The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-11
PRINCE Of TR|N|DADE DEAD.
BARON RARDENE HICKEY TAKES
poison At Ell PtSO.
Life rs Black qua rst-Nosoriety
Acquired by Attempt to Found =
Principally on an Atlantic Rock

Ell. PASO, Ten, Feb. 1a-Baron Har-
dene Hickey, better known as the Prince
Trinidade. committed suicide at the PierSon
hotel in this city. Servants in the hotel
discovered that the baron was dead nj
noon today and the indications were that
he died during the night from drugs taken
with suicidal intent. lie left letter adj
dressed 10 his wife at Corona. Cal. in
which he stated that he was going ~ die.
Deceased was married 10 a daughter Of
J. NJ. Flagler. of New York, the Standard
OH magnate. in 1891.
An examination Of the body by the ply
sicians showed that the baron had died OF
morphine poisoning. and that life had been
extinct for many hours. His papers also
disclosed that he had been interested in
other and more ambitious protests. notably
plot 10 place him at the head Of royalist
government in Hawaii. There were also
papers showing that he had once possessed
large estates in the republic or Mexico.
Papers found among the dead mans eff
fects indicate that he and his wife could
not agree. lie left some very rich Jewels
in his trunks here. one OF them 4 crown.
He arrived in FL Paso February and re-
manned quietly at the Pierson hotel not
making known his Identity. The baroness
has been wired for instructions as 10 the
disposition or the remains. Baron Har-
dene Hickey's letter to his wife read as
follows:
My Dear; No news from YOU. although
you have had plenty of rme TO answer +
expect TO leave this hotel tomorrow or the
day after Harder has written me that he
mas no one IN view for buying my land mr.
present. Well, | shall have drained the
cup OF bitterness 10 the very dregs bat I
did not complain. prefer to be dead
bye. | forgive you for your conduct to-
wards me. and trust you Will he able 10
forgive yourself.
Baron Hardene Hickey was the first OF
the royal dynasty of Trinidade. lie WAS
born in France on December :. lS5s of a
Catholic and old royalist family Ills an
eestors. the Hickeys. originally came from
Ireland. having accompanied the banishei
royal Stuarts OF England in their flight to
France. The young baron was educated
at the college of Jesuts at Namur ana
afterwards at Leipsic. Here he established
reputation as first-ciass and fearless
duelst.
Some three or -four years since Baron
Hickey, who had previously acquired some
little notorety by reason OF his many &C.
centricitieS visited the island of Trinidade
In his yacht. and proceeded TO take possess
sion of It. This island of Trlnidade should
not be COMPOUNDED with the island Of Trim
dad which is, next 10 Jamaica. the largest
of the British West Indies. and IS rich and
fertile
The Trnidade which Baron Hickey at
tempted TO annex" Is q barren. dssolate
and dreary islet some 800 mites off the
coast OF Brazil. in about latitude 20 degrees
south and longitude - degrees ~ minutes
west There are no harhors, and 1t Is sur
rounded by sunken reefs. making it a
particularly dangerous place for vessels
to touch. As a result il Is rarely visited.
There is no resident population. although
many years ago. and for very brief perl
Cd Brazil to whom the island belongs
from geographical position. maintained a
small body of troops on 1t.
After making his descent upon the ISL
and Baron Hicke returned to New York
and announced that he proposed TO found
an independent prineipaiity on TrinIdade.
with himself as reigning sovereign, and
that he would at once proceed TO COLOMBO
the island and would distribute orders OF
nobility among his friends. He received
"A considerable amount OF newspaper nor
torety over the matter but the project
dropped out of sight and he made at
tempt 10 revive II. He never returned TO
Triuidade TO dispute the right of possession
with the gigantic land crabs and the sea
guils which are still the sole occupants Of
Baron iIickey's principally.