The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-23
aoNAPARTEIN AMERlcA.

7 : = :
/ old house. known SIS the Huntingdon
at Bouaparte Lake. built about ISL by
! the former King Of Spain. Joseph Bona
I paTte- and occupied by him ana his aris-
/ tooratic French companions during the
} time ne lived on his estate IN Diana.
/ Lewis Co. n Y, IS being torn down. The
( destruction Of this famous dwelling re-
/ calls the story Of the most romantic char
acter IN New HorS's history. The advent
/ ures OF an exiled King, the picturesque
/ uncertainty Of royal love and the life-
story OF that daughter OF the Bona
parties, Charlotte Benton, VINO now sleeps
( in an unmarked grave.
! Joseph BOnaparte. ex-king both OF Ma
/ pies and spain, came 10 America in 1875.
The great Napoleon was already in the
I hands OF the English. Josephs wife. the
/ ex-Queen Marie. had been co0lly left he-
/ hind in Switzerland. The crown Jewels
Of Spain quantity OF other royal In
sigma and half q million In sold Were in
I the possession Of the former Eins.
Conceaing these in q chest OF wine.
Joseph. under the name Of A. Bouchard.
and accompanied BIZ six faithful serviters.
( at length escaped from Bordeaux. France.
The brig was three times stopped and
searched by English frigates. but so COM
piete was the disguise OF the fugitives
and so carefully prepared were their pass
ports that they al last landed in New
York City August ..
After stay in Philadelphia where be
entertained lavishly. Joseph bought an es-
tate in New Jersey on the banks of the
Delaware
Here, on high promontory. now called
Point Breeze, the ex-kinE laid out a
splendid park and built great mansion
which lowered above the f0rest-crowned
height like a feudal castle
The mansion was handsomely furnish
ed, the eX-king's sleeping-room being ap-
preached by six-f0ot staircase. II his
I library was a closet containing a secret
panel. IN a hidden room behind this panel
We're the closets In which were kept the
royal robes OF Spain and the silver plate
OF Napoleon the Great
in a secret recess in the wall behind the
royal couch was a compartment where
were kept the jewelled crown and zone
which had formed part OF the royal in
sigma Of Spain. An underground stone
archway seventy feet long ran from the
cellars 10 the high rocky banks of Cross
wick's Creek. and il was through this
passa gew8y that the eX-King escaped on
the night the mansion burned
Finally Point Breeze was deserted by
the eXiled King. who took UP his resi-
dence on a farm just below the city Of
Philadelphia and installed as the mis-
tress Of the villa which he built there
the daughter of a prominent and highly
respected Philadelphia family. Annette
Savage, whom hc always spoke % with
affection and respect as the beautiful
Quaker girl
Later on. piqued by receiving no social
recognition in Philadelphia. Joseph de-
cided TO penetrate New York state
In June, 1922. he arrived at the mat
ural bridge az the head waters OF the
Indian river in the then unbroken wilder
ness of the town OF Wilma. jefferson
inf n q lose D.
Bonaparte, with Annette Savage and
their young daughter. Charlotte; in an
other Joseph secretary, his valet and
his Wifes French maid. while the third
bore eight small iron-hoOped oaken kegs
and four old grenadiers. The royal fam
lily had come through the forest from
Housewife. Lewis county. fwhere Joseph
drank New England rum with every
body preceded by a gang of woodsmen,
who chopped roads and built los bridges
for them.
At Natural Bridge. Joseph laid ont a
village on paper handling the compass
himself and claiming ont the streets 100
feet wide. Here he built as a residence
a strong blockhouse. which. with ats mas
sive walls and concealed portfolios. Is
sin standing. The lower floor was occu-
pied BY the old French grenadiers 10
guard him against Bourbon OF Spanish
emissaries who he always fancied We're
on his track.
French refugees who had followed Le-
ray de Chaumont TO this section hocked
around him. among them Count Peter
Francis Real. the Jacobin and Napoleon
Chief OF Police; Marshal Grouchy and
CaulaincOurt Joachim Murat ard others
Hunting lodges were built on the lakes
in the town Of Diana, SO called by J0-
seph because ne imagined that the am
cient goddess Of the chase lowered over
.HH
there an imposing villa which was called
the White House. where lavish hospital
ity was dispensed. Broad highways were
built to Antwerp. where the graudecs Of
the group had their residences. and from
the colony Of French eXtlcs established
at Cape Vincent came the Duo de VIM
cence. NJ Hssler Capt. Louis Peneent
and other devoted adherents Of the Little
Corporal. Many and deep laid were the
plots Matched with view to rescuins
Napoleon from ST. Helena
But the revolution Of july 1880. came. 1
and the hated Bourbon was tumbled from /
the throne Of France. The B0napartes
summoned Joseph back, and. leaving his /
American possessions he sailed for Eu- |
rope, never to return His possessions /
We're sold out. 10000 acres situated around /
Lake Bonaparte eventually falling into I
the hands Of Col Z. IT. Benton
After the ex-King returned 20 France T.
his American wife Annette Savage. /
ma-ied Joseph &c ia Foilie. q young
Frenchman Of good family.
Charlotte de ia FoUlc as the daughter F.
Of Joseph was called had grown up 20
Dee a handsome ard accomplished young
woman. when. about 1825. she met Col. /
Zebul0n Hoyie Benton. a singuiarly ann
bilious. vain and daring character. He /
had the face and bearing ~ a French /
marquis of the Ola school. was fao