New-York tribune., 1911-11-11
AN INSANE PRINCESS
She Belongs to Ducal House with
American History.

copyright. 1911, by the Brentwood Company
Princess Ida Sulkowska has manfesuy
inherited the mental kinks Of her father.
Joseph, Prince Sulkowsk Austrian Duke OF
Rielitz. Prince of the Holy Roman Empire
and serene highness, for after contracting
third marriage, with Count Bernhard Won
Schmettow. a retired captain of Prussian
lsncers. divorced three years ago by
Countess Thomazine Wachtmeister. the
princess has been judlcislly declared a luna
tic by the courts of her native Hungary
and has been made ward, not of her
eccentric father, nor yet Of her circus-ridlng
mother. still less of her impecunious third
husband but of lawyers specially appointed
for the purpose by the tribunals.
That she needed some such sort of pro-
lection is manifest from her peculiar matri-
monal experiences, for although she is
barely thirty years old she has been twice
married and twice divorced. her first hus-
hand having been the physician intrusted
with her care and the second n penniless
Austrian infantry officer OF the most humble
extraction. who with his eye on the colos-
sal fortune which she is destined 10 inherit.
induced her TO elope with him. This union,
too. was dissolved year ago.
With regard TO Count Schmettow. the
character Of the man is best shown by the
fact that some months previous to his mar
riage with Princess Ida Sukowska he pur-
chased from a big Berlin jeweller dia-
rnond necklace and several rings, announc-
ing that they were for her. giving in pay
ment promissory notes Of his own. which
he likewise indorsed in the name OF the
princess as under her power Of attorney.
bo oil ho
through the notorious Countess Treuberg.
1nasmuch as the count did not possess any
valid power of attorney from the princess
and had pawned the jewels within twenty
four hours. proceedings were speedily insti
tuted against him by the Jeweller, but the
matter was compromised and the proceed
inss against him were arrested by the pay
ment Of the jeweller i'm full by the Sulkowski
family lawyers. Naturally this matter was
brought up in the Hungarian courts, in
order to show the judges how badly the
princess was in need of judicial protection
even against her own husband.
Her father, the Duke of Bielitz. is a most
, eccentric creature. who cannot set foot in
Austria or visit his vast estates there owing
to the fact that he is fugitive from an
Austrian iunatic asylum. 10 which he was
committed at the instance Of his second
wife. and from which he escaped under the
most dramatic circumstances. He has
quantity Of property in Germany. and the
German courts have pronounced him to be
possessed Of his reason and perfectly capa-
hle of managing his own affairs. He has
still at his disposal enormous wealth, and
formerly never travelled anywhere but by
special train, always insisted on hiring an
entire hotel to himself and used 10 carry
about with him all over Europe a private
circus. with menagerie of wild animals,
for his own amusement.
His first wife was his sisters governess,
Victoria Lehman. whom he married with
the avowed intention Of exasperating his
father He succeeded I'm this filal project.
for the old gentleman had fit, 10 which
he succumbed within few hours.
Immediately after his fathers death he
discarded the ex-governess. and when she
obtained divorce from him he married
one Of the bareback riders Of his private
circus. Of the name of Ida Jaeger. She
was clever enough 20 get him judicially
declared insane in Austria and Hungary
before he had time to get rid Of her, and
she at the same time secured a very large
allowance. which enabled her TO live in con-
siderable luxury and splendor in the cas-
tlo Of Feistricz. IN Lower Austria. The Duke
has also a number Of half-brothers and
half-sisters Some of these were born in
this country, at New Bremen. n. Y, and
some In Europe. They are all princes and
princesses OF the Holy Roman Empire.