Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-25
D|PHTHER|ASC EXILE WITH EUGENE f
James Mortimer, Who Died in
England, Friend of Napoleon.
A DIPLOMAT AND WRITER
Was Secretary of American Legatio>
in Paris at the Time of
the Commune.

LONDON, February 25.-James Morti-
| mer. one of the best known Americans
living abroad. formerly secretary of lega-
ton both in London and Paris, known as
a close friend of Empress Eugene of
France. died Thursday at San Sebastian.
Himself one of the great chess players
of the world, he was attending the inter-
national chess match tournament at the
| time.
Mr.. Mortimer. who left America in his
young manhood to engage in the career
of diplomacy, afterward entered journal
=, ism, and was once connected with the
Paris Figaro, and later edited the London
Figaro. He was also distinguished play
wright.
| James Mortimer, citizen of the world,
| man Of many accomplishments. friend
of a living but exiled empress, intimate in
LIE of an emperor, her husband: diplomat
journalist student, novelist, playwright Of
many plays which scored successes on the
American and English stage, chess
player of International fame, had an adj
venturous career, in which the signal
event was his rescue Of Empress Eugene
Of France from the vengeance of the
angry commune and his participation in
her flight to England and safety.
employee of the Post Office Department.
is a brother Of the deceased. A sister.
Mrs. George Thompson. dwells in New
York.
Born in Indiana in 1888. James Morti-
mer was brought to New York in early
youth. When less than twenty years
of age he graduated from college.
Mr.. Mortimer in 1856 was appointed
from New York state as secretary of le-
cation at London, and served in that ca
pacity during the incumbency of James
Y. Mason in the post of minister to the
court of st. James. Subsequently Mr.:
Mortimer was assigned as secretary of
legation at Paris. There it was that he
formed his friendship with the imperial
family. Emperor Napoleon III took a
great fancy to the young diplomat and
journalist.
After the disastrous days of the Fran
co-Prussian war and the ensuing troubles
of the imperial family, the emperor was
forced to abdicate. and Empress Eugene
determined upon her flight. Mr.. Morti-
mer was one of the two men selected to
accompany the empress.
Heavily yelled. the empress, posing as
the invalid wife of one of her two COM
panions, reached the coast In safety and
there embarked on a private yacht which
conveyed the small party to the shores OF
England.
Exiled With Empress Eugene.
Mr.. Mortimer, under the ban of exile
himself as the accessory to the imperial
escape, never returned to France. He
spent the balance Of his life in England,
living nearly always in the city Of Lon
don.
At Chiselhurst, on the Strobe estate,
where the deposed emperor and his con-
sort hencefOrth made their home, and
where the Empress Eugene still resides.
Mr.. Mortimer was a frequent and well
come visitor, and confidential friend.
He was the last person to speak to the
doomed Napoleon III before the operation
In 1873, at Chiselhurst, that cost the i'm
peria1 life.
The bereaved empress thereafter leaned
more than ever upon the counsel and
friendship of Mr.. Mortimer. He was
her comforter and chief support at the
time of the death of the imperial prince,
her son, killed in battle with the Zulus
In the African campaign as soldier Of
England.
| Mr.. Mortimer treasured a ring, taken
| from the finger of the empress by her
own hand and presented to him during
her flight from France, in gratitude for
| his assistance. He also was the proud
possessor Of a watch, the gift Of Napo-
| leon III.
| While in Paris Mr.. Mortimer became
associate editor Of the Paris Figaro. After
taking up his residence in London he es-
/ tablished the London Figaro, which he
conducted for many years.
Wrote "Fanchon, the Cricket"
| 1t was during this period Of active Jour-
nalism that Mr.. Mortimer produced the
| plays that made name for him. Among
them were ''Gloriana," the last play he
wrote: "Fanchon, the Cricket" in which
Maggie Mitchell starred and made herself
famous, and the as we'll known play
white Faun.'
Lydia Cowell, at one time a celebrated
English actress, had undertaken the prin-
cipal feminine role in a Mortimer play,
for it's presentation upon the English
stage, when the playwright met her for
the first time. He married her, and she
retired from the stage. The widow and
two daughters survive.
Retiring from journalism, Mr.. Mortimer
passed his declining years dn study and
writing, and has produced several books
within the last decade that have received
favorable attention from the reading pub
lie.
AS a chess player, Mr.. Mortimer met
some of the great masters of the game
and was recognized as in the champion