The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-06-27
DIARY LAYS BARE
De RAGLAN SECRET
POSED AS MAN IN ORDER TO
BLAckMAlL MOTHER FOR
BIG ESTATE.
DEEP MYSTERY CLEARED
BY Finding of Woman's Life History
Which is Far Stranger Than
Any Fictior--Noted Rus
sian Aided Her.


Chicago, June 26.-The life secret
"a plot TO secure possession O. a
$l2500o estate Of Nicoai de Raglan,
for years Secretary to the Russian
consul at Chicago. who, after mas.
querading as a man for Is years, was
found after death to have been n
woman, was revealed today.
The story Of her reason for starting
out on career of deception that
proved her one OF the most accom-
plished actresses in the world and
disclosed Russian scandal that has
been hidden for years is contained in
her dairy and correspondence which
is in the possession Of Michael Fem
berg, As Upton street, employed IN
the office of the public administrator.
Here are the amazing facts disclosed:
4. Nicolai de Raylans real name
was Taletsky. Her Christian namo is
unknowt.
2. She started on her remarkable
career OF deception in an effort 70
blackmail her mother in Russia. 1t
became necessary to continue her dis.
guise because she was sought for
years hy the Russian police.
Claimed to Be Boy.
3. The compelling motive of De
Raylan's entire career was an effort
to prove that her mother had been
masquerading her as a girl when in
reality she claimed she was boy.
A. The figure of principal import
ance In the events that started De
Raglan in her disguise was the Tate M
Constantini Pretrovitch Pobeidon-
ostseff, one of the most gigantic fig
ures in modern Russian history. Pro
curateur of the Holy Synod.
S. NJ Pobiedonostsefi sought her
for years through the secret police of
Russia to prevent scandal he having
sworn after an interview that Nicolai
was q man.
6. She made love to almost every
woman she became acquainted with.
and previous to her two marriages in
Chicago became engaged TO several.
z. Her second wife" Anna De
Raglan, knew the life secret of "Nico'
lai," and received SIS a week over
and above living expenses throughout
the term of marriage, for myster-
ious purpose.
Drunkard and Gambler
The first phase of her life traced
in her journal, many pages in which
indicate that she was a drunkard,
gambler and a profane roue, depicts
her as a school girl. Her mother had
placed her in a government school for
girls in Kiev, Russia, where the
Taletsky family home is situated, and
between the ages of 10 and 16 she was
to graduate.
Somewhere around this period her
mother. who had been well to do be-
fore, suddenly acquired considerable
more wealth. The figure mentioned
in the diary is 25OOO0 roubles (about
$125,000)
Nicolai. the only given name by
which De Raglan is known to have
been called. no feminine name appear
ing in any of her papers, discovered
the existence of this sum and became
suspicious concerning il.
In some way she found that it had
been settled on her mother as trustee
by some member of the nobility. TO
be conserved in the interest Of
Nicolai.
This discovery made the young girl
curious as to the reason for the set
tlement and caused her to wish for
her father. as expressed among her
writings. to find from him what mys-
terry surrounded her origin. Her
mother. she says, would not tell her
who he was.