The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-07-24
PRINCESS"
CHIMAY DEAD
WAS DETROIT GIRL, MARRIED.
PRINCE, DIES IN PARIS.
infatuated with Gypsy Fiddler, Her
Downfall eeean-Three Years
Ago She Found New Love in
Railroad Porter.

London, lr.y 25--Thc night edi.
tion Of the Lvening News prints re.
port from Its Paris correspondent stat.
ing that Clara Ward. formerly the
Princess de Chimay, Is dead in the
French Hospital It gives no details
as 20 where she died or the cause
OF her death. Up to the present time
It has been impossible to secure con.
irmation Of the report
with the death OF Princess de Chi.
may, formerly Clara Ward OF Detroit,
one OF the most remarkable careers
in the history Of recent years comes
TO m end Although only 25 years OH.
the princess life was so tumultous
that in the last FIVE years she aged
perceptibly She squandered thous.
ands OF francs on beauty doctors and
once nearly ruined her face by sub
hitting TO having permanent blush
tattooed on each cheek. In the last
few month sne has failed steadily.
She was the daughter OF Captain
Abner Ward. Michigan lumberman.
and was one Of fourteen children. In
her school girl days she was declared
to be the prettlest child in Detroit.
In 1887. following a term in the Brit.
ish boarding school. sne was intro
duced to society and her first husband.
Prince Joseph de Caraman- -Chimay a
member OF the Belgian house OF rep
rgsentatiyes.
She was married In Paris In 1855.
and began TO cut a wide swath In so.
clcty. Clara having a fortune Of 81.
100000 in her own right, and expend.
ing Il In the most lavish manner.
she was greatly admired by King
leopold Of Belgium. who was a fro.
quent visitor at their house, and en-.
.oyed in basking in the smiles OF the
princess. The home life OF the couple
VAS happy for several years. and two
children were born.
Tnen came the affair with the Gyp-
~ fiddler. Riggio. with whom the prin.
cess became infatuated and she fed
With him to London, all Europe and
America echoing with the scandal.
TO a reporter who asked her how she
'ould have left her cultured husoaru
for the ignorant Riggio, she replied:
Prince de Chimay was gentle.
man and although | liked him well
enough. never loved him. He was Of
such an icy nature that | felt that
could not live with him and be hap.
py."
Rlggio and the princess Travelled
throughout Europe and they finally
look up their residence in the house
Of Riggio's family, near Pagodz, Hun.
gary.
The prince got divorce and the
custody OF the children, who are now
with him at his palace near Brussr's.
The princess although deprived OF
her title. still used It. Her funds were
low since the courts had awarded
aLmony to the prince out Of the re-
mains OF her fortune She once again
shocked society by going on the stage
with Rigglo.
The couple travelled over England
and the continent and Il was three
years ago that she met her latest gal
liant, Ricardo, a railroad porter She
and Riggio were leaving a train at
station near Mount Vesuyius IN Italy
There she saw the porter eating his
lunch. She asked him 10 carry the lug
gage TO a hotel. Ricglo tipped him.
Two days later she fed with the por-
ter to Paris. Since then she has lived
with him on an allowance granted her
by one OF her American uncles.