The Jersey City news., 1903-11-27
MURAT IN
BORDEN TOWN
Old PottIe Of Gognac Recalls
the Days Of the Sicilian
Prince. i
JOSEPH BoaApAR7E's paOTEeE
Red Bank Nonagsnarian Re.
call the Merry Times Of
Long Ago.
JOSEPH BOaApARTEs PROTEGE

tie partly filled with brandy and an ac-
count book showing charges for various
liquors sold to Prince Lucien Mllrat, son
Of Joachim Murat, King of the two Sic
lilies, has awakened an interest in the his
tory of that dashing Frenchman, who
made things hum while he was a resi-
dent of Bordentown and visitor to the
surrounding villages and taverns. says
the Bordentown correspondent Of the
Newark Sunday News"
The bottle and the book were found in
a ''cubby hole long ago sealed up and
forgotten in the immense stone chimney
of the White Horse Inn, which stands at
the crossing of the Trenton and Borden
town turnpikes, about half way between
the two towns.
The building that has stood at the
crossroads for more than It's years is to
be destroyed to make place for a more
pretentious and modern structure. 1t has
farmers who nightly warmed themselves
at its cheerful fireplace during the winter
nights and cooled themselves in its tap
room with ale and other drinkables dur
ing the summer son.
It,iwas favorite resort with Prince
Murat, and many stories of his lavish ex-
penditure: of money, his gallantry to wom-
ell and his thorough enjoyment of any
game that opened the opportunity for
him to make or lose money, have been
handed down from father to son. and are
told with great relish by the grizzle-haired
natives.
In the heavy oak mantelpiece that
crosses the chimney, are scars left by a
hundred OF more bullets fred from the
pistol Of the prince who, when he was
in his cups, insisted upon fastening
golden half eagle to the mantel and blaz-
ing away at it at short range. Every
time flat u leaden pellet struck the gold,
the loiterers gathered in and ordered to
drink to the craftsmanship Of the prince
at his expense, an honor that they We're
not only willing but eager to pay him.
Murat was a prime favorite with the
common people, with whom he drank.
sang, rode, hunted and gambled. Deer
iii those days deer were plenty in the
pines of Jersey. His hunting excursions
sometimes lasted for weeks and We're
marked by much drinking rather than
expert shooting.
Murat was ambitious to be a success
full franier, and in trying to make one Of
himself spent $4,000. and was obliged
at the end to admit that his undertaking
was failure.
z When the prince came to Bordentown
he went to reside in a house built on the
plan of an Itiaian villa located on the
edge of Bonaparte Park. Hhe building
long since fell into ruin. His last dwell
ing place was in Murat dow, which has
been preserved and modernized. In the
day Of the prince the row was the most
pretentious building in Bordentwon.
While living there Mnrat began to give
the subject Of matrimony serious censid-
Grafton, with the result that he offered
himself to Miss Caroline Georgina Fras-
er, daughter Of Major Fraser, Of the
British army, and most estimable lady.
The marriage was perfomed quietly by
Rev. Frederick Beasley, father Of the
late Chief Justice Of the Supreme Court
Of New Jersey.
The restraintof marital responsibilities
soon wore of. and Murat picked ID the
therad Of his bositefous life where he had