Mexico weekly ledger., 1907-07-04
MEMOIRS OF EIC0LAI DE RAY
Lam REVEAL THE MOTIVE
FOR HER MASQUERADE
REVENGE ON HER
MOTHER.
Anger at the concsalmsnt of Her
Parents Causes the Adoption
Of Male Attire strangsst
Case Of Changed lden-
tity Of the Age.

de Raglan, who masqneraded eighteen
years as = mar and was found TO be q.
woman only after her death In
Phoenix. Ariz., last December, have at
last heen cleared.
A diary and q bundle OF correspon-
dence, over which the investigators In
the Office Of James Eeddick, public
administrator, have been industrious
ly working, were made public yester-
day, revealing an amazing story.
De Raglan, it appears, was started
on her career OF deception In an az
tempt TO blackmail her mother, at
whom she was incensed because the
paternity Of the girl was kept q secret.
When information as TO the name OF
her father wal withheld, De Raglan
adopted male attire and tried to prove
that she had been masqueraded as al
girl by her mother in violation Of the
laws Of Russia, which provide heavy
punishment for such an offense.
DIARY COVERS FOUR YEARS.
The diary, which covers the period
between 1855 and 1892, shows that the
real family name OF De Raglan was
Taletsky. The first entries depict her
as a schoolgirl Is years old, about t0I
graduate from a seminary at Kiey,l
Russia. At this time the girls mother
suddenly acquires wealth TO the
amount Of 250, 900 rubles about sl25,-
OOol, and Nicolai, the only name by
which De Raglan is known 70 have
been called, discovers that the money
has been settled ON her parent as
trustee by q member OF the nobility,
to be conserved In the interests Of
Nicolai.
The girl becomes curious as to the
for the settlement and suspects
that the unknown nobleman is her
father, but fails to drag information
on the point from her mother. Then
comes the inspiration that resulted In
eighteen years OF pseudo-m asoulinity
for De Raglan.
In Russia the law makes IL a crime
punishable by Imprisonment for any
person to gain entrance for a boy into
a girls school and also, under the
military statutes, makes IL q serious
crime for a mother to hide the sex Of
a male child. Young De Raglan, ac-
cording to the journal, schemed To-
blackmail her own mother by aid OF
these laws, and to this end took into
confidence her French governess,
Louise Ratone, to whom she said, ac-
cordlng TO the diary:
MlSLEADs HER COVERINGS.
Louise, you have seer me in the
house posing As a girl, when in fact all
the time | have been a boy. The pur-
pose OF my mother In Disgusting me In
this way was to inherit or In some way
procure this money that has come to !
her."
The youthful adventures added
verisimilitude to this story by making
ardent love to Louise, and the two
left Kiev for st. Petersburg. Two
years we're spent in preparing for the
assumption OF the male disguise, and
In 1891 Louise Ratone wrote to the
late M. Pobiedonsteff, procurator Of
The holy synod, telling In detail the
alleged facts In the case. The church
man at once called Niculal to his
and, after the girl had con-
Vinced him that she was a man, insist
on starting criminal proceedings
against the mother at his instance
Sicolai swore out complaint against
Ter mother lii Odessa The woman
vas arrested and preparation started
or the trial.
This, however, was too swift a prof.
for Nicolai, and fearing de-
she procured money 'FRONT.'
1aney Rosdorhney. a woman living In
It Pe%tersberg with whom she had
'rofessed TO fall In love, and fled to
.ielsingors, Finland, leaving a letter 4
or N. Pobiedonostsetf, telling him J
hat tilial devotion prevented her ap- g
'earance against her mother. IL
The procurator was chagrined, butt
'rdered the officials to proceed with 8,
he case. q
CALLS DOCTOR AND PRIEST. ri
The mother produced the doctor n
Ebo had assisted at the birth OF her 81
aughter and the priest who had e.
hristened her, both OF whom swore q
nat they knew positively that Nicholai q
'asa girl. The procurator vas en-
aged.
From Helslngors Nicholai soon fled :
o Antwerp, Belgium, changing her
anne TO Nicholai Konstantineyitch.
" Antwerp a banker. M. Citizens, :,
ent her 10 the United States. N
Arrived 10 Chicago, Nicolai was pre- N
ented 10 Charles Henrottin, Belgian o.
onsnl, who introduced her TO the ~
sussian consul, and, after taking out "
aturaiization papers, NicholaI even. "
laily became secretary TO Baron Won VI
chlippen, Russian consul. 10
armingtons Asylum hay get DR.. -