New-York tribune., 1910-01-08
KINGS son MANNED
Lcopold's Eldest Boy Has
OnIU One Hand.

Vaughan and upon whom he would nave
bestowed the Belgian title OF Duke OF
Tervueren had II not been for the opposl-
,Ion NJ Prime Minister Van Trooz. VINO sue
ounnbed TO an attack of heart failure our
,rr violent quarrel with the monarch
shout the matter lacks hand. The un-
fortunate child was born without it, fact
known TO but few. There are doubtless
some who will be unkind enough 10 estah-
ftsh some relation between this handsome
little fellows manned arm and the SINH
larly rr1utiiated native children of the congo
Free State. whose photographs have SO IRE
ouently appeared in the illustrated papers
in recent years as demonstration OF the
atrocities perpetrated upon the unfortunate
blacks as a penalty for their failure to
gather sufficient rubber 10 satisfy their
taskmssters-that is to say. the rupoer
companies I'm which Leopold was the
largest stockholder.
That Leopolds boy should thus nave neen
born minus hand serves to recall the
circumstance that Leopold himself was
horn with a deformed foot. while his
younger brother. the late Count or Fian-
ders. wes afflicted with some anectioh OF
nlalformation of the ear, which rendered
him stone deaf at an early age and eventu-
ally contributed to his death
Leopold II was not the eldest chiid OF ms
fathers second marriage to Princess Louise
OF Orleans There was another BOY, Louis
b, name who, fortunately. oid not survive
his birth by many months. for the poor
child u-es So terribly misshapen that his
death WAS mercy TO his parents. Indeed.
tis Gather was so Mortified that. recalling
.he rntov-srd fate of the child of his first
marriage 10 Princess Charlotte OF Wales.
he became imbued with the idea that he
was in some way accursed. and expressed
his vrish 10 abdicate in favor of his nephew,
Prince Augustus of Coburs. At the same
time he gave utterance TO the conviction
that II would be better for the world at
large. and more especially for those dear
10 him, that he should have no more chill
dren and that under the circumstances he
would take all the necessary steps TO
enable his young French wife to obtain
either an annulment of the union or else
divorce So bent was he on carrying out
these ideas that King Louis Philippe dis
PATCHED the great Taleyrand in hot haste
10 dissuade him therefrom. and the docu-
nnents reporting the success of his mission
sre still in existence to confirm this little
known story.
Among the idiosyncrasies OF Leopold was
his hatred and fear of colds in the head.
which in view of the phenomenal size and
length of his nose not TO be wondered
tremity TO avoid coming into contact with
q person with a cold. while sneeze filed
him with alarm. His ministers and en-
tourage learned in course of time to take
advantage of this for whenever during an
audience the King gave way TO bursts of
anger, or even began to give signs of dis
pleasure, they would at once force up a
sneeze. which would so frighten the SOW
ereign that he would bring the interview to
an abrupt. close, hastily disrnissing the
sneezer FROM his presence.
A monarch who entertained a similar
dread of sneezing was Emperor Paul OF
Russia, not because he was afraid of
catching cold but because he regarded a
sneeze unlucky. 1t is from his reign
that dates the extraordinary custom in
vogue among the regiments OF the I'm
perial Guard at st. Petersburg. according
10 which, when drawn up parade, they
are compelled to blow their noses, by com
mand. just before the arrival of the Gar
10 pass them in review, the idea being to
avoid their sneezing in his presence.
A GREAT AFTER DINNER SPEAKER.
Sir George Reid. who has just been ap-
pointed by the Australian commonwealth
as its First High Commissioner or Pleni-
potentiary in London, presents some re-
quite portly and very good humored He
has been in turn Premier Of New South
Wales and Prime Minister OF the common
wealth and is acknowledged as the most
successful platform and after dinner speak
er in the antipodes. He excels in invec-
tive and in humorous raillery In fact,
while in practice al the bar ne was al
ways in request in libel and slander cases
when il was desired 10 make the plaintiffs
case look ridiculous. After an hour in
the witness box under Sir Georges good
natured and clever banter the most indig-
rant Of claimants would often find him
self laughing at his own grievances.
There is q story Of how this faculty OF
making light of things was occasionally
inconvenient. At Melbourne there were two
military men of the same name and title.
Against one of them a money lender Sc
cured a verdict and issued a distress war
rant. The bailif by mistake distrained on
The wrong house. breaking up. by the seiz-
ure Of all the amenities of the afternoon
tea, fashionable garden party given by
the wife of the military man who was
not the debtor. OF course there was an
action for hcavy damages Sir Georges
humorous soul saw all the quaint conceits
of the situation and had the court in a con-
slant roar OF merriment. until the jury,
aching with laughter. brought in a verdict
for merely nominal damages on the ground.
presumably, that really funny incidents
were too rare to he penaiized heav
lily. That was very pleasant result from
some points Of view. But. unfortunately,
Sir George Reid was appearing for the
Plaintiff, who not AZ all inclined to
see the humor of ths situation
Sir George. like most successful Austria
man. and almost wholly dependent upon
tis salary. having been so continuously in
office during the last ten or fifteen years
that he has been unable 10 carry on his
practice st the bar.
GAR AND JAPAN
rysSiCt 4ro,,t,l.