New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-14
THE coMrE DE cHo1sEUL PRAsL1N.

The COMTE DE CHO1SEUL PRASIIN.
The Comte de Choiseul Prasn, who arrived here
by the French liner last Saturday half an Amer
lean. his mother having been Miss Elizabeth
Forbes. of NeW-York while his father is the sixth
Duke of Prasln and the second Duke OF ChOseul
Prasln, by which latter title. indeed he is com
monty known. The Duke and Duchess divide
their time between Paris and Mentone where they
occupy the picturesque villa. Bosano both living a
very retired life, while their eldest son. CASTOR
Marquis de Choiseul PraslIn. has come before the
public quite frequently Of late by protesting in
the Partisan newspapers, ana likewise in the Paris
edition of THE New-York Herald" against the use
of the title of Marquis de Choiseul by the French
husband OF Of the daughters of the late
Charles Coudert, Of New-York.
The name of Choiseul Praslin will ALWAYS he as
ISOLATED in the minds Of the older generation with
one OF the most shocking tragedies of the reign
Of King Louis Philippe tragedy which has not
been without exercising a saddenng and sombre
Influence upon the present Duke OF ChoiseuI Pras-
lin. For his mother. daughter Of the French
Field Marshal Sebastiani. hacked to death bv
sword which had belonged to her husband the
late Duke, and ii was the latter who was arrested
and charged with her murder the motive for
which was asserted to be his desire TO wed his
childrens beautiful goyerness who with her repu-
tation absolutely cleared of any voluntary con-
nectfon with the crime even of having enceur-
aged the attentions of her employer came TO this
country Immediately afterward, married a distin-
guished divine Of New-York City one of a trio OF
brothers famous in the national affairs of the
United States-namely. the Rev DR.. Henry Field
and sleeps her last sleep In woodlawn Gene
terry.
The duke arrested and charged with the
murder of his wife. But week later before he
could be brought to trial by the Chamber of Peers
make any avowal, IL was announced that he had
dome Justice to himself" they say in France
namely, that he had committed suicide by means OF
arsencal poisoning, in Difference. 1t said the
entreaties of his kinsmen and OF his fellow peers
who besought him to thus preserve both his name
and his caste from the disgrace that would fall
upon both one and the other were he to die the
death Of a felon at the hand OF the public execu-
toner.
Some skepticisn was expressed at the time to
whether the story of the dukes suicide really
true But the revolution of 1S4S which drove King
Louis Philippe from the throne. followed shortly
afterward. and people forgot all about the matter.
Nearly five and twenty years ago-it was in 1879
or 1881 happened to visit Fauconbeau in the
neighborhood OF Limoges one Of those institutions
which like Montresson and Mettray. are devoted 10
the disciplining of young people under age who
ntractable to the authority OF parents and guard
ians many children of rich parents. among others
the son of the celebrated French millionaire. novel
st and playwright Ohnet. having been thus COM
roitted 10 one OF these reformatories OF the well
to do.
While going over Fauconbeau my interest
excited by the appearance OF sn old man who wore
the garb of a monk, had snow white beard de-
scendlng 10 the rope that served TO GRID his waist
and who bore traces OF having been a very hand
some and stately parsonage. Both the monk. who
seemed so sad and silent. and the head of the
institution who told what he asserted to be his
stor,, are now dead. And therefore consider
myself released from the pledge Of secrecy to which
I was bound by the chief OF the establishment II
his story was 10 be believed the old monk was no
other than the late Duke Theobald de Choisenl
PrasIin. who after his alleged suicide and mock
burial had been confined for time In a private
lunatic asylum-he was undoubtedly insane at the
time of the duchess's murdeT-and after that was
permitted 10 take UP his residence at Fauconbeau
on condition that he never LEFT It's precincts and
never revealed his identity
Iyhie T cannot vouch for the truth OF the story
of the late dukes survival for more than thirty