The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-01-27
VANDERBILT WITH
NEGRO BLOOD HAS
. BULGE ON PRINCE
Declares w. H. Vanderbilt Was
His Father, and Talks Easily
Of Relatives"

who In November obtained acceptances
aggregating $1,625, 900 from Prince
Franz Josef, Of Braganza, but who has
since returned $625, 900 of these to the
prince, has told in an interview of his
intention to push the matter to the ut
most limits in an EFFORT to get the
money from the prince OF his rich rel
atives." The rich relatives limited al
are undoubtedly the Emepror Of Aus
tria and the royal family, who, 1t Ia
thought, would be willing to pay al
most anything to prevent a scandal in
volving Prince Franz Josef, who is the
emperor's godson.
Vanderbilt declared hat his claim to
the name Is absolutely valid and that
he 10 a member of the amous New
York Vanderbilt family. He said he
was most in touch with William X.
Vanderbilt and the Duchess Of MARI
borough.
Vanderbilt is a tall, good looking
man Of copper colored skin, and, ac-
cording to his own statement, IS years
old Although he looks somewhat like
a negro, he declared that there was
not a drop of negro blood In his veins,
With much vehemence Vanderbilt de-
MED that he had yer done ANYTHING
wrong in his life.
Explains Brasanza Affair.
Regarding the Braganza affair, Van
derbilt said that he first met Prince
Franz Josef in Paris last April. They
became very friendly, with the result
that Vanderbilt visited the prince in
his castle near Vienna.
Vanderbilt gave dinners and lunch
con in Vienna to the prince and his
friends. This led to the discussion OF
business between them, resulting in the
prince accepting bills a~ggregating ST.
625, 900 drawn by Vanderbilt. This IL
Va~nderbilt's version Of the transaction
"On November "a last, after previous
negotiations, 1t was arranged with
Prince Franz Josef Braganza, who was
three hours railroad journey from VI
emma, to meet H.. T. Dunn, my business
manager, at the Hotel Esplanade, in
Berlin. On the following day William
King, chairman Of the Emerald Mines,
Limited, arrived in Berlin from London
with the emeralds and all the neces.
sary papers and proofs for carrying
November 26 we were invited into the
princes private sitting room.
o the previous afternoon the prince
had introduced Count Arco, attache at
the foreign office In Berlin, who resides
at the E~splanade, to myself and Dunn,
On the morning Of the 25th WE went
into the princes sitting o accompa-
lieu ny Ming. IL WAS suggested THAI
the deal be closed at the consulate, but
the prince said he was quite satisfied to
do business at the hotel in ARGOS pres
snce.
Prince lnspects Gems.
King thereupon infinitely and care
fully went into the question Of the en-
eralds, which are purified by a secret
process from the natural product.
I'VE showed the prince photograph.
of the mines and an analysis of the
stones by Pendlebury, a widely known
the stones h~aphazard, examined then
through a dichroscope. and both he anc
Arco Immediately admitted they saw
dichroscum perfectly, which Is a thing
that Is impossible of imitation in eme
aids.
Having expressed himself as salts.
fled with the emeralds, which were par.
ticularly pointed out to him as beine
purified emeralds. the prince then dis
cussed q matter Of business between
himself and King.
Prince Considers Copper Mine.
1T was for the sale of 80, 900 shares II
a copper mine situated in the north o.
England. for which King was willing
to accept the princes bills. The prince
examined the matter thoroughly and
searchingly questioned King, go thai
the latter afterwards asserted that thu
prince was no fool. The prince ther
threw up both hands and said: I all
satisfied. Where are the bills?'
"Blank bills drawn by himself and
accepted by the prince and witnessed
by Arco, amounting in all to 81, 625, 900
were filled up, signed and handed over
to me.
LAS the emerald deal amounted t.
$3.50 900 he handed the remaining ST.
oe0,o0 0 In Hills to King. which repre-
scented the purchase price to be pait
him for the $4,000 copper shares. II
exchange 1 handed to the prince 1,6O|
emeralds, which were valued at $500,
900. The remaining $125, 900 was a bill
which ] was to try to negotiate for tn,
prince.
Later the prince asked me II I would
take charge Of the emeralds and try
to resell them for him at his peril
which I undertook to do. giving him 6
receipt for the stones and the bills
The whole transaction occupied about
four hours.
Prince Repudiates Deal.
The night previous I had dined will
bridge with him and Count Arco, at tn,
princes request. The next day tn,
prince had lunch with me. He KEEP
four stones out Of the parcel. which h,
took with him when he returned I,
Austria that same evening. I returned
to London. and a few days afterward.
the prince wrote me to say he had seer
his solicitor, Doctor Krenn, Of Vienna
and had. with his permission. submitted
h our stones to three different ex
perts In Vienna, who are stated to hav,
alleged that the stones were 'coloret
crystal or something Of that Sort
HE therefore asked me, as he sait
he trusted me absolutely, to return tn,
bills relating to the emeralds, which
Immediately did through my solicitor
Tho remaining bills, amounting to 81,
000, 900 paid for copper shares are still
In our possession and we have no in
tention Of giving them up.
LAS I returned the bills for the emer
aids to the prince the stones again be
came my property. and since then
have been offered by a London jewele,
for n stone of these stones the sun
Of $40. 200.
Presumably owing to the fact tina
the prince found his financial position
revealed. and after I had returned hin
$625, 900 worth Of bills, he requested tn,
return of the remainder Of the bills To-
the copper shares. which I naturally
refused to do"