The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-07
Name of Well-Known American
Family Connected With
Strange Story.
BY LA MARa,IsE DE FONTENOf.

extraordinary story is current
n in Paris in which the name of
4 well known and prominent
American family is connected 1t
seems that in the spring of 1899, on
the eve of the opening of thy, great
exhibition n Paris. an American lauy
arrived from the Far Orient. VIA Mar
settles. in the French capital with her
daughter. the latter woman Of
twenty-five. They took rooms at one
of the big hotels and went TO bed On
the morning following their arrival,
the daughter went to knock at the
door Of her mothers room. but IL was
not answered. On calling the mad
servant OF the hotel, she was as
toun.ied to be told that the servant
did not understand what she meant
as she had arrived at the hotel
BY herself and opening che d"o- OF
the room the maid showed that I
was empty. without luggage or any
signs of its having been occupied
At first the young woman thought
IL was a joke. But when the por-c7
of the hotel. the clerks 1T tho d, SIX,
and the manager all assured her that
she had arrived alone AT tn - ca~a-
vanserai. and that she had ncrcr had
any mother with her, she heSs to
think that she had gone mad she
appealed 10 the American EMBASSY
where perhaps some record may have
heer preserved of her application-and
TO the police. But wherever she went
II was proved to her that She had ar
rived in Paris quite alone In aoso-
lutc despair. and almost out OF her
senses. she returned TO America and
brooded over the matter for twelve
years.
While staying in Bisrritz few
weeks ago reading in the hall OF the
hotel there that used TO be frequent
ed by King Edward. she overheard
three men talking of the mysteries OF
great cities One of them descrioeh
the hotel AZ which she had staNei IN
Paris twelve years previously ana
smoke OF her arrival with her mother
from the Far Orient He went on to
relate that in the night the motneT
fell i'll. that doctor was hurriecly
called in and tina, in her sickness he
recognized ali the symptoms OF the
plague. At midnight the prefecture
of me police was notified and the pa
tieut isolated At o'clock the lazy
died and two specialists who had been
called in. confirmed the diagnosis OF
the plague Now the narrator con-
tinued. the plague in paris on the eve
Of the opening OF the exhibition would
have been q veritabie catastrophe. the
ruin of thousands of Industries. and
the loss of millions upon millions 70 the
commerce of France The Minister or
the Interior was hastily aroused IN the
middle Of the ni~ht. II was necessary
TO come 10 a prompt decision and OF
ders were given To the police to seize
all rho luggage and clean out and dis
infect The room The few employees
who had seen the two women arrive.
were schooied 20 declare that theN had
never seen but one. and tho remains
q, the unfortunate mother. with all
her clothes and belongings. were ere
mated.
uorrised At this story. and nearly
fainting with the shock. the daughter
missed the opportunity of quest cninS
the sneakers. who quilted tho readinS
room and whom she did rot soe again
She i q married woman and = stated
TO have recently applied once more 70
tho american embassy IN Isris- HNt
& declared 10 have receivrd - S@tis-
faction There. 81. Is bent mon clear
iuS ID the mySterv. and upon kn0"
ing whether what she oTc-heard a.
Rss~ri,z ~ae true The c7se & now
IN tho hands - a LEADING lawyer IN
Paris ans ere ioaS il VIII hc SHOWN
whether -he entire AFFAIR j. merely ar
extrao-dinarv deiusion Or = woman ~
whether there IS some foundation foi
this tragic tale.