The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-06
a FAKE PRINCESS.
Playing a Big Game Until Recognized
and Arrested I'm the Austrian Impe-
rial Palace.

Az extraordinary and somewhat SEN
sational arrest took place the other day
in the imperial palace at vienna III
the very apte-chamber of the sover-
eign. which was crowded at that time
with people of high and low degree
waiting to be received by his majesty.
Among the number was a styllshIy
dressed lady, accompanied py d nun OF
Youthful and attractive
and who was addressed by her COM
panion as Mother Dolores Sudden-
" an official wearing the UNIFORM OF
an INSPECTOR of the palace, made his
wav nm 70 the place where the two Ia
dies were seated, and ordered the nun
TO follow him in a tone so peremptory
and 80 utterly lacking in the Difference
and respect due to her religious garD
as to excite the amaZement OF those
within hearing. The u hesftated a
minute, and changed color. But her
companion whispered to her some
thing which started her still more,
and then, almost fainting, and cling
ing to her companions arm, n lert
the room
Once outside the police inspector
grasped her by he arm in no gentle
manner led her ito his bureau, and
IutIC, IdNlH5 pulAON ~
face and a blonde wig from her head,
Informed her that he recognized her as
an ~x-conVict who had served time
both ait Vienna and at Trieste, Tor
petty frauds. The following day WIT
messed her departure in custody OF the
Austrian police, who at the Italian
frontier station turned her over to the
Italian colleagues, and today the "ex-
Mother Dolores is doing time in the
female prison known as the Mantel-
late, at Rome.
The swindle for which she IS now un-
dergoing punishment is of such an ex-
tra~ordinary and audacious character
hat it deserves to be placed on record.
About two years ago a very handsome
girl. with every appearance of birth and
breeding. presented herself to the Do
minican conveut in the Via Mallzzo, at
Rome and asked for g and lodS-
ing there, as also for her
She gave the name OF the latter as
Miss Beatrice Noel Morgan, while she
described herself as Theresa Massel.
The two girls remained for several
months at the convent, i~ngratlatlng
themselves with the inmates by small
gifts of money. They were absent gen
orally in the afternoon and sometimes
in the evenings. But the extreme plsty
which they displayed when
tn, religious services, and in the per-
of their religious duties,
served to reassure the good Sisters as
TO their character.
In course of time they won the con-
fidence of one of the Sisters of the
name of Angela Benedict, whom they
learned had a very rich uncle To this
Sister the two women impaired under
the seal of secrecy that the one OF
them who bore the name of Theresa
was in reality Princess Elizabeth So
phia of Bavaria, and that if she
had sought refuge ait Rome it was with
the object of avoiding the attentions or
Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir
to the Austrian CROWN, whom her ram
lily were prosecuting her to wed. The
soidisant princess added that h felt
drawn toward a religious life, and that
she proposed to found a religious or
der for the education of the young at
Rome. That once effected, and the in
StitutiOn in question duly recognized
by the Vatican, she would have no dill
ficulty in securing the pardon of her
parents for her disObedience ito their
wishes, and when r~ecOnciled would be
placed in possession of ali the money
she needed for the endowment of the
convent In support of her assertions
she showed Sister Angela a quantity
of love letters p~urporting to be written
to her by ArchIuke Francis
On the strength of these condolences
SISTER Angela STdllllGu dI DClIlS IlduS
the friend of a royal princess and an
associate in the foundation of a royal
convent ait Rome, obtained without
much difficulty from her uncle the
money, amounting to several thousand
dollars, needed to begin operations. The
soisdisant princess took the name of
Mother Dolores, assumed the garb of
a nun, as did also her companion, Miss
Morgan, and hired a furnished apart
ment in a palace belonging TO the Bank
of Italy. She engaged several excel
lent teachers, including four resident
g~oyernesses, and last September found
ed the institution, with a roster of
twenty-fOur boarding pupils, all of
them girls of good family, some Amer
leans among the number, and whose
parents paid heavily for the privilege
of their children being educated under
h auspices of a royal princess.
Her carriage was constantly seen at
the Vatican, while she was frequently
to be met in the ante-rooms of the car
dinal secretary Of state. These cir
cumstances, taken in conjunction with
the fact that she paid her governesses
and professors punctually and lib
orally, served to dispel doubt which
might have arisen as to her ~discreetly
indicated royal rank, and she found but
little difficulty in obtaining loans and
subscriptions from wealthy philan-
NAA oAAN Sf@h ~ -
stitutions, in order to help her to carry
along her enterprise. 1t was wen al
kged that she was able to obtain a
sum of $1,000 from the Vatican
treasury.
No one seems to have dreamed of
consulting the Bavarian " to the
Vatican about her identity. Nor does
anyone appear to have examined the
Almanach de Gotha, which would have
shown thaE the only Princess Elizabeth
OF Bavaria is already married to Baron
Seefried. with whom h eloped to
Italy, the wedding taking place Sc
cretly at Genoa
Unfortunately, the coidisant prin-
cess made the mistake of leaving all
her t~radespeople in the lurch, and in
course Of time their complaints began
to reach the ears Of the police. The
latter. after watching her for a time,
became convinced that there was some
thing wrong about Mother Dolores, and
accordingly engaged the services Of a
very clever Austrian woman. then in