Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-28
AN ARMY OF CREDITORS
DE CHAULNES GREETED BY
HUNGRY HORDE AT PARIS.

PARIS. March 2S-The arrival of the
Duke and Duchess de Chaulnes. who vas
Miss Theodore Shonts of New York. in
Paris. on the last stage of their honey
moon tour, was signalized Thursday by a
meeting in the courtyard of the building
at No. 3 Rue Louis lie Grand of the
creditors of the duke
The meeting was uncalled and entirely
spontaneous. 1t was the result of the
news of the arrival of the duke. who in
the heated imaginations of the motley
gathering had brought back fabulous
sums of Theodore Perry Shonts gold with
him.
Eagerly Awaited Cash.
In the early morning. one man. the
many and suffering creditors of the
young nobleman took up the march to
the office of Monsieur lie Marquis, guard
ian and man-of-affairs of the duke. with
the glad expectation of receiving at once
full payment of their accounts. None of
them had been invited to make such a
call
First two or three met in the court
yard while waiting to see Monsieur lie
Marquis. but soon their number was
augmented by new arrivals at minute
until the courtyard was crowded
with a noisy gathering of creditors.
Among them were tailors, bootmakers,
florists. jewelers.. dog sellers,
money lenders and all sorts and condi-
lions of men. all of them in deadly ear
nest in their efforts to collect their &C
counts.
Tailor Most Persistent.
The most persistent creditor was the
tailor who has clothed the duke for years.
He is English. and on the eve of the
wedding attempted to collect through the
British consul at New York. Failing. he
assigned his claim and brought suit. Tn
successful In that attempt, he Joined the
noisy crowd before the door of Monsieur
lie Marquis. This tailor once won fame
by filing an order of Count Boni de Cas-
tellane for 200 pairs of trousers all at
once.
Another prominent figure was the col
lectOr for BoucherOnS. He came it was
stated. with bill for the engagement
ring which the duke bought for Miss
Shonts. and on this account believed him.
self preferred above the others.
This claim for preference was disputed
by the florist from the Boulevard Capu-
cfnes, who furnished the flowers with
which the duke deluged Miss Shonts dur
ing the wooing.
Undertaken Among Creditors.
grewsome note was diffused into the
otherwise ridiculous gathering by the
presence of an undertaken. He came
with bill for the funeral expenses of a
former sweetheart of the duke, who died
at the Hotel Palais d'Orsay some time
ago under shocking circumstances.
All were finally sent away unpaid, Mon
sieur lie Marquis assuring them that he
was merely guardian Of the duke, APP
pointed by the courts SO that maynard
youth could not contract debts without
his permission.
Il can only offer you my sympathy"
he said. Il have no money to pay
why not pay us frop1 the American
fortune the duke got?' insisted the tailor.
lie Marquis rejoined with a grand air:
His grace the duke, received no Amer
lean fortune. He and his bride were
under an agreement for the sep
aration of property both in this country
and America, and therefore his personal
fortune was, not augmented by his mar
riage.
The disconsolate and furious creditors
left vowing vengeance against the duke
for deceiving them by not receiving a
fortune on the occasion of his marriage.
A few of them, with the tailor at their
head, made a bee line for the Langham
Hotel. where the duke and duchess have
apartments, and made a demonstration.