The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-16
B1iH Stung
 People q Second 7ime
MADE HIMSELF A KING.
A Romance of Real Life That Actually
 Rivals Comic Opera.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
 The announcement that Baroness Anna Harden-Hickey, widow of James l, Prince of Trinidad, has been placed in private asylum near Stamford, Conn.,, drops the curtain from a romance of real life that rivals comic opera, yet Is genui inely pathetic.
 James A. Harden Hickey, James I of Trinidad, baron of the Holy Roman Elm pire, the man who made himself king, was born in 1854, and probably in San Francisco. In 1873 we find him a gradu ate of Namur, Leipzig, and the military l college of St. Cyr his own master, one of the best swordsmen in Paris. jour nalist. novelist. duelst. an habitue of the Latin quarter and tho boulevards. He wrote at least five novels, and attacked the enemies of the Roman Catholic church so valorously with his pen that the Pope made him d baron In 1878 he married the Countess de Saint-Pery. They had two children and were divorced in 1888
 In 1881 he started Triboulet. a roy.tlist sheet subsidized by the Count de Cham bord and published in the interest of the Bourbons. During the seven years in which 1t amused Paris and annoyed the republican government it's editor was n- volved in fortytwo lawsuits. was fined 30OO eco francs. and was principal in countless duels.
 In 1SSS Harden Hickey started on trip around the world on a sailing ship. Off the coast of Brazil the ship touched at the unnhablted island of Trinidad-not the island belonging to Great Britain and lying off Venezuela. but a hit of rocky land five miles long and three miles wide unclaimed by the nations. Before liar den Hickey left 1t he claimed 1t in his own name and planted a flag of hls own design on the beach,
 In 1890, in Paris. Harden-H Hickey met and loved Miss Annie Harper Fiagler daughter of John H. Flagler. Her father thought the baron was marrying for money and opposed the match. But in March, 1891, in New York. Miss Flag Ter became Baroness Harden Hickey, without settlements. For the next two years the couple lived quietly In New York. the husband. among other things, writing book with the title. "Euthana- sia oS, The Ethics of Suicide" with pie lures by the author.
 And then. to enliven humdrum exist ence. Harden Hickey proclaimed himself King James I of Trinidad. and notified the powers. The powers did not object America was amused and the supple ments of the Sunday papers hailed h's consort as the American Queen.
 James I appointed his friend Count de Ia Boisslere his minister of foreign af- fairs and established a chancellery in New York It was formally announced in a state document written in French that the new nation would be governed by military dictatorship. that the royal standard was a yellow triangle on red ground: that the hard work was to be performed bv Chinese eooles and that the aristocracy would enjoy life of fresa nsations."
 James I instituted an order of chivalry. bought crown, and issued a set of pos tage stamps-whch are highly prized to- day by collectors. He also personally en- ga ged 400 cooles in San Francisco, sent them to Trinidad, and began the con struction of docks, warehouses, and dwellings on the island.
 James l was having jolly good time as king. when in July, 1895. Great Brit ain came across the principality of Trim idad while aying a cable to Brazil, anl seized it as a possible cable station, bundlng king and court and all the in habitants off in short order
 James I and his minister of foregi naf- fairs sent circular to all the powers of Europe, and dignified protest to our state department, asking recognition an independent state and aid under the Monroe doctrine Secretary Olney turned the document over to the Washington correspondents as a crank letter. And then all America was amused agaSn.
 James l got no satisfaction anywhere. Then he turned to revenge on perfidous Albion. He organized on paper an inva- sion of England from Ireland. His fath- er-in-law refused to finance the invasion, and King James repudiated him for the last time, By this time the relations be- tween the King and his consort had grown somewhat strained. So he decided to accept an offer to become the king of one of the Hawaiian islands. turning his back on America and leaving England to her fate.
 In order to provide funds it was neces- sary to sell his islands in Mexico. He was disappointed in promising negotiations, and started in 1898 for San Francisco os- tensibly to join his wife. He stopped off at Fl Paso. and the next morning he was dead of poison. He had put into practice his preachments In "Euthana- sia.' And in his trunk was the crown Of Trinidad