Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-05-04
ROMANTIC LIFE OF
AMERICAN WOMAN
MOTHER OF BARON HATzFELDT-
WllDENBERG HAS A STRANGE
EXPERIENCE.
Special to the Herald.

w L. ~ -AeAs OAH@NAN-A
and social circles in the national cap
ital are considerably interested in the
appointment of Baron Herman Won
Wildenburg to succeed
Baron Won dem Bussche- Haddenh9us-
en- as first secretary of the German
embassy here Baron Hatfield will
doubtless find the Washington post
agreeable as he has strong strain of
American blood in his veins, his moth
er having been a Miss Helen Moulton
of Albany, N. Y.
The nobility of Europe, though it
has furnished stories of love, romance
and intrigue stranger than are to be
found in the pages OF fiction, seldom
has furnished a stranger life romance
than that in which the parents of
Baron Hatzfeldt figured as principals.
Divorced for state reasons, remarked
for love, and in her old age the object
of a unique sacrifice, the mother of
the new secretary of the Germany en-
bassy experienced at once more suf-
fering and more honor than falls to
the lot of most American wives of
titled husbans.
Baron hatfield is the only son of
the late Count Paul Hatzfeldt, who
was for many years German Ambas-
sador in England His mother was
Helen Moulton, daughter of Colonel
Moulton of Albany, N Y. Her mother,
Mrs Moulton, was the daughter of an
old French dancing master, who in the
early part of the nineteenth century
was professor of the terpsichorean art
to the fashionable of New York. His
name was Metz and his daughters
christian name Cesarine. She was
celebrated in New York for her beauty
and fascination.
When the daughter, Helen, was
about ten years old the family went
to Paris and there made its home.
Charles Moulton, the father, became
associated with Baron Haussmann,
who built the boulevards and trans
figured Paris, and was swept high on
the tide of sudden wealth. The family
were thrown into the most exalted So
ciety of the empire The son married
a Boston girl, Miss Lille Greenough,
who enhanced the distinction of the
family with her vocal and other &C
complishments Charles Moulton, her
bE a8 was killed in rallroad acct
dent III Philadelphia some years ago.
and she afterward married Baron Won
Hageman, the Danish minister at
Washington.
Miss Helen Moulton meanwhile was
earning social triumphs of her own
AT court she first met Count HAITI
feldt, secretary to Prince Otto Won
Bismark, then the Prussian Ambas-
sador in Paris. Count Hatzfeldt was
nearly twenty years Miss Moulton's
senior, but he was under forty and
age had dealt lightly with him. He
was the son of that Countess Sophie
Won Hatzfeldt, who was the friend and
patroness of Ferdinand Lassalle, the
Jewish philosopher and Social Demo
crat.
Miss Moulton returned the affection
which Count Hatzfeldt made known
to her, and they were married with
every circumstance of grandeur As
the representative of Germany al
Madrid, Constantinople and other cap
itals Count Hatfield acquitted him
self brilliantly, and his rise in the dip
lomatic service was rapid.
But a change was soon to come.
Bismarck desired his protege, HAITI
feldt, to become foreign secretary and
remain in Berlin. In this position
Hatzfeldt would be a parsonage of
consequence at court, and it was nee
essary that he should be acceptable to
royalty. It was necessary also that
his wife should be acceptable But
Countess Hatzfeldt's mother had been
an actress in America, and the views
of the Empress Augusta regarding
such matters prohibited her being re-
ceived at court. Bismarck told Count
Hatfield that the situation demanded
that he should divorce the countess.
The countess herself urged her hus
band to comply with Bismarck's de-
mands, and they were divorced. but
remained ever constant and warm
friends. The countess accepted the
situation in a philosophical spirit, and
devoted herself to the education of
her children. Bismarck tried to in
duce the count TO marry the daughter
of Berlin banker who had supplied
the money TO pay the debts, but the
count would not
Hatzfeldt's excellent work in the
foreign Office paved the way for fur
Their honors, and his career was soon
crowned with his appointment as Am
oassador to Great Britain When EN-
peror William broke the power of