The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-09

las Constantinovitch, who caused a con-
siderable stir some years ago by claim
ing to be the rightful heir to the throne.
rms grand duke, who now lives in exile
IN Iurkestan. is the eldest son of the late
Grand Duke Constantine NfkoIatyttch
and the nephew of the late Car Alexan-
der II. In his youth he achieved an
undesirable notoriety and his escapades
were the talk of all Europe The car ad-
monished him frequently, but finally.
When the young man was charged with
pliferlns Jewels and holy relics and Civ
Ing them to an American woman, the
czar's patience gave way and he banished
him from court
AN AMBITIOUS CLAIMANT.
When the car died the grand duke re-
turned to st. Petersburg and demanded
that the honors of his rank be restored to
hlm Alexander III. refused, whereupon
his flery ktnsman became q nihilist and
an ardent champion against imperialism
Ihls seemed strange conduct on the part
OF man who had once claimed to be heir
TO the throne, and on q singular ground
Admitting the cars eldest son to be the
natural heir, he pointed out that Alexan-
DER L. was not born while his father
was car, but while he was merely Grand
Duke Nicholas, whereas Grand Duke Con-
stantfne, second son OF Grand Duke Mich
olas, was born after the latter had be-
come car, and, therefore, was really the
! cars eldest son. He argued, therefore.
| that Grand Duke Constantine was the le-
Ultimate successor Of Car Nicholas and
that he, as his eldest son, was entitled 10
take his place
Inc relgnfng car thought otherwise.
and In order to have the matter definitely
| settled, he introduced a new rule that at
each succession the oath of allegiance
was to be given not only to the actual
h1If ole
the turbulent Grand Duke Nicholas. his
TRADES against imperialism became 50
oEtspoken that he was arrested and i'm
prisoned for time in the gloomy Schlus-
selberg fortress, whence he went to Turk
estan, where he lives the life of a conn
try gentleman.
There are other grand dukes who are
not or the best of terms with the royal
family. There Is Grand Duke Micha Ell
Michailovitch, son of Grand Duke Field
Marshal Michael Nikolanovitch He of,
Tended the czar by marrying the beauti-
full Countess Nuremberg, daughter Of
Prince Nicholas of Nassau and his NOR
ganattc wife, who was the daughter of
the Russian poet, Pushkin. There is the
Grand Duke Nicholas Michael, who was
| socially ostracized some years ago be-
cause he was known to be "red" DO
litfcally. The opposition to him was so
strong that when he was assigned to
the crack regiment of Chevalier Guards.
! the officers voted against his admission
and the car was obliged to virtually
order them to receive his kinsman as a
comrade. A few years later he was ap,
pointed to a grenadier regiment sta
toned at Tiflis, and there he has since
remained.
Then there is the Grand Duke Nicho-
lajevitch, eldest son of the late Field
Marshal Nicholas. For some reason or
other he has never received the military
promotion to which his rank entities him.
Dame Gossip also says he avoids his
relatives entirely, and associates only
with a few intimate friends Naturally
he is not persona grata at court. Neither
is Duke Constantine Won Oldenburg. The
latter, indeed, shuns st. Petersburg and
lives altogether in the Caucasus, the al
legged reason being because he is married
to g. woman who is beneath him in
rank
The royal family however. is Tot lack
ing in royal kinsmen, and there IS one
among them who, as long as he lives,
may be relied upon to cope with any tur-
huent elements that may arise. This is
the Grand Duke Michael, granduncle Of
the present car, A reckless youth he
was, too, and he and his brothers, Con
stantine and Nicholas, incurred consider
able odium owing to charges that were
brought against them in connection with
the Turkish war. Alexander III. ban
ished Constantine and Nicholas, but, on
the other hand, he ever showed the
warmest affection for Michael, and the
reason was because on that fatal day in
1881 when the ruler of Russia was struck
down by a bomb it was Michael who was
the first to hasten to the side of his dying
brother, and ii was he who carried the
nangled body in his arms to the death
chamber in the Winter Palace.
Grand Duke Michael has ever since
proved himself well worthy of the cars
trust From 1862 to 1881 he represented
him in the Caucasus, and Il was during
his regime that the conquest Of that coun-
try was completed. At the battle of Ink
errnan he obtained the Cross of st.
George for personal gallantry. and It was
under his orders that the siege Of Kars,
resulting In capitulation took place. He
was made grand field marshal, and in
1881 president OF the council of the empire
the highest Office in the state. The crown
ing triumph of mis- life came to him in
November of last year, for his jubilee was
then celebrated with an enthusiasm which
was an unquestionable proof of the re-
spect with which the Russians regard
him.
Now, if Car Nicholas dies without hay