The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-21
SHORN OF Her POWER
BARONESS VAUGHAN SLIPS OUT
OF BRUSSELS.
Albert Rennftes Royal Family of Bel
einm and VIII Be Crowned
N KfnK--Plan for Leo
pold's Funeral.

Brussels. Dec. 2o--Baroness Vaughan
whom Leopold made his queen In
fact, IL not in name. quietly LETT Bel
GUM today. her reign ended, her pow
err collapsed, accepting the uifimatum
of the government that IL she did not
depart voluntarily she would be ex-
PEELED from the country.
The Baroness packed up those maes-
nificent furnishings of her chateau.
which were the personal gifts OF King
Leopold, and forwarded them across
the frontier. She herself took a train
for France.
To the Belgians. this good looking
young woman. with brown hair ana
cleaning black eyes. was always "A
great mystery. but they accepted ner
like they did the other whims OF tne
determined and seif-willed KingA They
have thought for years of her resi-
dence beside the kings. famous no.
raj bridge linking the two domains
They have discussed with unconcern
her absolute dominion over the Kings
private life.
Yet. now. with the King dead, they
have been driven to deep resentWbnt
that, as the Kings body was borne
through the streets and was lying in
state at the palace. her photograph
sells thoroughfares and her name
shouted out by hawkess as Caroline,
the Queen"
In spite of dispatches from Italy and
other countries asserting that King
Leopold and Baroness Vaughan had
been married according to the rites
of the church, the Kings personal
friends persist in their disbelief OF this
while they characterize the stories of
a civil union as pure nonsense They
say that Leopold. whatever his faults
in private life, would never DESTROY
the official dignity OF the kingdom.
The semi -official Twentieth Century
points out that the Belgian code stip-
ulates that the rights of succession to
the throne pass to direct descendants
of legitimate birth. II there was a
civil marriage in ltaly 1t might create
potential rights. but, 1t Is argued, the
absence OF all records. all publication
of such ceremony, and especially the
fact that Leopold never proclaimed
Baroness Vaughan This legal wife. eff
fectualiy disposes of the question.
Prince Albert's happy plan to re-
unite the exued and separated mem
hers Of the family. was fulfilled today.
AS Baroness Vaughan passed out,
Princess Louise triumphantly entered
the city and was oficially grested at
the station and acclaimed by the peo-
pie. She was conducted with royal
honors TO the Chateau Belvedere,
which henceforth will be her official
home.
Again today vast crowd viewed
the body OF the late King. Many of
the people who came In from the
provinces were incensed that the gates
were closed at 8 O'clock and they
tried TO force ana entrance. In the
panic people were trodden on, gar
ments were torn and women tainted.
Some were injured. Finally. the pail
ace was reopened and the visitors were
allowed to file past the catafalque.
Arrangements for the funeral of the
old and the coronation of the new SOW
ereign are proceeding rapidly. An
army of workmen has taken possess
aion of the cathedral, which is being
,draped and the chamber of deputies ia
being re-arranged for the ceremonies
on Thursday, when Albert will tri-
umphantly enter Brussels on horse
back.
Delegates are arriving from the Eu-
ropean COURTS. The United States will
be represented by Henry Lane will
SON, Minister to Belgium. and u.
Grant Smith. the Aew Secretary, who
will arrive tomorrow from Santiago.
In an interview this evening NJ. Pr
card. the legal adviser of Baroness
Vaughan, when asked II the mar
riage of King Leopold and Baroness
Vaughan was effective. replied:
THE baroness has really been mar
ried by religious rites, that can at
test"
Then have the children of the un-
ion the right to the throne?"
Legally no; the Belgian law is
quite clear" said the counsel.
Nevertheless. anything may hap
pen and. believe me, the affair is only
beginning.
And the royal family"
rs preparing to use every chichan-
cry to obtain the revocation of the
gifts to the indirect heirs through
the courts. 7 can tell you that the
fight will last a long time, for the
baroness will fight. 1t is her duty to
do so. Baroness Vaughan is a re-
markedly Intelligent woman far
above the average. She possesses an
astonishing gift OF comprehension and
assimilation"
NJ Picard added that he knew on
cool authority that the ,elgian gov
ernment never had any intention of
issuing an expulsion order against the
baroness
Baroness Vaughan is described by
one who accompanied her from Brus-
sells as young and very beautiful and
dignified, in spite of her origin. Ae-
cording to the same authority. the bar
oness took nothing with her from her
villa but her personal effects.
She was most distressed by the
glare of the sudden publicity to which
she was exposed while waiting In an
automobile outside bank before leav-
ing for Paris. street hawker not
recognizing her through the thick veil
which covered her face, thrust bum
die of picture postal cards. bearing her
photograph. in through the window OF
the car with a shout:
But the portrait OF queen Caro-
line; two sous"
On arriving in Paris the baroness
left for Balinoourt to rejoin her chill
dren.