The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-05
Two New states.
BY LA sIARaUIsE DE FONTENoI.
- ADY MARGERY ERSKINE'S trag

AL SlaN1EISI - N'S>hs
ic death, on remote Highland
hillside, where she had appa-
rently succumbed to starvation,
thirst and exposure after breaking her
ankle, at least n month having elapsed
between her demise and the discovery
of the almost totally unrecognizabie
remains of this particularly beautiful
woman, may be said to have been in
keeping, after all, with the trasedles
and dramas which fill the pages OF the
annals of her historic but eccentric
house. Daughter of the fourteenth
and diminutlve Earl OF Buchan, IA.
nous as possessing the smallest head
of the peerage, and long known as the
pocket Adonis," she was descended.
like him, from the Black knight OF
Lorn. and Joan, Queen Dowager of
Scotland. their second son, having been
created first Earl of Buchan in 1853
Buchan was one of the old Mermaer-
ships or earldoms of Scotland. which
the possession of the Comyn family.
which forfeited 1T by siding against
Bruce 1t was afterwards conferred
upon Alexander Stewart. known as
the Wolf of Badenoch.' son OF King
Robert II, and then upon John Stew
art, Constable of France, going from
him to his nephew, James Stewart,
who as mentioned above. was q son
of Joan. Queen Dowager OF Scotland.
II was he who was the first OF the
present line OF earls
Many of them have been extremely
odd. Thus. the eleventh earl. when
appointed by Pitt afterwards Lord
Chatham) to the post OF secretary OIL
the British embassy in spain. calmly
declined to go to Madrid. because the
person of inferior social rank. Ac-
cording to Horace Walpole, the father
of Sir James was footman of James
II. 1t was this same eleventh earl
I'll ..sI hi NC II
on having practically made the for
tunes of his brothers. which excited
surprise since he was known to be
extraordinarily close..fsted. especially
with regard to his relatives. Continu-
ing, he remarked: Yes. 1T is true.
fathers death they pressed me for a
small annual allowance. l knew that
this would have been their ruin; by
relaxing their industry. SO, maklns
ify them. l refused to give them a ..
farthing, and they have thriven ever
since, owing everything to me-.
The late and thirteenth Earl OF
Buchan was most cranky and eccen-
account. given under oath on the &C.
cason of one of the many bankruptcy
proceedings against him, he earned MS
daily bread in his younger days, when
there We're still six lives between nm
father, the twelfth earl, being unwill-
ing to make him any allowance. His
riding was not always above reproach'
and on one occasion, at Redcllile, inc
public. suspecting him OF not havlng
he returned to the paddock and ne
had to take refuge in a cottage In the
vicinity; but the mob got some straw
and set fire to it, and 1t was only with
the utmost difficulty that he was res
YTa = In, of
some wealth. Miss Graham, but after
bearing him two sons he behaved so
abominably towards her that she was
compelled to leave him. securing, not
a divorce. but judicial separation,
He was considerably over forty when
he succeeded to the earldom and es-
tates; and owing to the fact that inc
family property was heavily encum-
bered, and that he was himself over,
whelmed with debts, to the tune OF O..
We're past found himself in a worse
mess than before Finally. when un-
able to get any money or credit any
| longer, he made an arrangement VIII
| his eldest son, who had inherited
considerable amount of money from
his mother, and who had also made q
| rich marriage, whereby the son, then
known as Lord Cardross, assumed the
ownership of the family estates, pay
ing off his fathers liabilities and set
lllIS .uppii MN 1870 aN>'ANNN'.N'l
the remainder of his days !,
Subsequently minerals and also OF
were discovered on the estates, which
largely Increased their value; where
upon the old earl regretted his bar
| gain, and tried to get the property
back. Failing in this, he purposely
\ embarked In all kinds Of extrava-
gances, largely exceeding his annuity
He not only went to the length Of IN
dorslng other peoples notes, with little
or no advantage to himself, but &C.
lually, in spite of his age, got himself
| heavily mulcted in damages as co.
respondent In divorce suit, and Their
| borrowed money at eXtravagant In.
| terest from the notorious money! lend
er Jay, in London. IN order to meet
| this particular liability. Small won,
| der that his eldest son, who had never
forgntten the shameful manner IT
which his mother had been treated by
| the earl declined to do anything more
| for the old gentleman, and permitted
him to be made bankrupt, rather
| than pay his debts afresh.
III was In consequence of this that
1.-The old earl wrote letter, Of which
| j have copy before me- IN which ne
declared that his marriage In lS4o tc
his first wife was illegal, and his
eldest son illegitimate, and that ir
consequences thereof he had transferred
from from his older to his younger SON AZ.
| bany the right Of making use or nj
minor tit.a OF Lord Cardrosas--a trans
| fer Of which the crown, me auth thor