The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-27
VlSl1S FROM PRINCES.
SciOns of Royalty Who Have Been
Entertained in America.
The Present Heir Apparent to the
Throne of England the. Guest of
President Buchanan in ISGO-LOuis
Napoleon of France Once Spent
Day in Prison mt New York.

The reported contemplated visit of the
Prince of Wales to Canada, and the proba-
: BILE extension of his visit to the United
States, revives the memory of his tour
through Canada in 1860, when he came 10
, the United States on the invitation OF
President Buchanan. who had made the
acquaintance OF the prince during his term
as Minister to the Court OF st. James.
under the Administration of President
Pierce. On his way to Washington the
Prince accepted the hospitality of our
city authorities. and during his stay in
New York not only did the volunteer fire
department honor him with a grand torch
light parade. but a grand parade of all
the State militia was arranged in his
honor, and made an imposing display, The
New York Irish regiment, the Sixty-ninth.
refused, however. to take part in this
parade. a course of conduct which made a
stir at the time on both sides of the At
lantic; and our city authorities and mill
tary authorities regarded the refusal as
not only direct insult to the distin-
guished visitor, but a positive disobedience
Of orders, for which latter offence the regi-
ment was deprived of its colors, and came
very near being disbanded.
But the Prince of Wales was not the
paid visit to New York City. Just as
the American colonies were fighting their
way out of England's control, and while
British rule in this city was on it's last
legs, handsome young English midshp
man was Prince William, afterward King
OF England.
Prince William came to New York under
the guardianship of Admiral Digby who
Travelled with him and they made their
hon dana RI IN +tn Hna oil hntY nPc nv-
ernor Beekman, on Hanover Square. then
the aristocratic portion Of the city. There
| the prince gave some elegant dinners
| Many young ladies set their caps at him.
/! and the admiral had much trouble in nip
ping in the bud his royal wards fiirtations
| Prince William was free and easy in his
address, INDUCED in no airs, and became
| very popular. He repudiated the idea Of
| being attended by bodyguard. and in
| sisted upon going about the streets Of New
| York. like any other man OF boy all by
| himself.
Plots of Abduction.
Meanwhile, the news Of the princes visit
| to New York and of his freedom OF action
spread far and wide, and the fact that he
was in direct succession To the throne and
| might, if he lived be some day the King
of Great Britain, led some OF the colonists
to conceive the idea of getting hold of him
ard keeping him hostage. and so die
tate terms of settlement OF the colonies
affairs with Great Britain. Among the Je.-
seymen. at that time prominent. was a
gentleman named Ogden OF Irish descent,
who held n commission as colonel in the
Continental army. This Colonel Ogden was
the originator of the scheme to abduct the
prince
He arranged to have two trustworthy
army officers and tkirty-nine men to aid
him. 1t was planned to land on dark
night as near as possible to the old Beck
man mansion. force the door. seize the |
prince. gag and bind his guardian. leave
the admiral prisoner in his ewn room. |
and carry off the prince to a designated
place 1t was bold plan and in its very |
holiness lay its safety and its likelihood |
of success. +t r-s
The plot was arranged in all its details |
: dark, moonless night was chosen and |
lthe participants in thelscheme were land |
I'D in three boats. An advance was then |
quietly made on the Beekman mansion; |
but they did not secure the prince nor the |
/ admiral. THE best Laid lplans1 OF mice |
and men gang aft agley,'' wrote Burns.
and 1t was true in this instance Nothing |
extraordinary had happened, no alarm had |
been giyen.- yet Coloneli 0dgen's scheme !
and all the trouble incident TO IT went |
for nothing on account of a door-knocker
They did not indulge lin door bells in |
those days Even the most aristocratic
doors had big knockers on them to an
nounce callers. and on the night on which
ogden and his two officers and thirty-nine
men landed to secure the prince, the prince
had gone to party out of town'-that is
about as far out Of town as present Canal
Strickland did not think of starting for
his place of residence until late, and then
returned on foot because he wanted to
indulge in enc of his favorite amusements
when out on a lark-wrenching off door
Knockers and door-knob from the houses
he passed, fad with young English aris-
tocracy.
Plans That Came to Naught
1t was nearly 3 o'clock in the morning,
or about an hour and half after Ogden
and his party had gone back TO their boats
In disgust. before Admiral Digby and mis-
royal charge were inside their domici.e.
one oil ogden's men had been chosen to
shadow the prince on the appointed day
and night. and it was arranged that no at
tempt should be made to force the door of
the Beekman House until this spy had as
sured them, at an appointed rendezvous,
that the Prince was inside. The man who
ala the Swallowing was faithful to his duty.
but when he found that the prince was on
a tamboree' and in the company of a
dozen or more military officers. he hur-
riediy made his way to Ogden's party, 10
advise the colonel of the unexpected sltua-
ton. Ogden. believing that. under the cir
cumstances. itNwould be best TO defer the
arranged programme till more propitious
occasion. retired with his party to their
boats. But the propitiOus moment had
gone forever An individual residing op-
posite the Beekman House, having noticed
the suspicious movements of Ogden's aids
reported the fact to headquarters the next
Jay. ana a guard was thereafter stationed
in and around the Beekman mansion
The New York visit Of the Prince de
Joinvi!le, who came to our shores on the
French frigate La Belle Poule. was an
event long remembered, owing to pecul-
lar circumstance. The city authorities, in
honor of the distinguished visitor gave
him grand banquet at the Astor House. |
1t was peculiar French affair The me-
nus were printed in French and the New
York orators and aldermen tried to talk
French. and Jared about as we'll as did the
prince himself when he tried to reply in
English.
The Prince de Joinville, not wishing to |
be outdone in courtesy by the Americans, |
arranged to give to the city authoritie,
and their invited guests ball on board the |
frgate. But he ascertained soon after his
of this fes:ivity that his
vessel could not accommodate one-h half the
people who had made up their minds that
hey were entitled to be invited to the ball. !
Had La Belle Poule, then anchored in our
larbor. been as large as the steamer Great
Eastern. she could not have contained all
he wouid-be guests. The prince was in a
He therefore determined to
consult the few persons with whom he had