The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12
Asks that the Decree Exiiing the
Grand Duke Nicholas Constanti-
novitch he Revoked.
AN OLD ROMANCE RECALLED
WOMAN's INTRIGUE WITH
A TITLED RUSSIAN.
English Divorce Case That Attracted
Much Attention-Prince Of
Wales Surprised.

LONDON. Nov. 10-It is reported that
Queen Olga of Greece is to intercede with
the Car on behalf of her exiled brother.
the Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovitch.
Thus is recalled a romance more than
quarter of century old, in which an Amer
lean adventures played her part to the
undoing of a mighty Enperor's grandson.
Nicholas Constantinovitch is the eldest
son of the Grand Duke Constantine, broth
er of the late Car Nicholas L. He is. there
fore, cousin of the present Car. His
story is one of profigacy on truly impe-
rial scale, and when i'm 1874 he became in
fatuated with Mrs. Hattie Blackboard, or
Fanny Lear. as she called herself, his pro-
ceedings were such only as to carry out
the promise of his earlier career. Mrs.
Blackford was the daughter of a Phila
delphia clergyman named Ely. She had
been twice married before she met the
Grand Duke. Her first husband died sud
denly In West Virginia. her second.
young New Yorker. married her in Paris
and soon deserted her. She went 10 st.
Petersburg with another woman and was
soon in the midst of her affair with the
grand duke. Nicholas was hustled off TO
the army in Asia, with the object of end
ing his bewitchment. but when he returned
to the capital, less than year afterward.
Fanny Lear speedily brought him again
into her train.
The woman's constant demands for
money finally led her imperial lover to a
crime. He stole his mothers jewels and
gave them to his INSCRIPTIONS inamorata
And in accepting these tokens of the
lengths to which her victim would go in
his passion for her. she accepted the end
of his career and her own. The stolen jew
els were seized, the grand duke was exiled
to the Caucasus and Mrs. Blackford was
escorted to the Russian frontier. Attempt
ing later TO publish in Paris the story OF
her intrigues with Nicholas Constantine
witch, she was banished from France Not
many years afterwards she died in poverty
and misery in London. But she had finally
published IAN American Woman's Adven-
lures in Russia
Nicholas proceeded to add to his record
after the Lear affair by marrying in secret
the daughter of the chief of police of Oren-
burg. His uncle, the Car, made this young
woman countess, but denied the grand
dukes petition that he might be allowed To
return to st. Petersburg.
Under Alexander III, Nicholas Constan-
tinovitch seemed TO be near pardon AT one
time. He fell into trouble over Nihilist
conspiracy, however, and his exile was con-
tinued.
At Tashkend, in Turkestan where the
grand duke has spent most of his period of
Punishment. Nicholas has conducted him
self after the most eccentric fashion Hav-
ing built a magnificent palace, he lived
with his wife in a dilapidated old structure
His cruelty to his dependents was described
as extraordinary. A favorite punishment
administered to those who offended hin,
has been to have them buried in sand with
their heads exposed to the blazing sun.
General Baranock, sent 10 investigate the
stories of the grand dukes conduct, died
suddenly at Tashkend in 1888 There were
open suspicious of poisoning
Nicholas Constantinovitch is now said to
be hopeless victim of consumption and
his sister, Queen Olga, is reported TO be
appealing Tor mercy on the ground that the
Gar pending hopes for an heir NAV rest
for their fulfllment upon the great rulers
leniency to his long-punished cousin.