The Washington herald., 1907-09-29

came Jealous of the EmpeTOT's fOndness
for the girl and did everything that lay
In her power 10 hasten the marriage
The latter turned cut iar more happily
than had been expected, and four years
later Prince Charles succeeded his father
as Grand Duke Of Baden and Stephane
became grand duchess. She bore 90 her
husband ive children. the youngest Of
whom, Marie. married the tenth Duke
Of Hamilton, while another, Josephine,
became the consort Of Prince Charles
Anthony. Of HohenzOIlern, and in this
fashion the mother OF King Charles OF
Roumania. Of the now widowed Countess
Of Flanders. and Of that Prince Leopold.
Of Hohenzollern. whose candidature for
the throne Of Spain brought about the
war between Germany and France in
1870
One Of the sons Of Stephanie died when
only a few days old while a mystery has
always prevailed with regard 10 the fate
OF her other son, Prince Alexander. who,
according TO official announcement. died
when little more than a year old, but
who is generally believed 10 have been
stolen from MS cradle by agents OF Mile
Geyer. She was a most ambitious woman.
and was determined 10 secure not only
recognition for herself as Princess OF Ba-
den, but likewise the right OF succession
TO the throne for the children whom she
had borne 70 Grand Duke Charles Fred
erick IN morganatic union As long as he
remained alive she had been obliged TO
content herself with the title Of Baroness
HOchberg, which he conferred upon her
az the time OF their marriage, and her
children were born as Barons and Baron
/ esses Hochberg. The disappearance OF
hon
either by death or by kidnapping. in
| 1877. rendered il absolutely necessary that
| some arrangement should be made for
the succession 10 the throne Of Baden, as
the reigning house seemed threatened
with extinction IN the male line For
Grand Duke Charles had by this time be
come an invalid. and there was no pros
| pect Of Stephanie giving birth 10 any
more children. In fact. he died not many
months afterward. His only surviving
uncle the quite elderly Prince Louis, had
/ several fav0rites 10 whom he was deeply
attached and absolutely refused 10 saCri-
| fee bis happiness 10 dynastic considera-
| tions by contracting a lOyeless marriage
with some lady Of royal birth Rather
than do this he yielded 10 the influence
Of his stepmOther. Louise Won Geyer, Ba-
! roness Hocbberg. and gave his consent
I
| an ARRANGEMENT whereby she was raised
10 the rank OF a full-fedged Princess OF
Baden. and her children al the same time
elevated 10 the status Of princes and
/ princesses OF the blood. with the right Of
! succession 70 the crown. The eX-barOness
was in bad od0r, both az court a1d among
/ the people; and inasmgch as the necessity
OF raising her 70 the rank Of Princess
Of Baden. and Of transforming her chill
| dren into full-hedged princes and prin-
/ cesses of the blood IN order 10 preserve
/ the dynasty from extinction would never
| have arisen Il the little son OF Grand
| Duchess Stephanie had not disappeared IN
| lsi7. it is only natural that she should
/ have been taxed by public rumoT with
| the responsibility for the loss Of the royal
child.
on the death Of her stepson, Grand
Duke Louis. in 1890. her own eldest son,
Leopold. who had been born in 1870 as
morganatic child, and as Baron Leopold
Hochberg succeeded TO the throne. and.
marrying the daughter Of Gustavus "
OF Sweden, became the father Of the ruler
/ OF Baden. whose death has taken place
during the last week
| The fate Of the son Of Grand Duchess
Stephanie has always remained shrouded
/ in mystery According TO the popular
/ story generally believed, advantage was
/ taken Of the temporary absence Of the
! grand duchess To substitute a dying child
/ afflicted with smallpox or some other
| disfguring ailment in the cradle OF the
healthy little crown prince, who was car
ried away by kdnappers- Twenty years
/ later q young man was found fainting
with hunger at the gates Of Nuremberg
and was taken TO the police station. He
was entirely unable 10 communicate with
anybody. having no power OF speech and
no acquaintance with either reading or
/ writing, never having. apparently, con-
versed with any human being. He fell
/ into charitable hands and gradually was
/ taught and educated. whereupon he by
! degrees became able 10 give some account
OF himself From this II appeared that
/ he had been kept since his childhood
/ like a beast, in a dark room, seeing moth
/ ing, hearing nothin, and knowing moth
/ ing. When it was necessary to cleanse
him he was drugged- Tuis existence con-
tinued from the time he could remember
until the day when he was placed. blind
folded. in a cart and driven TO the spot
at the gates OF Nuremberg where he
I
Among the many people who interested
| themselves in his case was the wealthy
and immensely clever Earl Of Stanhope.
grandfather Of the present Earl Of Rose
/ berry.
/ Having almost unlimited wealth at his
| command, the earl, assisted by his gifted
daughter. the late Duchess Of Cleveland.
mother Of Lord Rosebery, set 10 work TO
unraveI the mystery in connection with
the young man, who had been named
Kaspar Hauser by the people who had be-
| friended him. By dint Of research. the
/ earl managed to collect almost tncou-
| trovertible evidence that Kaspar Hauser
was no other than the kidnapped son Of
Grand Duchess Stephanie. and, therefore,
| the Tightful sovereign of Baden. Ste
phanie, on learsiHg this. was greatly agi-
| tated, and Il was arranged by Lord Stan
/ hope that she should meet the young
| fellow at Donaueschingen. The grand
duchess reached the meeting place one
afternoon In the company OF Miss sophia
Greville. sister-ln-law of old Lord Au-
/ gustus LOTUS. who was for so many
years British ambassador at Berlin. Vi
emma. and St. Petersburg. and who died
4 only lne OtaST DAY ne dTCGuucheS5
| had hardly alighted from the carriage
/ before she was notified that Kaspar
| Hauser had been mysteriOusly aSsassi-
mated that very morning in a secluded
portion Of the public garden OF the town.
| HIS breast and back were pierced by
several wounds. inflicted. apparently.
/ with an Italian stiletto. and in spite OF
the fact that Lord Stanhope offered a
| reward of s. 900 for the capture and iden-
| tihcation OF the murderer. no clew was
ever obtained 10 the crime, which. to-
| gether with the romance associated
Herewith, has furnished the theme OF
| innumerable novels and dramas.