The Cairo bulletin., 1912-07-21
! Now York Woridl

erly from which officers were to be
graduated For in those days, only
mon OF wealth. rank or. influence as a
r,le. rose to rank In the French army.
That ill-placed boy was Louis Antoine
Fouvelet de Bourrienne
His classmate and friend was a
SPLENDID chap with a huge head. He
was the butt of the school because of
his hot temper, his haughtily borne
poverty his shabby clothes, his shrill,
cracked voice and Corsican accent
This youngster was the son OF an old
Impoverished Corsican family. His
name as spelled at that time was
Nabullone Bounaparte He was one
day to rule and bully his scorntul fell
low-students as Napoleon l., Emperor
of the French.
On leaving Rrienne in 1855 the two
comrades separated. It was years be-
fore they met again. Bonararte work
ed his way up to lieutenancy In the
army of King Louis XVI. Bourrienne,
failing to obtain an officers commits
sion, found a post in the lower
branches of the diplomatic service.
The friendship Of boyhood had cooled
when he and Bonaparte CHANGED to
meet in Paris in the late days Of the
old French monarchy. Bonaparte
with his keen judgment Of human ma
ture. seems to have gagged his Cid
schoolmate's character Alright and to
have found nothing in 1t to admire.
Yet when Bonaparte was First Con-
sur and ruler OF France in 1895 he
sent for Bourrienne and made him his
private secretary. He afterward be.
slowed other Offices on the poor young
diplomat,
But Bourrienne was not content
with the legitimate earnings of his
various positions. A man so near the
head Of the government could find
many chances for graft. And Bour-
rfenne found them, He became Isl.
lent partner in a dishonest army
contract firm, He and his accom-
.plices cleared up, it Is said, more than
100000 before their frauds were ex.
posed.
Bourrienne was banished by Napo-
leon to Hamburg But, to soften the
blow, his old school friend gave the
secretary fat official appointment
there. Bourrienne had acquired the
taste for graft. Now that he was
away from Napoleon's watehful eye e
gratissd his dishonest cravings with
out stint.
He wrongfully wrung huge sums
from the Hamburg senate and from
German noblemen5 At last his thpfts
became so outrageous that COMPLAINT
was made to Napoleon. The lat er,
VINO was now emperor of F-ranre.t re-
called Bourrienne in disgrace. degsad-
ed him from his Office and compelled
him to refund 100000 of the sto,er
money. Napoleon was never noted for
gratitude or for kindness. The fact
that he had done anything at all for
the ex-school chum was unusual. Now
he washed his hands of the man.
Bourrienne, turned adlift and forced
to give up part of his ill-gotten cash,
became NapoIeon's bitterest enemy. 4
He did all in his power to initlrer III
former benefactor, and toiled cunning
" for the emperor's downfall. asgsg8
In 1914 Napoleon was overthrow
by the allied powers of Europe and
was packed off to Flhe an exile Bour-
rienne was among the first to hail
Louis XVIII (the Bourbon king of the
allies set on Frances throne IN Nano.
cons place., and to clamor for office
under him. aesasI
Then back from Tlba came Ma
poleon. All France rose to greet him,
and Louis XVIII. fed for his life. Ma
pdeon offered pardon to nearly all his
palitical foes. but he pointedly re-
fused to forgive Beurrienne Tremb.
ling at his own danger, Bourrienne
rushed for safety to the still fleeing
Louis XVIII. This act of devotion"
edchcd the heart or the fugitive king.
He made Bourrienne minister of state
after Napoleons second and final
downfall. The turncoat Jared well for
some years. But, like most grafters.
Rourrienne Mt last lost every penny Of
his tainted wealth. He was forced to
Zee from France to escape his cred
TORS. M
\ HIS mind gave way and, in 1884, AeA|
died In an insane asylum.