The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-16
MARGERY KINGDOMS STORY.
1t Is Believed to BE Untrue. as the
Duke Of Clarence Was a Good Boy.

Apropos of the story told by Margery
Kingdom, who asserted in court at Cardiff.
Wales. that she had ,ost her husband and
children in order TO save the name of the
late Duke of Clarence, "Ex-Attache" says
in the Chicago Tribune:
mo one is beyond the reach of calumny,
and the more stainless a mans character
the greater temptation It appears to offer
TO the singer of mud. An instance in point
is the late Duke OF Clarence. who. though
singularly daring on horseback and an
adept steeplechase rider, was so shy and so
overburdened with the sense of responsible
ties OF his position as heir presumptive to
the throne that his life was of the most
circumspect character.
Moreover. he was young fellow Of the
highest principles. deeply religious. and so
passionately devoted to his mother with
whom he enjoyed a greater degree of init
macy than any of her other children. that
1t is impossible TO believe him for one in
slant to have been capable of any serious
indiscretions.
yet on several occasions, more particu-
larly since his untimely death from typhoid
fever, on the eve of his marriage, his name
has been used in an unpleasant manner by
persons either seeking notoriety or else ex-
pecting TO extort money from the royal
lads parents who still; bitterly mourn his
loss, and who may, therefore, be supposed
TO be willing to go any lengths to protect
his fair name.
That is why. some years ago. a young
nobleman who was the object of much OBJ
loquy on account of his desertion of a girl.
who had In consequence thereof committed
suicide In rather dramatic manner, en-
Geavored to save himself by limiting that
in
save the late Duke of Clarence, and the
woman who is mentioned in the. cable dis
patches of to-day as having a claim on the
present Prince of Wales for having saved
the name of his brother. the late Duke of
Clarence, has, like the others, no ground
for her allegation and no other object IN
view than the hope of being furnished with
money TO leave the country.
There Is one matter in connection with
the late Duke of Clarence which is deli
cate matter TO mention, and yet which
| should be clearly explained here in view of
| the gossip that has already been evoked by
| the cabled dispatches just received.
1T may be remembered that King Ed
wards trusted equerry and master of the
| horse, Lord Arthur Somerset. became in
yolved some ten years ago in a painful
scandal through visiting a house of ques-
tionable repute in Cleveland street Learn
| ing in some way or another that the house
was being watched by the police and that
| he himself was under surveillance as a
visitor. he conceived the design of inducing
/ his masters eldest son to visit the house
| in the hope that the police, seeing their
| future King crossing Its threshold. would
| be afraid TO take any further steps in the
matter and would drop any proceedings
| that were contemplated.
Accordingly he took advantage of the
| dukes fondness for buhl furniture, ant
| under the pretext of showing him a mag
nifcent and priceless cabinet persuaded
| him to accompany him to the house. TIL,
| duke saw the cabinet, which in no way
| answered his expectations, and quilted the
house without having remained there more
| than five minutes altogether.
"The following day he happened Il
mention the matter to his father, who
| having already heard some inkling of the
scandal, but ignorant of the. connection
| Of Lord Arthur Somerset Herewith, al
| once communicated with the police. As
| soon as he realized what Lord Arthur
| had dine he insisted on the matter beins
taken up by the authorities without any
| consideration for the rank or position
of the offenders, and 1T was only by Lore
| Arthur realizing from the black look.
| which he received at Marlborough hous,
fleeing to France, that he escaped tn,
! criminal proceedings by which his con
federates were overtaken.
| king Edward is a most forgivinG man
He has even pardoned the Duke of Orleans
whom his heart is steeIed-nameiy namely
Lord Arthur Somerset, who tool
advantage ,ta of of his position of trus
to screen himself from the penalty of hi
crime by what he believed to be the sac
| rifice OF the good name of his master
eldest son. Fortunately. the blamelessnes
of the life Of the Duke OF Clarance whcl
like that of all royal personages was ex
posed 10 the fierce glare of publicity, wa
too well established in the minds of tn
English people, and especially of those VIII
moments doubt as to his complete limo
cence."