos
rital for crippled children. which bears
the name OF the son that she bore to King
Humbert. Queen Marguerite is no longer
jealous of the duchess. and Is go indulgeni
and kind hearted that when the duchess
lost her son she actually wrote her a most
sympathetie letter and sent some beautiful
flowers TO he laid on the coffin. Nor does
she offer any objection to the occasional
appearance of the duchess al court
nor yet to King Humbert-s almost daily
visits IL the house Of the duchess. The
natter, righffy or wrongly. is believed &c
exercise good deaf of influence over the
king. politically and otherwise which Is
not astonishing. as she possesses an i'm
mense amount Of political, experience and
Is immeasuraby superior in hrillancy and
intelligence 10 the vast majority OF her
country women. who. as rule are as ig-
norant and tnane As they are beautiful.
The duchess abominates Crispi. and the
latter who sScrihes 10 her hostility the
kings attitude toward him. some time ago
denounced her in his newspaper the Tri-
buna. playing the role OF Nine de Main
tencn 10 King Humhert's Louis XIV
II is some what cruel of the duke to rake
mp all this old scandal. which everybody
had agreed To forget and condonc Queen
Marguerite among the number and
It's revival can not fail 10 give mucn ais
tresS. as Well < impair the sadly damaged
prestige of ths Italian monarchy. A. the
same time the duke cannot pe blamed fer
wishing to rid himself once and for all
time Of the very unsavory reputat ion OF
| being complainant husband. which he is
not
But it must be- confessed. however. that
/ he Is snsularly unfortunate In having
married into such . family as tina; Of his
wife. For her mother MAS enc Of the Ia
yorites Of King Victor Emanuel. while the
Wife 81 his eldest son. a young man WIG
choices ia the pTedeStipei name Of Pom
pey. has lD times past had occasion % COM
plain }n a very serious manner cf the al
teutio8s If King Humberf-S nephew the
|ouui of Turin - his wife iudeed q lit
tie baby appeared upo3 the scene m s. in