New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-17
CLAIMS A THRONE.
Nee Pretender to albanian Cr07cu
Ran Circus.


Il is difficult 10 understand how the English and
American newspapers can accord any attention Ia
the individual who styles himself Prince Albert
Ghtka, and who is posturing everywhere save I'm
Albania itself. as pretender 10 the nonresident
throne OF Albania, which. as every one knows is
a province OF the Ottoman Empire. The very men
zion II the mans name in any OF the Continental
capitals enough give rise TO laughter and the
only thing that he viii have achieved through
his pretensons VIII have been his capture of tho
hand OF Miss Margaret Bowling, Of Australia who,
il appears. has money.
For many years he has been leading a life of ad-
venture, being implicated In all sorts of scrapes
much 20 the distress of his family whose other
members 90 not dream OF sporting the title of
prince" and who live quite obscurely in his
tive town Of Jassy. where his brother Edward
is one OF the municipal councillors. Albert Ghka
-ook advantage some time ago OF his brothers Of
eoial position at Jassy bring thither the circus
q which. at time he was the manager and
star performer. All the town focked the
show. ard then Albert bolted with the box Office
receipts and OF the fair equestriennes, the cir
Gus bills remaining unpaid and warrant being
issued for his arrest.
All his life long he has been engaged in playing
,re role Of Don Juan. his first appearance in this
mart being when ne abducted the daughter of
RIuanian boiar from the cloister school or Our
radv Of Zion al Jassy. Albert Ghika forced
by TIE Indignant father at the point of the pistol
and after undergoing n severe thrashing. 10 marry
the girl But years later the couple were
-,srred by means Of divorce Albert having In the
meanwhile squandered every cent Of his wife
fortune Some months later he married again, this
lime At Paris his bride being the daughter of the
former French Cabinet Minister Loizillon. But
This marriage too, was terminated after about a
year or TWO in a divorce, pronounced in favor OF
he unfortunate young woman. who returned TO
her parents Invested even OF the very jewels whleh
she had received from her relatives as wedding
PRESENTS Then for a time he was the rival or the
r,-rsv RICO in the affections Of the Michigan-born
zx-Prircess de Chirnay and was fond Of displaying
- his friends and acquaintance portraits OF this
notorious lacy. bearing the most extravagant eX-
l,rcesions Of affection in her handwriting
Cl,izs IS 50 plausible that he manages 10 ingrat-
ate himself not only with women but even with
- Tr5eeF he made such a friend Of Don
7si77k If Spain that the latter, when dispatched
as q Russian officer by the Car along with MUS
covite general 10 attend the Inauguration OF the
new university At Jassy took Albert Ghika along
with him i was only when Don Jaime, VINO knew
,o+r5-r cF his companions anteCedents. attempted
70 bring him with him TO the audience granted oy
King Charles OF Rumania to the Foreign delegates
-a1 Clila was stopped at the entrance OF the pal
nee 4,v the royal genUcInen-in- waiting, who &C.
clarad that under circumstances could a man
i,r such n record as Ghika be admitted TO the
soyereigu's presence
AZ have said before. he has not a vestige Of
right 10 The title of princa and his claim that 1t
vs. s-anted his family by one Of the former
century is untrue. there being record Of any
such grant Indeed. It is as preposterous as his
rretensions the throne OF Albania a country OF
which he does not even know either the language
or the geography. Should he ever attempt TO set
foot in Albania he will probably share the fate OF
his two predecessors in this line, Hungarian
count and young Englishman Of birth. each Of
whom was induced by gangs OF cUtthroats and OF
swinders 70 put forward pretensions to the throne
Of Albania. and to raise his flag in this most
ruIy Of all the provinces OF the Sultan's empire
The Hungarian lost not only his fortune, but like
wise his life. while the young Englshman, after
having been Invested Of every cent that he owned
In the world. turned adrift. minus couple of
fingers and and IN otherwise sadly mutt
lated condition.
Il will be interesting TO observe the fate Of thes
misguided young woman who. manifestly ignorant
Of the relative value OF nobility title and of Chikas
antecedents has now become his third wife. She
is reported TO have more money than her predeces-
sors, and this account her day dream VIII prob
ably last longer than theirs, But she is bound, in
the natural course OF events, TO share their fate
and will have no one TO blame but herself, having
been abundantly warned by officials OF the Turkish
Embassy in London, to whom she turned deaf
ear