The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-17
WOMAN FINANCES
PRINCES SUIT AND
LOSES HER MONEY
Noblewoman Declared by Wit.
nesses to BE q Former Paris
Beauty Doctor.

Paris. Feb. 16.-Mlle. Wtlhelmina
kemper's suit against the Countess of
Clare ana Count Ladislaus Zoltynski is
vastly interesting to those gossips who
are rude enough to say that Ameri-
cans are ever ready to exchange their
daughters and dollars for a title and
position
For Mile. Wilhelmina frankly says
that tho bait held before her was the
marriage Of Prince Victor. of Turin,
and Taxis. nephew Of the Austrian em-
peror. to an immensely wealthy Amer
ican girl. Mile. Wilhelmina adds that
she snapped at the bait. agreed to
finance tho princes wooing and ad-
%vanced $780, 600. Immediately after the
marriage Mile. Wilhelmina was to be
repaid with tremendous interest.
She Is suing the English
and the Polish court for obtaining
$3.50. 900 by false pretenses. 1t is not
even limited that Prince Victor knew
Of the financial transaction.
The most contradictory testimony is
being given at the trial of the suit,
which IL the more interesting because
1t is strongly suspected the Countess
Of Glars is not a countess at all. but
Blanche Leigh. who used to have a
beauty shop on the Rue de Ia Paix.
The countess. II she be one, admits that
she looks very much like Blanche
Leigh.
Count Has Elegant Manners.
Mile. wilhelmina describes Count
Ladislaus Zoltynski as a dapper gentle
man, who wears a monocle and has
most elegant She says he
told her in 1906 that his friend, Prince
Victor. was hard up n had to mar
~ an Immensely wealthy girl.
HE a picked out an American, be-
cause they are willing to pay the high
est price for titles" she quotes Zoltyn-
ski as saying. 1.-The marriage is as
good as arranged, but the prince needs
money to conclude the affair success
fully"
Mile. Wiihelmina was not averse to
being OF service to royalty, but being
cautious, she demanded some security
before loaning her money. Then, she
swears. Count Zoltynski took her to the
Countess of Glare, an English woman
who resides in a fine house on the FASH
ionable Avenue du Bots de Boulogne.
Wilhelmina, AYERS, too. that n Geiger,
secretary of the countess, told her the
countess arranged the marriage be-
tween Anna Gould and Count Boni
de Castellane.
The countess reeled of a list Of her
titled friends until Mile. Wilhelmina's
ears buxsed. But still cautious she de-
IH!aanded something more than titles for
her money. Count zoltynski told her
he owned q f%abulously rich magnesium
mine At Ivanowski, Russia, and rave
her as collateral for the loan stock in
the mine worth 1920, 0oo. as he said.
Prince Married Chorus Girl.
Mile. Kemper handed over the money,
which was her entire fortune. Che
waited for an invitation to the royal
wedding. Prince Victor went to Amer
lea and returned, not with a Million
airo bride. but with q fascinating but
e~xtravagant chorus girl. Mile. Will
helmina, distracted, made inquiries. III
was dismayed, h says. to find that
the Countess Of Glare was Blanche
Leigh. the beauty DOCTOR Of the Rue
de Ia Paix. who failed for a million
francs in 1901. She was astounded to
learn that Count Zoltynski did not own
q magnesium mine.
A half dozen witnesses identified the
Countess of Glare as Blanche Leigh.
II am the Countess of Clare said
the English woman, "and I can prove
my Identity easily when the time
comes"
"Oh. don't say that, Madam" ex-
claimed a girl who had testified that
she was a masseuse in Blanche Leigh's
never forget how kind you were to all
OF u.s."
II repeat that I am the Countess Of
Clare" said The witness.
us that you last word % asked the
Judge warningly. Remember you are
under oath and in a court of Justice"
Persists She 10 Countess.
II have spoken" said the woman. 1T
am the Countess of Clare"
Later she said with great assurances:
Il never kept a beauty shop. Blanche
Leigh married my husbands cousin.
b annoyed me greatly sometimes by
~personating Incorporating herself as
the Countess Of Clare"
Several persons testified tha they
knew both the Countess Of Clare and
Blanche Leigh. and that the two wom-
en- look very much alike.
The court seemed to be lost in the
maze of conflicting testimony.
Other witnesses swore that Count
Zoltynski 10 incapable of entering into
any shady transaction, and that ne has
an option for the purchase of the mine
whose shares he pledged with Mile.
Kemper. Count de Bearn declared
Count Zoltynski to be of unblemished
reputation.
Burke's Peerage records that Richard
Hobart F~itzgibbon, third Earl Of
Glare. died in 1854, when the title
became extinct, and that the earl's
only son.. a bachelor, was killed at the
battle Of Balaclava in 1854.