The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-27
Plot Which Forced Him From
Vatican Followed by Anoth-
er Which Drove Out the 9th
er AngIo-Saxon.
LATTER PLOT CAUSES
DUEL WITH PISTOLS
Since the Retirement of the
American and the Irishmau
There Is an Eng|ish-Speak-
ing Vacancy.

The following dispatch from Rome
refers to Francis McNutt, a former
Richmond man. 1t deals with the mys-
terry which surrounds his disgrace at
the Vatican. Richmond friends of MI
McNutt will not entirely agree with
some statements made in the dispatch
as they know that the real cause of
his downfall was the fact that he was
the victim of a plot, Matched by Ital-
ians who were Jealous of the favor
shown the American by the late Pope
Leo. Tle dispatch referred to fol-
lows:
Story Is An Odd One.
Roman society is discussing with
great interest the probable results of
a domestic scandal and subsequent
duel and divorce case, affecting per-
sons hitherto closely connected with
the Vatican.
Many Americans will remember
Commentator Haywood, who for
many years, under the pontificate of
Leo Kill, acted as a kind of Anglo
American representative to the Holy
See. He was private chamberlain
to the Pope. and in this position,
there, being no diplomatic representa-
tive to the papacy either from Eng
| land or America. he was intrusted
with the presentation to the Pontiff
of missions or ENJOYS from English
speaking countries, whom he lavishly
entertained at the beautiful Palazzo
Torlonia, which he occupied at Piaz-
"a Scossacavalli, close to the Apostle
lie Palace. There, besides many won
derful art treasures, he had a rich
and most valuable library, which he
left in his will to the American col
lege
When he died his robe fell on the
shoulders of Francis McNutt for Am
erlcan affairs. and on those of a
young lrishman, created a Marquis by
Leo Kill, for the affairs of the British
Empire. AS can be easily imagined,
the rivalry between the two gentle
men was very keen, each trying to
Guido the other in splendor and influ-
ence.
Had Diplomatic Career.
Mr.. McNutt started his active ca
reer about 1885 as a student at the
American college, intending to enter
he priesthood, but he left when he
found he had no vocation for some of
the vows that career implies. Under
the Cleveland administration he was
secretary first at the American Lega-
ton at Madrid. and then at that of
COnstantinople.
His marriage with Margaret Ogden
gave him ample means to settle in the
Eternal city in truly royal apart
ment at the Palazzo Doria-Pamphill
which soon became the center of the
black" Roman aristocracy. Stump.
| tuous dinners and receptions were Civ
en- there, with the participation of car
dinals and the diplomatic body accred-
tied to the Holy See. All kinds o,
| honors were conferred upon him by the
Vatican and he soon became first
Chamberlain to the Pope. of whom on
ly six exist and whose position is IRE.
movable.
| 1t would take too long to describe the
honorific and confidential missions
which he was entrusted by the Holy
See, but it will be sufficient to recall
that in 1902. he acted as a sort of mid
! dleman between the Vatican and the
mission sent here by President Roose
welt. headed by the then Governor
Taft. With the advent of Plus X
the position of the american Chamber
| lain had become even stronger as the
! secretary of state. In 1900 however
his fall suddenly came, he being arrest
ed under an accusation. The scanda
was immense and he was ordered to re
sign all pontifical honors
Wife Causes Downfall.
After this the Irish Chamberlain
took over Mr.. McNutt's place. but wher
Leo XIII. died. his position being only
during the lifetime o. the Pontiff. who
appointed him, serious difficultie:
were encountered 10 his reinstatement
Even his mother came purposely Il
Rome and was received by Plus X Sh.
demonstrated to him the false position
in which her son would be placed if b
were no more Chamberlain wher
throughout his numerous Acquaintance
es he was known as being al the Pa
pal court.
Many cardinals took up his case ant
going to the bottom of the objections
found that the opposition came from
Cardinal Cagiano de Azvedo. who con
fidentially said that reports received
seemed to show that the wife OF tn.
Irish Chamberlain. very handsom,
South American niece of Cardinal Ar
coverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
Archbiship of Rio Janeiro. was not suf
ficien,ly reserved in her conduct. IL
the end the Pope. F:ndhearted as he al
ways is, decided. as nothing could per
sonally be said against the gentleman
in question. to reappoint him.
He spurned Suspicion.
Some friends limited to the Chamber
lain the real cause of the trouble. bu
he Indignantly spurned any suspicion
against the absolute correctness o
ihis wife. Outsiders. however, gradu