The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-16
TICHBoRNE CASE RIVAL
UNEXPECTED HEIR TO MILLIONS
TURNS UP IN WEST VIRGINIA.
A Story That Has All the Features OF
a Tale OF Fiction, but Every De-
tail Is Said to BE Real.


field Moore estate. Since then additional
facts have developed. which make this lega
contest rival that over the Tfchborne mil.
lions. If the story was told in a book
Critics would call it overwrought and i'm.
probable. Yet what follows are well au-
thenticated facts. Bloomfield III. Moore
made a fortune in paper, and died in this
city July 5, 1878. His entire estate was left
to his widow, Clara Jessup Moore, for life
with a revision to their children at her
death. The latter were Clarence b. Moore,
of this city; Ella, Countess Won Rosen,
whose husband was a favorite of the King
of Sweden, and Lillian, Baroness De Bildt.
Mrs. Bloomfield Moore was already known
as a remarkable woman. She had pub
lished volumes of poems and a number OF
romances. Two short stories of hers had
been awarded prizes. She also aspired to
be a leader of Quaker City society. and lad
published a book of etiquette. 1t was she
who fixed Market street as a rubicon For
Quaker City society. All lived south OF
that thoroughfare, she announced, com
posed the elect, those north of the street
were jewellers in the arkness without
gates. And the fiction is followed to this
day. But aside from these distinctions, her
hospital work during the civil war and hei
gift of a magnificent collection of ceramics
paintings, tapestries and articles of vertu
to Memorial Hall, in Paramount Park. Mrs
Moore was famous as the woman who
practically supported Inventor keely for
fifteen years while he was working on his
alleged motor; 81! She poured ed q a,s f1 m;ssiena ln1e
champion and patron, and many OF mel
friends thought that she died of a broker
heart when Keely'S end disclosed That his
whole cS.hamQ WAS q failure
For years Mrs. Moore fought to keep hei
husbands estate intact Her efforts mao
to over S., 100000. Fortunes favOrs brought
with them sorrows that embittered her life
Her only son was alienated from her.
Mrs. Moore spent most OF her time abroad
during late years. Her house on Great
Stanhope street, London, was the resort OF
many distinguished men. She was a friend
of the late Robert Browning. the poet, and
it was rumored at one time that she In
tended to marry him. Mrs. Moore became
e~ntangled about ten years g In the DO
nestle troubles of Colonel Hughes-Hailett,
the English husband of Emily Won Schaum-
burg the famous Philadelphia belle, dur
ing the Centennial exposition.
AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE.
Meanwhile other domestic difficulties en-
gagged her. The marriage of her daughter
Lillian to Baron De Bildt was not happy.
They separated, and the baroness became
insane. She was confined in a private asy-
lum in Austria Mrs. Moore appealed to the
Swedish government for her release, but it
was decided the daughter had forfeited her
American citizenship at the time of her
marriage. James G.. Blaine, the secretary
of state at Washington, was asked to in
terfere by Mrs. Moore, but he declined to
under international law. The mother finally
obtained the custody Of the daughter, and
when it was alleged that Mrs. Moore was
herself insane she caused examinations TO
be made by eminent physicians in Paris and
London, who adjudged her sane.
Countess Won Rosen, the other daughter
in Stockholm. She left five children, and
these, with the Baroness De Bildt's two,
were the companions and favorites Of Mrs.
Moore's declining years.
The family was in this position when Mrs.
Moore died, on Jan. 5 last, in London She
made two wills. probated respectively In
England and Pennsylvania Her husbands
estate had been left in trust, divided into
three portions, one of which was to be given
to each of the children or their legal repre-
sentatives. Mrs. Moore was given the right
to fix in. her will the proportions of the
share each child should receive. She did no
exercise this power, but left the fortune for
grandson, Count Eugene Won Rosen, came
to this country two months ago as executor
to settle the estate. He is making Phi,adel-
petted by society.
Then the alleged pretender, Count vor
Rosen." laid down his workman's tools in
Martinsburg, w. Va, and appeared to claim
q share of the fortune. He said he wal
Count Reinhold Gustaf Edward Moore vor
Rosen, eldest son of Countess Ella Moore
Won Rosen and her distinguished husband
he told a remarkable story. convinced
shrewd lawyers that his claims were lega
and made some of the doubling believe il
Count Reinhold" said he was born In
Stockholm on Dec. 20. 1863, and educated a.
Carlberg Military Academy and other insti.
II 1nf1OnC In SUadan He nlnnQd with n nrfrnc
donna I'm 1883, and, as a result of the scan,
DIAL left his native city and travelled in Eu.
rope and finally came to this country in 1891
He says he then assumed the name of Count
Carl Clarence Won Rosen, his brother, be
cause the episode of the prima donna still
made him notorious. In New York h,
Jacob Astor and Mrs. Adolf Ladenburg, anC
was lionized generally by society. "Coun'
Reinhold' returned to Europe in 1892. The
scandal of the prima donna. according L
his statement, had been compromised by the
payment of S11,O 600 by Mrs. Moore. and th'
count says he married Baroness AIDE
laide Won Horn soon after his return. Aftel
living together for a few months they dis
agreed and the husband again returned Il
this country. Here, he claims, he lived witt
his grandmother until he lost 5000 Of hel
money in speculation. Then she cast hin
adrift. He wandered through the Southern
middle and Western States for six years
supporting himself by plating siiverwars
with rudely devised apparatus.
THE ALLEGED COUNT.
1.-THE "count's' champion is F. Vernon
Aler, a lawyer of Martinsburg, w. Va, who
looks and dresses like Henry Clay. Mr.
Aler brought the count to Philadelphia
hired him a lawyer and closely followed the
proceedings in court. Unfortunately the
claimants story telling was indefinitely
postponed by Judge Penrose's decision that
all the money must go to Mrs. Moore's
children and the affairs of the grandchil-
dren had no standing i'm court.
Count Reinhold chatted about his wan
behring's after the trial. He does not impress
a tranger as being an aristocrat. His face
is of the '.hatchet" variety, its principal
feature being a long and heavy jaw. The
small gray eyes are sunk deep between
prominent cheekbones and overhanging
temples. The head is partly bald, with the
remaining locks brushed up from the sides
to hide the deficiency. Most striking of all is
a manner so shy and awkward that 1 could
not imagine such a man as a continental
beau and frequenter of royal courts, while
his words have a strong foreign accent thai
show an imperfect acquaintance with the
English language.
Mr.. Aler and Count Reinhold left this city
immediat ely after the hearing to see what
bear upon the government authorities al
Washington. Their remaining chance now is
In the Swedish courts, where Countess Won
Rosen's estate is TO be- settled.
Count Eugene says of the claimant: This
man is a Swede and ii has been suggested
of my family. 1t is quite possible. So far,
however, We have not been able to get any
history of him from Sweden. His claim
TO my brothers. position. title and share in
my grandfather's estate is simply preros-
ferrous. Any one has as good a claim to