New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-11
a PRINCES DILEMMA
Meath of SebaStien SanteTe Recalls
a Romantic Episode.
- laoa hN he Rrentwooa Company.l

- 6eatb 81 Sebastien santerre. who has just
.,,r,t,ed TO an attack Of apoplexy at Fontaine-
49,, serves TO recall perhaps the most sensational
sc calebre Of the year lSSo. in which he and
-. once famous beauty. Nine. Santerre nee
s-acbeouesne played the principal roles each
- them applying Tor separation against the
.he- on the strength OK. ali sorts OF extraordl-
,.a-v charges. Sebasten Santerre was the grand
-, of that brewer Santerre who commanded the
revolutionary troops at the execution OF Louis XVI
- ,be Place de la Concorde. and who gave the
,-,,,snd 10 the drums 20 beat in order 10 drown
,hs sound OF the farewell remarks which the I'll
s.,es monarch endeavored TO address to his people
sehssteu Santerre possessed immense fortune,
,,bieh he had stin further increased by his mar
-.sqe 10 Jeanne Arachequesne. who, besides having
. couple Of millions OF francs in her own right,
,,s the heiress OF her father. one OF the govern
,,sut stock brokers in Paris. This stock broker
vss a man OF The most cynically immoral charac-
.er snd while passionately devoted 10 his lovely
saughter he did not bring her up according to con-
ventional ideas. When she married Sebastien San
,s--e her husband continued his life OF a man of
measure, IN the most eXtravagant sense OF the
vord The only change Ia his existence was that
MS wife his companion in the early morning
suppers Of the boulevard restaurants and in all his
s-eaks and witnesses. instead OF the queens OF the
hai world
marriage Of this character bound 10
n grief and in 1850 the suit which the two brought
sgsnst each other for separation-dvorce had not
then become law-came before the Paris tribunals.
some OF the accusations were too unsavory 20 print
here but the one which undoubtedly attracted most
attention that which subsequently, por-
trayed by Alphonse Daudet IN his novel entitled
The Kings IN Exile"
The adventure had occurred al a moment when
the first legal steps toward the separation had 81
ready been instituted and when Nine Santerre was
under the surveillance both Of her husband and of
the court. which had assigned 10 her as a tenn
porary residence the convent Of the Augustine
nuns In the Rue OudnOt. Nine. Santerre was
traced from the convent to the Cafe d'Orsay. APP
p-eciating that her visit this somewhat noted
restaurant was for the purpose Of a rendezvous
with enc Of her admirers the private detectives at
once warned the husband. who in turn notified the
Cou-uissary Of Police, and called him 10 &C
company him 10 the Cafe dOrsay with a view OF
securing official record OF her misconduct, and also
Of arresting his wife and her companion; for in
France as in many other Continental countries OF
Europe. marital misconduct is punishable with i'm
prisonmenI-
When sebastiea santerre reached the restaurant
with the Commissary of Police and demanded TO
be admitted 10 that portion Of the establishment
where the rooms Tor private dinners and suppers
were situated the proprietor placed all sorts or
Obstacles in their way, which had the effect or
delaying them and leading them astray until the
woman could affect her escape The latter. however,
was rendered very difficult by the fact that all the
entrances 10 the establishment were guarded by
tie police. The proprietor attempted In vain 10
pass Nine. San1erre out through skyhght- but
her proportions were Of too heroic a character TO
enate her 10 slip through the narrow aperture
A. length the cook Baptiste Harmand appeared
the scene and suggested that the woman should
disguise herself one Of his assistants The
proposition Immediately found favor in the eyes
q all concerned. She was dressed up In treswhlte
can apron. coat and trousers Of Marmiton. and
thus arrayed. with big tray Of cakes on her head
Nine Sanrerre passed out OF the doors Of the es-
ENLISTMENT under the eyes Of the police. without
attracting their attention. When Sebastien San
-s-re and the Commissary OF Police finally made
tpei- way 10 the room where the dinner had been
IN rrozress they found the Prince Of Orange alone
smoking a cigar and demanding with every APP
roarance q virTuous indignation. the reason OF
-hefr disturbing him in SO extremely offensive q
manner T-naer The circumstances there was
nothing left Tor them TO do but 10 apologize and
withdraw.
on The following day the prince handed to Bap
tsste check for 10000 francs. This proved thu
ruin Of the cook. For he threw up his position
and started an establishment Of his own. which
l.l not prove success, and in short time ht
was utterly beGgared. and finally committed sui
eide in the Batignolles.
This Cafe d'Orsay episode, which took place on
the evening Of March 6 1875 has furnished theme
r0, alone for Alphonse Daudet, but for scores OF
other novests and playwrghts.
The suit was decided in favor Of Sebastien San
-e~re not however, without his being severely
taken 20 task for his conception OF the duties Of
husband AID Of father Of q family. The princ
pal guardianship Of the children was awarded "a
hiu bur by order Of the court they were TO spend
q certain period Of each year with their mother
i is hardly necessary 10 say that the couple
were never rec0nciled, and while Sebastien san
te-re died ~ FontainbleaU. his wife, whom ne de
clnel % divorce. coutenting himself with sepa-
ration IS now spending the fan al her chateau
near Pie-refonGs. Sebast3en, after his separation
er6earCred 10 turn over after a fashion ne"
leaf md during the last twenty years devoted
himself 10 cruising board his steam yacht the
Tortoise giving large sums Of money to scien-
tic and r,hflanthropic institutions while It has
been sai5 that he has left large legacy to the
Institute II France His home in Paris was one
q The large mansions recently constructed on th'
Qua d'Orssy Just opposite the garden OF thf
T1ileries-
49, 1900 ,-Ovz- r2E-r TrvFc II GHOSTS