The Washington herald., 1907-09-08
BY Ex-ATTACBE.


principal bargain which the concern in
question had on lis books was a princess
Of the house of Bonaparte. with a for
tune OF S15,0OO0OO. A titled husband was
then sought by the matrimonial agents
for this princess. their terms being a
commission OF 100000. payable TO them
on the day Of the solemnization of the
marriage. The princess in question
was Marie, daughter of Roland
Bonaparte, by his marriage with Marie
Blanc. one of the daughters and heireSses
OF that old Francis Blanc who founded
the great gambling establishment Of
Monte Carlo. The, announcement now
officially made from Copenhagen of the
engagement Of this heiress 10 Prince
George Of Greece, under the eircum-
stances viii naturally give rise to the
query as to whether this mesalliance has
been negotiated through the agency in
question, and whether or NOT Prince
George and his bride Will be called upon
70 pay the commission Of $4,000 above
mentioned
1t is impossible 10 describe the match
as anything else than a mesalliance, and
one. too, Of the most discreditable char
acter, and there is but little ground for
surprise that the union should have met
with so much opposition on the part of
the relatives Of Prince George in Den
mark, - Russia, in England, and in Ger
many. and that his father, King George,
should have hesitated so long before Civ
ing his consent to the marriage. Some
years ago, when the girls father, Roland
BonapaTte. endeavOred TO obtain the hand
OF Princess Letitia Bonaparte. widow Of
the Duke Of AOsta. whose income is
In no sense of the word commensurate
with her eStravagant tastes, her brother
in-law, King Humbert. and at a later
period her nephew, the present ruler OF
Italy, Indignantly declined TO consider his
matrimonial aspirations. on the ground
that the unsavOry source OF his wealth
and the questionable character Of his
birth and parentage rendered any mar
ridge with a princess of the reigning
house OF Savoy impossible The fortune
OF Marie BOnaparte is eike that OF her
father, derived from the greatest public
gambling establishment IN the world;
namely, that Of Monte Carlo, which has
been rightly described as the plague spot
OF Europe, and where the number Of sui
cides who have taken their lives after
being ruined at the tables, and lie buried
In the principaiityT exceeds the number Of
its living population Nor can Marie
Bonaparte's lineage be said % be IN any
way superior to that of her father If
anything, 1t is worse. for if his mother
was the daughter Of a jOVneyman
plumber, and his maternal grandfather
a concierge de j8nitOr, her mother was
u daughter OF old Francis Blanc, who had
risen from croupier at the public gam
bling tables at Wiesbaden TO be the ere
ator and principal owner OF the great
public gambling hell on the island Of
Monaco.
'Roland's father. Prince Peter Bona
parte. was one OF the younger sons Of
the great Emperor's youngest brother,
Lucien, the only brother who owing to
his refusal 20 submit to the viii of Ma
pOleon in matters domestic ana political
was compelled TO foregO any stare in the
thrones which the mighty Corsican dis
tributed so lavishly among the other
members Of his family Peter not only
lived, but also fought 10 America. He
spent a considerable time in Bordentown.
y. J., with his fathers brother. ex-King
Joseph Bonaparte, of Spain, and where he
was in frequent trouble with the local
authorities by reason Of the unbridled vio-
lence Of his character. He then took part
IN the wars in Central America, seeing
a good deal Of service under the Colon
bian general Ssntander Returning 20
Italy. he. While engaged in poaching. had
the misfortune to Kill a gamekeeper. and.
thrown into prison and charged with mur-
der, he managed TO effect his escape and
came again 20 the United States, this
time as a fugitive from justice. and led
q precar!OuS existence here until the
overthrow OF King Louis Philippe and the |
election Of his first cousin, Napoleon. III. |
10 the Presidency of the republic. Eapo-
leon III by no means relished the rela |
tionship of this particularly black sheep
Of his family and was greatly displeased |
at his cominS 10 Paris.
But he eventually agreed TO give him |
an allowance Of some $4,000 a year. on |
the condition that he would remain alto !
gether in the background and make no /
attempt to figure at any court ceremonies
or in any official functions Peter COM
piled with these stipulations, and little
was heard of him until in January. 1870
he shot down in the drawing-room Of his
house in the Rue dAuteul. in the
suburbs Of Paris. the Unarmed and de-
fenseless journalist. Victor Noir. who had
caHed upon him with Uric de Fonvieua
Rt his Invitation. in order to arrange for
a duel between him and their principal.
PaschaI Grousset.
The murder was Of such a particularly
al md ar.4l-
cited storm of Indignation throughout
France. and, of course, eatailed the pub
lication far and wide of all the unsavory
incidents Of the princes career IN Italy.
in America, and In France Tried for
his life at Tours. he was acquitted Of
the charge Of murder, but sentenced TO
pay heavy damages to the family of his
victim. which they refused to receive.
This outcome Of the trial gave rise 10
great popular dissatisfaction. Indeed, the
entire affair created such an outbreak OF
animosity and of denunciation. not only
OF Peter himself, but Of the entire Bona
parte family. that it has generally been
regarded as having been one Of the chief
contriDutory causes Of the downfall of
the empire in September OF the same
year
Immediately after the trial. Prince
Peter was ordered by HIS cousin. Ma
poleon III, to leave the country. and
withdrew to Belgium, where the outbreak
Of the wal found him. After Sedan. his
allowance stopped, and, finding his ap-
peals 70 Napoleon III ignored. he pro-
ceeded to England. On one memorabilia
occasion he made ar attempt 10 secure I
an interview with the ex-Emperor at ,
Chislehurst, hut was met in the grounds
by Empress Eugenie who not only or