New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
SORDID BOURBONS.
THE LUsTRE OF EUROPES MOST FAMOUS
DYNASTY TARNISHED BY MANY
FINANCIAL. SCANDALS

Lc"er than six countries in the Old World are
devoting their time and their attention to law
suits in which scions Of the royal house of Bour-
bon are concerned. either plaintiffs de-
PENDANTS In each instance the issue is Of a
purely financial character. and is calculated to
hrng discredit upon this family. which for sew
erTil centuries the grandest and the most
powerful Of all the dynasties of Europe It's de-
cline an0 its loss of prestige, especially during
the last hundred years have been in a large
measure due to scandals generally of monetary
character. Although experience should have
taught its sciOns that, while the masses will ex-
cuse extravaganza in royal personages mean
ness on the part of the latter is held to be I'M
pardonable. they continue to exhibit themselves
in the eyes Of the public in the most sordid light
Chat it is possible to conceive This is all the
more amazing when 1t is borne in mind that
several OF the princes OF this once illustrious
house are putting forth pretensions to thrones,
the success OF which depends entirely upon the
goodwill and admiration which they may inspire
in the breasts of the people to whose SURFACES
they appeal TO elect them their rulers
Within the last few days Don Carlos Pre-
h'nder TO the Crown Of Spain and head of the
entire Bourbon family has had writs served
upOn him in behalf of his son-in-law Prince
SChOnbu~g- Waldenburg to appear before the
Austrian tribunals at Vienna and those Of Hun
S2ry AZ Pest. Don Carlos is already figuring
rs defendant in three other suits brought
against him in the Italian courts at Milan by his
daughter. Princess Elvira. who eloped with the
Roman painter Folchi, TO force him to pay over
20 he: that portion Of her dead mothers large
fortune to which she became entitled at her
majority Don Carlos bases his refusal to
comply with his daughters demand on the
questionable character of her present mode OF
life. which is such to depar her from the
society Of respectable people. To this the Prin
cess responds by bringing evidence TO prove that
her father has squandered the money which
3he held in trust for her in dissipation of the
, most disgraceful character-disspation which,
ii must he admitted. was sufficient to render his
conduct a subject of European scandal until the
moment when he married Princess Bertha Of
Rohan. his present wife. The spectacle Of
father and daughter revealing to the public the
Shameful features of their private lives in con-
nection with a dispute about money would be
ignOblc enough in the case of ordinary people.
but when one takes into consideration the fact
that both father and daughter bear the illus
trious name of Bourbon it is difficult TO find
words sufficiently strong to stigmatize their
conduct
TON CARLOS SUED BY HIS sON-IN-LAW.
The suit Instituted last week against Don
Carlos by his son-in-law, Prince Sch0nburg-
Waidenburg is of much the same nature. since
Is object is TO compel the Pretender TO make
payment Of the dowry and fortune due to his
daughter Princess Alice. on the occasion Of her
marriage with the Prince two years ago. Prin-
cess Alice and her husband are at the present
moment almost starving, for the Prince had his
allowance stopped by his own people. who are
, Lutherans for marrying Roman Catholic prin-
+. CESS in defiance of their protests and has long
since exhausted the patience Of the usurers TO
whom he had recourse, and who are now suing
him. while his wife the Princess, has been IN
able TO get her father Don Carlos, 10 pay her q
single cent Of the large fortune which she In
herited from her mother. and which amounts to
severai millions of dollars.
Let me add that it was not so very long ago
that Don Carlos figured in the Italian courts IN
IN even more disreputable manner than at pres
ent Summoned by the Emperor OF Austria and
BY a number of his royal and imperial relatives
TO account for the presence in the State pawn
Shop at Milan Of the magnificent jeweled IN
sigma of the Order OF the Golden Fleece which
had formerly belonged to the founder of the or
der Duke Charles Of Burgundy. and in the pos
session OF which he don Carlos has merely
life interest he declared that IL had been stolen
from him by one OF the officers of his house
hold The Ggntary in question. veteran gen.
oral who had sacrificed both his career in Spain
and his fortune for the sake of the Pretender
earvinp him without pay for nearly quarter Of
q century was in consequence of this deciara-
tion arrested by the Italian police and placed Oh
trial. Don Carlos in response to a subpoena
40 wifi