The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-05-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETT Err.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May eth.


Mr.. EDIToR:--It is now some thirty
years since your correspondent made the
rather intimate acquaintance of Mr.. Ion
Perdicaris, the wealthy American who
has just been kidnapped in Tangi4r,
Morocco, by Arab bandits, and with his
stepson is held for ransom. He came to
New York City with his charming family
for he had married stately blonde
English widow with a young son and two
tall, fair and lily like daughters, one
of whom bore the poetical name of Nard
Almayne There was flutter among the
"four hundred" when the Perdicaris
family stepped into its inner circles, for
besides wealth and unusual beauty, there
was refinement, art. music, and dramatic
and literary ability. Mr.. Perdicaris had
written play which he wanted to bring
out at one Of the theatres, and for which
he himself had painted and constructed
some very elaborate scenery. Private ex
hibitions were given and the theatre was
crowded with the elite and critical. For
some occult reason the regular managers
and the press did not smile upon the
enterprise, and after while it was abau-
doned To add to the sensations of that
day Miss Nard, the most fascinating OF
the two daughters, eloped with an obscure
actor named Decker, and was dropped by
society and her parents. A family recon
ciliation afterwards took place.
Mr.. Perdicaris with his wife and step
children withdrew from the gay world
and retired to pretty and aristocratic
suburb of Trenton, N. j on the banks of
the Delaware, where he had picturesque
and superb villa and divided his time be-
tween his family, his studio, his library,
and his friends. There 1 enjoyed his
agreeable acquaintance for a week. He
was tall, dark eyed, black haired, grace
full, refined and handsome man. the very
embodiment of cultured hospitality, add
sayoir vivere. He possessed the art of
making everybody feel at ease. He gave
elegant dinner parties and entertainment
was for him delight. He was fond of
taking his guests up the Delaware TO the
spot where Washington landed after
crossing the icy river.
Ion Perdicaris received his early educa-
ton at the public schools and the Tren-
ton academy He was the son of Gregory
Perdicaris, refugee from Greece under
sentence of death when he fled to the
United States in 1913. He served for
time as professor of Greek in Harvard
College but afterwards became promo
ter of gas companies throughout the
country, and became millionaire. Ion
Perdicaris at one time made arrangements
to buy the Joseph Bonaparte estate at
Bordcntown, but he gave up the intention
and bought instead the palace Of the Sui
tan of Morocco at Tangier, which, he
always insisted, had the finest climate in
the world.
The kidnapping of Perdicaris and his
stepson Marley has caused immense ex-
element among the State and Naval
officials here. 1 called at the departments
this morning to get the latest news. The
chief clerk of the State Department show
ed me the only dispatch received today,
saying that the bandits and their victims
were beyond reach and cannot be fol-
lowed" He told me that Perdicaris had
never been in our diplomatic service but
that he had often been called consul, min
lister, and even king of Tangiers' by
Americans who were over from Gibraltar
on visit of few days and were the re-
cipients Of his bountiful hospitality.
On leaving the building encountered
an officer of the Navy Department and
asked him about tho kidnapping case.
"We're up to it," he said, "and we shall
tackle it right away. When citizen of
any of the great powers is kidnapped, say
in Turkey, they always pay the ransom
demanded without higgling and then
take it out Of the nation to
which the bandits belong" l asked him
if he thought we should go to war about
it. He winked his sinister eye till that
side of his face was much distorted and
the grey eyelashes swept his bronzed
cheek. sWho's in the White House?" he
asked, and answered himself. VERY
we'll; what kind of man is Admiral
Chadwick? Very we'll; Chadwick has
two cruisers and two gunboats, and will
reach the Canaries next Sunday. What
orders will he find? Wireless telegraphy
and the air kept hot. Very well; if the
is not promptly paid, and then if
Chadwick doesn't fly the stars and stripes
from the battlements of the castle at Tan
gier, the man in the White House isn't
the man we've taken him for. Why, if we
don't do it, France will certainly stick
her eagles up there. She has had an itch
ing for Morocco for half century and
- IA HI n -"