The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-25
RY Ia MARauIsE DIE FoNrrNoY.

~ OF the mysterious French lady
! who was the principal financial
backer of the eN-Shah OF Persia,
In hia recent attempt to recover his
throne. She accompanied his party
when 1t invaded Persia. and was pres
ent, not only at the several encounters
which took place with the government
! troops, but also at his final defeat.
Nothing has been heard from her since
| then, and good deal of alarm pre-
I walls among her relatives and friends
IN France, concerning her fate, no one
| knowing whether she was killed, was
taken prisoner, or il she escaped.
General Arshad- c d-Dowleh. the com
mander-in- chief of the ex-Shah's de-
feated army. Just before facing the
ME OF government soldiers Entrusted
| with his execution. had n long inter-
View at Mira Jatfur, forty miles from
Ieheran, with the special correspondent
! OF the London Times" who mad known
| him we'll In Europe. in happier days.
| In their conversation. the general. who
was graduate OF the lmpeIfn, The
resiana military academy at vienne.
wherc SO many royal personagcs have
received their education. bore eloquent
| tribute TO the role played by the Com
tesse dc Ciermont-Tonnerre. in con
nection with the unsuccessful attempt
| OF cS-Shah Mohammed All, 10 recover
! his throne from his small son, at Tc-
heran., who Is still cruelty gricved over
the absence oil his parents. and his
'.
| little Fellow. would be only TOO glad
| to surrender his crown to his father.
Tho Countess Henriette de Clermont-
! Ionnerre is very wealthy spinster of
about torty-hvc years of age who has
devoted much of her leisure TO travels
In ali sorts of remote portions and un-
known corners OF the Orient. where
some of her adventures have been Of
the most exciting description. She is
member OF the historic French house
OF ciermont- Tonnerrc, and cousin OF
ha mr. N,.t,s
| of Clermont-Tonncrre. The founder of
the family, Count Sibaud Clermont or
| the Dauphinec, distinguished himself
! in the twelfth century, in fghting for
rope CaliNtus III. against the antelope
Maurice Bourdin. who assumed the title
OF Gregory VIII. Sibaud de Clcrnoncs
descendants acquired the name and
arms of the De Tonnerrcs through the
marriage of Bernardin de Clermont
with Anne dc Husson, heiress OF the
last OF the Counts de Tonnerre in 1896.
the house was the Marquis tiaspard de
acknowledgements, who as field mar
snail commanded the left wing OF ne
French army at the battle of Fontenoy
Francois dc Clcrmont-Tonnerre, Bishop
! OF Noyon, was elected member OF the
academy III 1894. and founded the prize
for poetry which the academy still
| gives each year. Stanislas de Cler-
mont Tonncrrc presided over the
! French National Assembly in the last
days of the monarchy. at the close of
the eighteenth century. and was killed
In the massacre of the Royalists on
! that sangunary 10th of August. 1892.
! The present dukedom OF Clermont Ton
nerre dates from the middle of the
| eighteenth century, when that first
created in 1872 and which had become
extinct, was revived.
! The present Duke of Clermont- Ton
nerre Is one of the best known figures
! on the French turf. and Is particularly
/ interested in steeplechasing He mar
ried the eldest daughter of the Due dc
Gramont,, by the first OF the latter's
Craon. (The Duo de Gramonts second
wife was Marguerite Rothschild, and
/ his present consort is one of the Rus
Tonnerre has two little girls, but no
son, and the next heir to hts dukedoin
is his cousin. Count Charles dc Clcr-
| mont-Tonnerrc, commanding the Fourth
and brother of the Countess Henrlette
/ de acknowledgements, who has been
! the angel" Of the eX-Shah of Per-
| sia's recent unsuccessful attempt to
Scotland's ancient and important
/ Clan of Menzies has. at n meeting held
the ether day VA at t, Weem Aberfeldy. in
Miss Egedia Menzies, as its chieftain,
in the place of her brother the late
Sir Nell Menzies, who died last winter
l. Paris. without Issue, his baronetcy.
| created by Charles II. shortly after his
accession thereby becoming extinct.
| The choice of woman TO an office of
this kind is. / believe. without pre-
! cedent at any rate In modern times,
/ and therefore is noteworthy. and call
| culated to interest Scotchnen, and peo-
pie OF Scotch descent. in nil parts OF
When Sir Neil died, he left all his
| property 10 his widow. tho divorced
J Countess OF Stair. But by virtue of an
! arrangement betwe.n herself and her
: sister lin law. Castle Menzles, a quaint
and imposing structure on the banks
| of the Tay. dating from the sixteenth
| century, and occupying the site of the
! foundation OF a castle built carly in
| the twelfth century, has passed into the
! posseesion Of Miss Egedla. Weem,
J which is the name of rugged crag
| just behind the castle. Is also OF the
I village depending thereon, has been in
| the possession of the Menzies. for 500
| years, without interruption, and the
! earliest of the Mcnzies-one of them,
4 Sir Robert bv name. was Lord Cham
berlair Of Scotland in the. reign Of
] Alexander III. bn the occasion OF the
! latter's coronation at Scone in 12G--
4 was known as Sir Robert Menzies OF
Weenn. In consequence OF the destruc-
| ton of Afen1ies Castle. aud of all the
l,family charters and writs by fire, Sir
i Robert de Menzles, from whom the
now chicftainsss of the clan is iincal-
4 ly descended obtainSs in 1887. from the
e.. - ~. I. / \. ~ .