The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1907-08-31
7 ElE
J Tie

tury, has there come to public attention
such sex riddle as has been presented
In the case Of Nicolai de Raglan, who
masqueraded eighteen years as man
and was found to be a woman only
after her death in Phoenix, Ariz last
December. A diary and q bundle of
correspondence, in the office of the Chi
cago public administrator, reveal all
amazing story.
De Raglan, 1t appears, was started
on her career of deception In an at
tempt to blackmail her mother, at
whom she was incensed because the
paternity of the girl was kept secret.
De Raglan adopted male attire and
tried to prove that she had been mas
queraded as a girl by her mother in
violation Of the laws Of Russia, which
, provide heavy punishment for such an
offense. A feature Of the story Is the
fact that De Raglan interested the late
NJ. Constantine Petrovltch Pobiedonost-
Oh, atOl VI llc uOly Sy III
her case, and prevailed ON him to start
suit against her mother.
The diary, which covers the period
between 1888 and 1892, shows that the
real family name of De Raglan was
Taletsky. The first entries depict her
as school girl Is years old, about to
graduate from a seminary at Kiev,
Russia. At this time the girls mother
suddenly acquires wealth to the
amount of 25O,OOO rubles (about $685.
OOO), and Nlcolai, the only name by
which De Raglan Is known to have been
called, discovers that the money has
been settled on her parent as trustee
by member of the nobility, to be con-
served In the interests of Nicolai. The
girl becomes curious as to the reason
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-masculinity for De
Raglan.
In Russia the law makes 1t a crime
punishable by Imprisonment for any
person to gain entrance for boy into
girls school and also, under the mill
tary statutes, makes 1t serious crime
for mother to hide the sex of male
child. Young De Raglan, according to
the Journal, schemed to blackInail her
own mother by aid of these laws, and
to this end took into her confidence her
French governess, Louise Ratone. Two
years were spent in preparing for the
assumption Of the male disguise. and In
1891 Louise Ratone wrote to the late
NJ. Pobiedonosteff, procurator of the
holy synod, telling In detail the alleged
facts In the case. The churchman in.
sisted on starting criminal proceedings
against the mother. At his instance
Nicolai swore out complaint against
her mother In Odessa. The woman was
arrested and preparations started for
the trial.
This, however, was too swift a pro.
ceeding for Nicolai, and, fearing detec.
tion, she procured money from Fancy
Rosdorhney, woman living in st. Pc
tersburg with whom she had professed
to fall In love, and fed to Helsinfors.
Finland, leaving a letter for NJ. Po-
biedonosteff, telling him that filial de-
votion prevented her appearance against
her mother. The procurator was
chagrined, but ordered the officials to
proceed with the case. The mother pro-
duced evidence that Nicolal was a girl.
The procurator was enraged.
From Helsinfors Nicolai soon fed to
Antwerp, Belgium, changing her name
to Nicolai Konstantlnevitch. At At.
werp banker, NJ. Citizens, sent her to
the United States. Arrived In Chicago
Nicolai was presented to Charles Hen.
rotin.> Belgian consul, who introduced
her to the Russian consul, and, after
taking out naturalization papers. nj.
colai eventually became secretary ia
Z Baron Schlippenbach. Russian consul
The life of De Raglan in Chicago
was disclosed after her death In Phoe
nix. She smoked and drank hard. used
. profane language and Travelled with q
rapid set of young men. She married
her first wife" when 20 years old
Nine years later the wife obtained a
divorce, and then married Francis P
Bradchuhs. De Raylan's business part
ner. Nicolai at once went to New. Yors
and married Anna Davidson, an. act
ress, who brought suit to get posses
sion Of the estate after De Raglan,
death and sought to establish that DE-
Raglan was a man Letters discovered
In the strong wooden chest In which
the dairy was found indicate that Mrs
Anna De Raglan knew Nicolai's life
secret