The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-08
BELGIAN ROYAL
FAMILY DEf0RMED.
Kings Son Born Without Hand,
He Himself Had Club
foot.
L EoPoL b DREADED COLD
Fled From Those Who Sncczcd
and Took Excellent Care OF
His Large Nose.

Il Nau5noHs duu upon WuQIl hO
Ia would have bestowed the Bel
Sian title of Duke OF Tervueren.
had 1t not been for the opposition OF
Primo Minister Van Trooz. who sue
cumbed to an attack of heart failure
during Violent quarrel with the
monarch about the matter. lacks a
hand. The unfortunate child was born
without 1t; u fact known to but few.
There are doubtless some who will be
unkind enough to establish some re-
lation between this handsome little
fellows manned arm. and the singu-
larS.s mutilated native children of the
congo free State. whose photographs
have SO frequently appeared In the
Illustrated papers In recent years. as
demonstration of the atrocities per-
petrated upon the unfortunate blacks
as a penalty for their failure to gather
sufficient rubber to satisfy their task
masters, that is to say. the rubber
companies. in which Leopold was the
atgest stockholder
That Leopold's boy should thus have
been born minus hand. serves to re. ,
himself was born with deformed
foot. while his younger brother, the
late Count of FLANDERS, was afflicted
with some affection or malformation
of the ear, which rendered him stone
deaf at an early age and eventually
contributed to his death.
Leopold III. was not the Oldest child
OF his fathers second marriage to
Princess Louise of Orleans. There was
another boy, Louis by name, who. for
tunately, did not survive his birth by
many months, for tho poor child was
50 terribly misshapen that his death
was mercy to his parents. Indeed,
his father was so Mortified that recall :
ing the untoward fate OF the child
of his first marriage to Princess Char
lotte Of Wales. he became imbued witt.
| the idea that he was In some way ac-
cursed. and expressed his wish to
abdicate in favor of his nephew.
Prince Augustus of Coburs. Al the
same time he gave utterance TO the
conviction that 1t would be better for
the world at large, and more espe-
cially for those dear to him, that he
should have no more children, and
would take all the necessary steps to
enable his young French wife to OBJ
tain either an annnlment of their
union or else a divorce. So bent was
he on carrying out these ideas that
King Louis Philippe dispatched the
great Talleyrand in hot haste TO dis
suade him therefrom. and the docu-
ments reporting the success of his
mission are still in existence to con-
firm this little known story.
Among the idlosyncrasies OF Leopold
was his hatred and fear of colds in
the head. which. in view of the phe-
nomenal size and length of his nose.
was not TO be wondered al. In fact.
he would resort to any extremity to
avoid coming into contact with per
80 with T. cold, while sneeze filled
him with alarm. His ministers and
encourage learned in course of time
10 take advantage OF this; for when
ever during ali audience the kin <
gave way to bursts OF anger. or ovcl,
began to give signs of displcas;i:e.
they would at once force up sneeze.
which would so brighten tho SOVEREIGN
tia. he ould bring the interview TO
an abrupt close. hastily Diminishing the
aneezer from his presence. a monarch
WEo entertained a similar dread of
sneezing was Emperor Paul of Russin:
not because he was afraid of catch
Ling cold. but because he regarded Il
sneeze as unlucky. 1t is from his
reign that dates the extraordinary Gus
com in vogue among the regiments of
the Imperial Guard at st. Petersburg.
on parade, they are compelled 10 blow
their noses by command just before
the arrival OF the Car to pass them
in review. the idea being 20 avoid
their sneezing in his presence.
Writs OF Election.
II is on Monday that the wrts for
the general election in England will
be issued by the Crown Office The
first polls will take place on SATURDAY..
10, anu Liz ldSl idN lOr tile
FOIL will be on January IS. Not until
hen will the results of the great
electoral contest in Great Britain aud
Ireland become known.
Australian High Commissioners.
Sir George Reid, who has lust Leon
appointed by the Australian Commcn-
wealth as It's first high commissioned.
or plenipotentiary, in London. presents
some. resemblance to President Taft in
a no < F.f1 II 4
humored. He has been in turn Ere
ln!er of New South Wales and Prime
Minister of the Commonwealth, nnd is
acknowledged as the most successful
Platform and after-dinner speaker in
the Antipodes. He eScels in nvective
and in humorous raillery. In fact,
while in practice at the bar he was
always In request In libel and SANDER
cases when 1t was desired to make the
plaintiffs case look ridiculous After
an hour in the witness box under Sir
Georges good -natured and clever ban
ter. the most indignant of claimants
would often find himself laughing at
his own grievances.
There is a story of how this f.cu,,,,
Of making light of things was occ;.-
si0nally inconvenient. AT AIelbo,,r1e
there were two military gentlemen Of
the same name and title. AGAINST one
verdict and issued n distress warrant.
The bailiff by mistake dstrained an
the wrong house, breaking up by the
seizure of all the ''ainentes'' Of the
AFTERNOON tea a fashionable Garden
party given by the wife of the military
gentleman who was not a@debtor. or
course. there was an action for heavy
damages Sir Georges humorous soul
saw all the quaint conceits OF the sit
uation, had tho court in constant
roar Of merriment until the Jury, ach-
ing withlauslter brought in a verdict
for merely nominal damages on the
ground, presumably, that really funny
incidents We're too rare to be penal
lzed heavily. That was n very#nieas-
ant result from some points OF view,
But, unfortunately, Sir George Reid
was appearing for the plaintiff. who
Was not q all inclined to sec the
humor Of the situation 48
Sir George, like most successful
australian statesmen and politicians. is
poor man. and almost wholly de-
pendent upon his salary having been
so continuously in Office during the
last ten or fifteen years that he has
been t, n unable to5carry on his practice at
the bar, y
Lord Wclby on Wealth.
Lord Welby, who in an interview GA
bled TO this country and published on
Sunday last declares that the United
States relies OH the prudent exercise
bS u Pierpont Morgan OF the extrn !.
n fNlF "a ~