The times., 1898-01-04
A ROYAL REFUGEE.
Romantic Flight of the Daugiter-in-
law of Peter tie Great tn Louisiana.

We have had in America royal viSitoss'
rovsl exiles ard pretenders to royalty hi'
the most ren.ar ka ble Of the list is one ~iiose
name is known only to the careful students
ofhistory the Princess Charlotte, of BlanSen-
burg
Charlotte, 6 + BIa nkenburg. was the yuiIig-
est OF three daughters born 10 Duke LIG" G";g
Rudolph. Of Brunswick, Germany Eer
eldest sister was married to Charles ' L. OF
Germany. ard was the mother o The FAMOUS
Maria Theresa. The second sister married
into the imperial family Of Austria Ciiar-
Iotte was iGolize.i by her father and w1s a
great favCritr with all his subjects
when, in 1T11. Peter the Great, of Rms
sia. searching for bride for his disreputab!e
son, Alexis, stopped at the schloss II
Blankenburg, there was great tribI'a'ion
among the pe, pie. At that time, although
Russia was regarded as barbarous, the
German princes were only too ready to form
an allia nee. through marriage or otherwise,
with the pow erful hous. of Romanoff-
Stories of the savagery and brutality
OF the Czarowitz, Alexis. were current in
every court of Europe. The Princess Char
lotte AMI hei father were familiar with
them. 1t was said the young lady was in
this case filial obedience triumphed. and
when the great bear, Peter, swore that she
was lust the woman who could tame his
son and make a man of him, Charlotte
yielded to her fathers request, rather than
to any promptipgs of her own ambition.
Her marriage with the CzarOwitz took
place soon after the visit pf Peter, and was
celebrated with great spIendor in the
Kremlin ut Moscow.
Although but twenty-three years of age,
Alexis, VINO was giant in stature and d
ruffian in his every instinct; had already
run the gauntlet OF 1issipa ton. and was ac
cused of tie worst crimes known to the
law, inoludine murder. The hope OF the
Great White Gar that Charlotte Of Blank
enburg would soften and retire the char
acter OF his sol was doomed 10 disap-
pointment From the very first Alexis
showed the bltterest aversion TO his beau
tiful wife, and il is known that six months
after their marria &c he tried 10 bribe his
physician to poison her. Failing in this,
he unsucceSsrully undertook the horrible
task himself.
Suparstitious IS he was brutal, Alexis
came to believe that his wife had Charmed
life, and so he kept her in seclusion. Al
though he SO hated her. yet stangeIy enough
he was frightfuiIy Jealous OF her, and more
than one coUrtieI VIII, had tried to d efendthe
unhappy woman paid the penalty with sian
ishnent from the court. A ddicted so fright
full debauches, Alexis but seldom entered
the presence of his wife unless under the
influence OF liquor. On such occasions it
wa his ha bit to strike her and to kick her
wi i;i ia aft ahpf IN fall
One day, when Peter and his rude
Scandina vian wife, Katherin. had gone
on journey to st. Petersburg, which
was then being built amid the marshes
of the Neva, Alexis rushed into the chamber
where his wife was confined and beat her
into fnsenssbility. The poor woman was in
critical condition at this time, and as
result of this outrage a child was prema-
tuTely born.
Without waiting to see the result of the
injury he had inflicted, Alexis at once
started OFF on journey with q number OF