The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-24
Double Life Of NIchoIai De
Raglan Is Revealed.
Autopsy Made Plain Secret Pre-.
vtOusly Well Kept.
Was a Clerk in the Russian
Consulate at Chicago.

Chlcago, Dec. 24.-The three DAYS
wonder growing out of the discovery
ehat Nicolai De Raglan, for years a clerk
70 baron Schlippenbach, Russian consul
/ III chicago, was woman, a discovery
only made after her death in Phoenix.
Ariz., has been solved by the admissions
OF the two women with whom she lived
as husband"
Mrs. Eugene Bruchulis. De Ravlan,s
l nIst wire' and Mrs. Anne De Raglan,
Doth unbosomed themselves. The vyo-
man, De Raglan, was of the common
classes or southern Russia. The 11-year-
oio boy, who has been reported as being
the real child of the De Raglan woman.
IS In reality, as Mrs Anne De Ravlan
mas stated, her own child The boy Is
the son of Joseph Armstrong, her for
mer husband.
The idea Of posing as a man grew
gradually with the De Raglan girl.
trouble with her parents over a revolu-
tlonary secret drove her from her home
In Elizavetgrad, when IS years of age
She went to the town of Kamenyets and
there, as a man, won the love Of a young
girl, Jenya Vassilovitch.
Throughout all her life in America as
a man the romance clung to her. There
was diary, which Mrs Bruchulis re-
Vealed, telling all the details of the sad
romance. 1t told of how the De Raglan
girl lost the love of "Jenya' referred to
as MY angel girl" through an affair
with a girl of the Neva quarter in St.
Petersburg
During the years of her double life in
New York and Chicago and the CITY of
Mexico letters went constantly back to
Russia to the angel girl The girl
wrote pitfful letters, begging to be
brought to this country, saying mat she
would be good and true and at one
period De Raglan tried to induce her
friend, Francis Bruchulis to marry her
fold sweetheart" De Raglan fed from
Russia to escape the opportunities OF
"Jenya."
For short time in the Csty Of Mexico
De Raglan lived as a woman. but upon
leaving for New York assumed the dress
and role of a man.
In New York, feeling secure in her
deception, she married her first wife"
and from there the story proceeds to
Chicago. De Raylan's connection with
the revolutionary party is seen in her
presence at meetings Of the west side
"bund" and the secret conference with
fellow countrymen and the numerous
dispatches sent to Russia.
Autopsy Told tho Story.
Phoenix. Ariz.. Dec. 24.-An autopsy
by Coroner Burnett settled beyond
doubt the sex of Nicolai De Raylan.
secretary to Baron Schlippenbach the
Russian consul at Chicago. always sup
posed to be a man. The coroner an
that death resulted from con-
sumption, and that De Raglan was a
perfectly formed woman. The body win
not be inferred until the mystery is
somewhat cleared. as it is understood
De Raglan had some valuable property
in Chicago-bank accounts, If nothing
more-and there are some personal ef-
fects here.
Charles Tanner, who says he has
been De Raylan's friend for 13 years,
and who happens, oddly enough, but
by a coincidence he declares to be here
at this time. says that De Raglan had
a profitable business in representing
Russian commercial firms. and that
he" maintained a secretary named
Brelaush i'll Chicago
After testifying. with DR.. Rowe who
accompanied De Raglan as private ply
sician, before the coroner, Tanner said
that he had lived for two years with
De Raglan and a man named KesseI
in bachelor quarters in Chicago, the
three occupying separate rooms; that
he mad last seen De Raglan in life three
and half years ago. on the eve of Tan
aer's departures for Australia, which
the three roommates were celebrating
BY drinking several bottles of cham
oagne at the Auditorium Annex in Chi
cago, and that for time afterward he
now and then with d
Raglan.
Tanner said he now lives in Los An
yeles, IS connected with the MapIeWood
Land company, and had come here for
4 brief visit, not knowing of De Ray
ans prese-ce here. He said also that
De Rayla7-speaking of him as though
le were man-years ago brought a
woman from New York to Chicago.
ind that his infatuation for her cost
him" large sum. A little later the"
announced his" marriage to the actress
Who now figures as his widow