Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-04

he had more or less broken with men
of his own birth, and l cannot recall
any OF her man who, so thoroughly re-
minded me of "Lucifer" as portrayed
by Milton. When at last the crash
came. and the role he played in the
O'Shea divorce case having been
turned 10 political account by his ad-
versaries, Mr.. Gladstone being led to
stipulate his temporary withdrawal
from the leadership of the Irish party
as a condition of his own champion
ship of the Home Rule cause, the
Nationalist were encouraged to revolt
against sheir able chief and much of
the inol dinate bitterness displayed
against him by his followers. such as
Timothy Healy and others. was un-
doubleday due to the remembrance OF
the conte mpt with which he had in
variably treated them, as well as that
chilling superciliousness by means Of
| which the well-born Britisher is wont
to repress the presumption of social
| interiors.
That there was ever any feeling of
! personal sympathy between Parnell
| and the rank and file of his party, save
in political matters. I cannot for one
minute believe after what l witnessed
in 1884 and, while l do not for one
MON emf venture to assert that there is
any truth in the popular superstition
| in Ireland, according to which the
Squire of Avondale is still in the land
| Of the living it must be confessed that
| there is a certain amount of plausibil-
| itv in the weird tale. since it would
NOT have been out of keeping with the
| character of Parnell to vanish from
| the scene by means of simulated
| death AFTER he discovered that his dis
| annearamce would advance the cause
of his beloved country. when he real
| ized that he could no longer rely on
| the LOYALTY or discipline of his folloW-
| ers that every service which he had
rendered had met with the basest IN
gratitude. and last. but not least, AFTER
he found that by marrying MRS
| O'Shea he had not made but marreu
| the position of the ambitious and WoN-
derfully brilliant woman to whom ne
had been so devotedly attached. ana
| who played so great role In MS poilti-
| cal career
Farnell is by no means the only man
officially reported as dead and concern
ing whom a popular belief preVaits
that he still remains in the land or the
living. Throughout Russia. a similar
supe.rstition exists concerning lhdt
! general, Skobeleff. whose sudden death
| ar Moscow has always remained
shrouded in certain amount Oh
Mystery. The idol. not alone of the
army but likewise of the masses of
tho Russian people. the popularity of
This heroic figure who still lives in the
hearts of his countrymen as the
white General at one moment gave
serious concern to the government at
St Petersburg. especially when the
general having without authority
nledged Russia's cooperation in Ger
tain anti German enterprises of
France. showed a disposition to use
his influence with the people to force
the Car into an immediate war
| against Germany
| Moreover. his close intimacy with the
! leaders of the Pan-Slavist party at
| Moscow and his pronounced sympathy
! with their views, all contributed 10
render him a species of ''enfant terri
HE" to his government, fact which
| everyone was aware. 1t is these CIR
cumstances, coupled with the fact that
his alleged death took place precisely
at the moment when Russia found
herself on the verge of a war WIN
Germany, for which she was in no
sense prepared, that has given rise TO
the widespread. belief that his demise
was fictitious: that he merely vanished
from, the scene. prompted by motives
of natriotism and eXpediency. and that
he remains to this day in the land OF
the living. SO firmly is this conviction
rooted in the minds of the people that
onlv two years ago the entire popula-
ton of a large town in the interior of
the empire. after adjoining the chief
thoroughfares with bunting and
triumphal arches, flocked to the rail-
road station with bands of music and
silver salvers bearing bread and salt,
all for the purpose of welcoming the
white General" who, according to
rumor originated, no one knew how.
was to arrive by the midday express
train.
The late King John of Saxony is gen.
orally believed to have survived ms
official obsequies for number of years
confined in a mountain monastery as a
Iunatic afflicted with homicidal mania.
Archduke John of Austria, although
described as dead. is so widely believed
to be still in the land of the living that
swindlers experience no difficulty
Whatsoever in passing themselves off
as this scion of the imperial house of
Hapshurg. who. as in the case of Par
nell and Skobeleff, is popularity be-
lieved to have had political and per-
sonal motives for disappearing from
the scene.
Prince Frederick William. Land
grave of Hesse. set down officially as
dead may. according to the belief of a
number of people in Germany. return
some day or another to claim the
throne of the sovereign grandduchy Of
Hesse. to which he would be heir APP
parent if still living. For he mysteri-
ousy disappeared from on board ship
while on voyage from Batavia up to
Singapore and has never been heard
of since. If the ancient and illustrious
dukedom of Somerset has passed into
the possession of its present stalwart
holder it is due TO the mysterious dis
| appearance in India of Lord Edward
st. Maur, son of the twelfth and Sheri-
dan Duke Il young nobleman who was
secretary to Lord Lyons during the
Civil War. In this case. too. the belief
in his survival of his alleged death
prevailing among the older tenants of