The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-01
BERLIN NEWS
COURT AND POLITICAL GOSSIP OF
GERMAN CAPITAL IN TABLOIDS

BERLIN, Oct. 27.-The newspapers
are just now reciting the story of the
suicide of the woman for whose sake
the famous Socialist leader, Lassalle,
lost his life in duel-a woman well
remembered by former visitors of the
g Gec man theatres in New York.
The story of her life is full of tragic
4 interest.
Helene Won Doenniges was the
daughter of Prussian dirlomatist,
Won Doenniges. who represented the
Prussian government at the court of
Munich in the sixties. At the age of
eighteen she was engaged to Price
Z Won Racowitza, a young Roumanian.
Before the marriage, however, she
met Lassalle at a reception in Berlin.
and the two imm ediately became in
fatuated with each other. Helene.
who was not deeply attached to the
Romania, at once proposed that they
Is elope and fee to France, since it was
quite out of the question that her par
ents would consent to her marrying
the Socialist leader.
Il Lassalle, however, determined to
win her in the usual German way and
{ went to her parents, who rejected his
. offer with scorn He said a hdstv
!. farewell to the girl whom he was new
4 err to see again, and soon sent chal-
lenge to Won Racowitza. The duel
was fought in a wood near Geneva,
and Lassalle fell Shortly after this
Helene married the Prince, but he
died within a few months. She then
resumed her studies for the stage, and
soon married the actor Friedman, but
the union was dissolved after live
years.
Meanwhile She had become high
ly successful actress, playing to enthu-
siastic houses in Vienna, Berlin, Dres-
den and other German cities. Later
she played with equal success in St.
Petersburg, where she made the ac-
duaintance of Mr.. Won Schewitch a
lawyer occupying a government office,
who at once fell desperately in love
with her. The couple went to Eng
land and finally to New York. where
the greater part of their married life
was spent. Won Schewitch was an ed
itor and she continued her theatrical
career. About ten years ago the
couple returned to Germany and set
tied in Munich. The Car had confis-
Gated the Russian estate of Won Sche-
witch because of his desertion of his
post with the government, or. accord
ing to some accounts because he was
a Nihilist Upon his return to Europe
he was reinstated in the ownership,
but sold his lands to his brother
The couple thus came into possess
sion of ample wealth and established
an elegant home in Munich Won
Schewitch. however, soon lost his for
tune in gold mine speculation, after
which the two earned a precarious
livelihood by writing for the newspa-
pers. Recently the husband died, and
the widow, who had been practically
an invalid for some years, saw herself
alone in the world and confronted
with starvation. In her despair she
took poison.
The Emperor's third son, Prince
August Wilhelm, of Prussia. and his
chauffeur We're this week brought be-
fore Berlin magistrate and fined
1915 and costs for exceeding the
speed limit in a Berlin street.
Fortunately for the Princes per-
sonal dignity. his chauffeur was at the
wheel when a traffic policeman time
the car and took its number, or at
any rate, the chauffeur assumed the
responsibility in court, and the fine
was assessed against the employee
though paid by his royal employer.
Prince August Wilhelm, the legal
scion of the Hohenzolerns, may have
more difficulty in settling with his