The Washington herald., 1909-05-09

/ legal process from the government and
from the city Of Paris a number OF works
Of art. historic relies. and tapestries nov
comprised in the collections Of the vari-
Gus national and municipal museums. but
which she claimed as having belonged to
her husband when Emperor.
She based her pretensions, which have
been defeated. upon a will signed by
/ Napoleon on April a 1865. The will is
/ devoted for the greater part to recon-
mendstIOns 10 that son, the Inflated
prince imperial, TO whom Napoleon was
so passionately attached. and who at the
time he had every reason 10 suppose
would inherit his throne and his huge
/ civil list. amounting TO $500 900 a year.
! To the Empress. in a brief and rather
/ curt paragraph OF four lines, he bequeath-
1 ed mon domaine prive" (my private
/ property It was the only VIII found
after the EmperOrs demise at ChisIe-
/ hurst. But Il Is known that he made a
later win during the three years which
/ interTened between hfs dethronement and
his death. His illness was q lone one,
/ and he was perfectly aware CT his danger.
/ But Il did not interfere for one moment
/ with his lucidity Of mind, and his cousin.
Prince Napoleon. and other confidants
were made aware by him that he had
made testamentary provision for that son,
whom he idolized.
( On his death. Prince Napoleon. half
/ brother Of the father OF ex-AttOrney Cen
1 eral Bonapsrte. became ipse facto guar
/ dian OF the then seventeen-yesr-oldp prince
/ imperial as the ranking adult agnate
/ Of the Bonaparte family This was con-
cedsd by all the BOnapartists gathered at
/ Chislehurst st the funeral OF the En-
peror. and Il was in this capacity, too.
I that Empress Eugene asked HIM TO take
charge Of her husbands S papers
When, however. he entered his cousin $
/ library he perceived with amazement that
the various drawers Of the desks and bu-
Teaus. the cupbOards. and dispatch boxes
were sealed. not by a French notary. nor
yet by a reputable English solicitor, nor
by any government official. but merely
by the private secretary OF the Empress.
There were particularly two drawers OF
the Emperor's desk fastened with small
gold key which he always carried fast
ened TO his watch chain. On these being
opened Prince Napoleon discovered that.
save for a few unimportant letters. they
were empty and that all the confidential
papers. Including the second will. which
the Emperor had shown him and had
placed there on the occasion OF his visit
70 Chislehurst some weeks previously.
were missing Prince Napoleon at once
rose 20 his feet and exclaimed with IN
dignation- IT IS useless to go any furth-
er- I have nothing more TO do here"
And with that he left. not only the
room. but also Chislehurst. declining 10
see the Empress again or 20 assume the
guardianship Of the prince imperial, on
tie ground that the disappearance OF the
including the second VIII, rendered II I'm
possible for him 70 properly safeguard
the interests OF MS young kinsman who
had thus been left penniless.
Subsequently a commission OF three for
mer cabinet ministers OF Napoleon. name
". Grandperret. Finard. and Busson- BIZ
laut, al three men Of the highest inteS-
r.ty and enjoying universal respect. was
appointed. in Difference TO the angry at
tacks OF the Bonapartists upon the En-
press. TO devise some provision OF a
financial character for the prince Impe-
rial After careful investigation. they
issued report which they prefaced with
the following weighty words: In view OF
the ineXplioable absence Of the second
Will rectifying the first Will. that OF
IN accordance with our duty and with
out conscience IN snRulling that first will
and IN making the following provisions.
These provisions directed that the prince
imperial should be placed IN possession
OF portion OF his fathers private prop
erty- They were never carried into effect.
and the prince imperial, finding his posi-
ton intolerable in Europe. owing 20 his
being literally without means. volunteer
ed for active service under the English
flag in South Africa. where he met with
his death in an encounter with the Zulus.
That IS Why even the B0nspartists have
but little sympathy for Empress Eugene.
while most French people share the opin-
ion concerning her so often expressed in
my presence in London. Paris, and at
Trangins by the late Prince Napoleon.
Copyright 1909. by the Brentwood Conpzay.)