The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-12
THIS PRINCESS IS
CHAMPION SPENOER
Her Wild Extravagances Are
Now Being Aired in the
English Courts.
(American News Service)

London. March IA florists ac-
count for $4,000, a jewelers. bill OF
$4,000 for goods supplied within six
months, an unpaid debt OF over $685.
900 contracted with a Brighton trades
man; and another account for $4,000
with Partisan jeweler--these are
some OF the items In the remarkable
transaction of Princess Warie Will
semsky. daughter OF a Russian noble
man. whose Anancial affairs have re-
Gently engaged thea ttention of the
courts.
In Russia and In France as well,
there Is a law under which wild ex-
travagance can be effectively checked.
Given sufficient evidence, the courts
can order that the control of the prop
erty shall be taken away from the
spendthrift and that the subject shall
be treated in the same manner as a
minor.
Under such a law an imperial ukase
was granted against Princess VIII
scmsky In 1908. and the administra-
ton OF her st. Petersburg estate was
placed under the control of trustees.
Whether from maladministration or
the burden Of heavy mortgages. the
estate has SO far failed to realize the
potentialties claimed for 1t by the
princess.
there appears to have been ignorance
OF the limitations In expenditure that
Is necessary even to those with vast
property.
The daughter of the Primate. Alex
ander Wilsemsky. a descendant OF the
line OF Rurik, which giverned Russia
centuries before the present house she
WAS n hgure In the imperial court in
her early days. At one time her fam
country, and in her youth she had
not to consider expense at all.
She had then. as she has today, the
grand dauteur and the charming man
ners OF old nobility. and was an at
tractive personality In the circle i'm
mediately outside the royal family
II was In 1886 that she left the an
cestral roof and the vast estate of
her father to become the wife of
Count Constantine de Bolotoff. The
union seems to have proved a happy
one In the early stages, and the prin.
cess maintained her place as a society
leader for several years without any
ripping Of the domestic calm.
What caused the subsequent separa-
ton between the princess and her hus-
band Is not exactly known. At all
events, a ukase was granted against
her. and ultimately her position be-
came 80 acute that she decided. on
the advice of her friends. to leave
the country In which she had once
moved distinguished figure
After run over the continent and
an expensive visit to Paris Princess
Wilsemsky came to England in the
early part of 1907 with her four chill
dren. t
Brighton was her first home and
there she was known as Nine de Boil
ton, and subsequently as Princess Will
semsky. She was regarded as a lady
OF considerable means. and her estab-
lishment was conducted on scale
which to certain extent corroborated
her story of an estate in Russia
worth $75O,O0O year.
With retinue OF between twenty
and thirty servants, a number OF mot
or cars, and grandeur of manner
that was as convincing as II was allur-
ing. the princess was able to obtain
credit on an unprecedented scale and
to accumulate debts of which many
are still unpaid.
Among the creditors was the trades
man referred to above, whose un-
paid bills. with loans in addition,
reached "A total of $4,000.
The princess then moved to Reigate
where she took furnished mansion
at a rental at first OF 30 guineaus a
week. This was in October of 1908,
when despite unpaid bills and judg.
ment orders, she kept a small army
of servants. including Il private secre-
tary and French maid. Reigate was
impressed as Brighton had been and
credit was easily forthcoming on the
strength Of the Russian estate and
the title. Claridge's and the Carleton
were the chief hotels she patronized
In London.
It was at Claridge's that she stayed
part Of 1909. Then Kings Gardens,
Hove. was her address for a time. un.
I'll she again took the Reigate man.
sion at an increased rental OF 60 gui-
meas week She once had five motor
cars Mt tho Reigate home.
She still incurred debts, despite the
fact she had been compelled to get
loans on her jewelry. A pearl neck
lace valued at $4,000 was pledged
for $4,000.
The earlier part of 1910 saw the
princess back at Brighton. and living
In rooms at hotel costing her go
guineas a week. Her remarkable re-
source opened the door to further Gre
dit on a large scale.
Finally she removed to Kingswood.
Dulwich. In April last. The lease of
this fine mansion was purchased with
a deposit OF $1,000 on the purchase
price-$60,0 00-the balance being in
mortgages. New furniture to the value
OF $4,000 was ordered. accounts were
opened with tradesmen In all quarters
and the palace was conducted with all
the ritual extravagant high life. Near.
ly twenty servants were engaged