Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-12
FROM POOR WAITRESS
TO RICH COUNTESS
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Star.
BERLIN, March 2, 1911.
EEUDAL Europe offers scanty chances
! to the aspiring and ambitious to rise
In the world. Still there are exceptions.
| Today, for instance. Berliners read In
their newspapers that: THE Baroness
Bella Schoenberger, born Rosa Wallen-
stein, has been married to Hugo Benzel
zu Sternau und Hohenau, count OF the
empire" This Transformation OF Rosa
Wallenstein into Countess Sternau und
Hohenau is the latest incident in an alto
gether amazing career-a career which
began as cafe waitress, eliminated as
mother to an archdukes child and spy
on an imperial court; and has now
effioresced in the almost unattainable
ranks of Europe's blue-blooded aristoc-
racy.
1t is thirty years since the wife Of a
certain petty winesener in Hungarian
Szegszard bore to him a particularly VI
vacious black-eyed baby. This was Rosa
Wallenstein. At the age of ten little
Rosa had developed a wild Hungarian
temper; and at the age of fifteen, she
shone with such transcendant beauty
that for love of her two Szegszard peas
ants stuck knives in each other $
throats. Papa Wallenstein disliked blood
being shed into his wine casks. So he
packed his fascinating Rosa of to a
petty town in south Hungary, and made
ner waitress in a cafe.
Rosas eyes burned up the whole 10
cality; and when Archduke Ohio OF Aus
tria came her eyes burned up him. Ohio,
then married and with children, had come
to Hungary With maneuvering troops.
He expected to stay week The black
eyed waitress inspired him. He stayed IN
hungary a month. When Ohio next ap-
peared in Vienna he was bound hand
and foot to Rosa. She bore him little
girl. The romance was brief. Shortly
afterward the archduke died-as people
said of love-and he left her in his Will
the sum of S4,OOO,0O or twenty million
kronen in Austrian gold.
Rosa was rich now in money and
smiles: and she aspired to politics. She
played a role In certain Vienna salons;
Of entree at the Hofburg. What people
were saying and doing at the HOfburg
she knew better than Franz Josef HIM
self. This made her power. The I'M
memorial crisis between Austria and
Hungary was then in one OF its bad fits.
Geza Polonyi. Hungarian minister of JUS
tice. had the brilliant idea to use Rosa
as spy. He offered her a large sum il
she would write him letters reporting
what the Hofburg was thinking and say
ing about Hungary Rosa agreed. She
developed into first-class political spy.
This game was brief. When the revel-
ations came, Minister Geza Polonyi got
into such boiling water that he had to
resign his post.
The affaire Polonyi made Rosa's rep
utation International Her vanity was
appeased: and as she had much money
she could afford to live for love. She
fell in love with the director Of an i'm
portant bank, and threw him over, in
order to fall in love with the son of a
secretary of state. The latter was so
far Rosa's only real love. So she af-
frmed; and she quickly proved 1t. For
when her Young lover turned cold she
ambushed him, and put pair Of revolt
yer bullets into his faithless body.
Rosa's pretty name was again in the
newspapers. She was condemned to
eight months in Jail. But the court in
fuences which had protected her SO far
and also. it Is said, the efforts Of Geza
Po!onyi-secured her pardon. Rosa, how
ever, was not content with her position,
and decided that husband was needed
to restore her to her place in Austrian
society. She welded, therefore. Baron
Bella Schoenberger. Schoenberger was
tiIo SUI Ol the famous lieutenant HELD
marshal. He had been expelled from his
regiment for debts. He was to give, it
was contracted, his baronial name to
Rosa. but the welded pair were to live
apart. he IN fiat in Buda Pesth. she in
her palace in the Johann Strauss Case
| The baron would have fair allowance.
For time this agreement worked well
and the ex-waitress dazzled Vienna. Aus
| tria's gilded youth thronged her salon
and fought duels for her smile AS Miss
Kent h.
oped into a patron Of art The Vienna
Jockey Club objected to her way Of rae
ing, and the horses were sold.
Meanwhile Baron Bella Schoenbereer
was doing Ill. His allowance. he held
was not enough. In order to increase It
sufficiently. he made an elaborate attempt
to take his life. Shadows too, began to
fall on Rosa. The unchivalrous Austrian
government suddenly arrested her at her
chateau near Presburg and bundled her
across the frontier. The baron lost his
allowance. He took to drink, obtained
the useful position of fiacre driver, and
| in April, 1910. died in the Buda Pesth
Red Cross Hospital. The widowed baron
| ess made a trfumphal tour OF Europe,
| where every one who for but an instant
saw her black eyes fell in love with her.
And the baroness herself fell in love for
| the last time-up to date.
| The happy man this time Is Hugo Alex
ander BenZel gu Sternau und Hohenau,
| count OF the empire and representative
| OF one Of central Europes most famous
lines. The acquaintance came at q for
tunate time for the count It began In q
| Swiss valley. The count was up to his
neck In unpaid bills. and angry creditors
in Zurich and Lucerne were thirstinx for
his blood. He fled from Switzerland and
made for Rosa's fiat in Kantstrassc,
Chariottenburg. suburb OF this city A
householder in Basic to whom he owed
$3.50 lost patience. and the Basic courts
condemned the fugitive In contumaciam
to four months In jail.
| The count laughs at the courts. He IN
in, ~ Sur{sdicf{Os1 Of tha ~o,,rt. LOVE-