The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-14

Ravachol to the scaffold.
| He Yields clever pen, and has written
/ successful novels and plays. In fact, he
has all the three requisites needed to bring
a man to the highest pinnacle of greatness
| in France, namely, cleverness, lack OF
| scruples and holiness.
His chances of success today. especially
| since the bill brought forward by the gov
| eminent in the chamber OF deputies N
| Monday last are, at least, equal to those oil
the duke of Orleans and Prince Victor
| Bonaparte, and that is why | think it we'll
| to call attention to his prospects in these
| columns
| ] see that another misguided American
citizen has caused it to be published
| throughout the press in this country that
| he has been invested with the order OF
| the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem by the
sci distant Prince Guy of Lusignan, VINO
styles himself king of Jerusalem and who
makes his abode at Paris.
| can not sufficiently impress upon my
readers the fact that no one in Europe has
| a right to confer any decorations except
| ing reigning sovereignS or properly rec
| ogniZed governments.
Thus Don Carlos has conferred number
! Of orders and decorations, some of them
Spanish and some of his own creation
Yet any one wearing the ribbon thereof
in their buttonhole when walking on any
public thoroughfare on the continent, or
any place OF public entertainment Is liable
to arrest. while to wear the full insignia,
even at any private entertainment, en-
poses the individual in question to ridi-
Guile.
Every pretender, and every dispossessed
sovereign, and even imposters, such as the
pseudo prince OF Lusignan, Seems to be
possessed with the mania OF comforting
decorations and orders of chivalry. Prob
ably the climax OF the ridiculous was
reached when Queen Caroline of Great
Britain, the absolute and discarded con-
SORT Of King George Nv instituted. after
her visit to Jerusalem, the order Of St.
Caroline. OF which she appointed her dis
reputable courier as grand master! The
mans name was Bergami and II may be
remembered that in the divorce proceed
ings subsequently instituted by her hils-
band, King George. before the house of
lords. Bergami was cited, with Justice.
as correspondent
The sol disant prince Of Lusignan actu-
ally had the impudence to confer. some
time ago, his order of ST. Catherine of St.
Sinai upon Miss Clara Barton, in recogni-
tion of her American Red Cross relief
work in Armenia, and she seems to have,
accepted the patent under the impression
nat he was the de jure prince of Lusig.
nan.
He is nothing of the kind The prince Of
Lusignan, who lives at Paris and who
eonfers decorations on credulous Ameri.
cans, eXtorting fees for registration. is n
mere Armenian imposter. The true prince
OF L,signan, whose father was recognized
by the courts of Russia, and OF several
other continental powers, some twenty
years ago as the authentic descendant OF
Guy dc Lusignan, who was king regnant
OF Jerusalem In the Twelfth century. is
today waiter in by no means frst-clsss
restaurant at Rome.
Leo, and his father was captain In the
Russian army, bearing an entirely diff
terent patronymic to that of Lusignan
when some Armenian agitators, on the
look out for a man who could serve as
pretender and constitute the nucleus of
nationalist movement, hit upon him as
suitable candidate for this doubtful dig
nifty
II suited Russia's policy at the time to
eountenance his professions, but finding
tnat the Armenians could not be relied nm
ON to cooperate Loyalty with Russia
against Turkey the czar summoned Leo
de Lusignan to st. Petersburg, and hay-
ing dismissed him from the Russian army.
placed him on board a merchant vessel
leaving Cronstadt for London. With the
sum or 10000 In cash. and threat az
deportation to Siberia il ever he dared to
set foot again on Russian territory
shortly after his arrival in London he
"~' 'pp.u VI Ill ne possessed. Some
wealthy Armenians in England took nity
on his misrortunes and subscribed GER
tain sum for him by means of which he
was enabled to travel to the yarious
tnropenn capitals seeking assistance 10
ny ana recover what he was pleased 10 call 1
nus rights Everywhere the doors were
'losed against him. Finally he drifted M
Milan, where he married a Milanesa lasv
BEFORE he died he had sauandered every
,ent ne possessed, and today every one Of
ais SIX children are either hotel Walters
)r domestic servants
As Tor Inc Partisan pseudo prince of Luz
llsnan, ne Is an inposter He is the san |
u an Armenian stonemason OF Constan.
inople OF the name of Kalfa. and was
educated by public charity along with hls |
lrother, at the Armenian Monasterv ~
Ms father. '" "
Both were trained for the priesthood OF
ne Roman Catholic church, but did not |
inter- the ranks OF its clergy, the Younger
'rother Joining the Greek church. and dy-
ny FEW years ago at ConstantInople a. |
,,atriarch, under the name OF Khoren Mar
The elder married al Paris and assumed
ne title of Prince Guy OF Lusignan. AL
Dough II has been proved that his father /
vas stonemason, and that his rrand |
ather was one OF the Mamelukes Of the |
rst Napoleon. and was killed under the
any, OF fusuh Sey at the battle Of Aus
AaIauIsa de Fcntsnoy,