New-York tribune., 1912-04-18
PON|AT0WSKI NOT A POLE
His Descent from the Last Prince
PoniatoWSki Denied.

DOWNRIGHT. 1912 by the Brentwood Company
prince Andrew Poniatowski. upon whom
,te French government has just conferred
,be order Of the Legion of Honor for his
services in promoting the sale OF French
enancial securities in this country and Of
American securities In France. can scarce
- ~ be regarded as the lineal descendant Of
the once sovereign house OF Poniatowski
and the pretensions put forward In this
connection are calculated TO excite protest
and amusement on the part Of all those
acquainted with the" true facts Of the case,
especially among the Poles.
The most CURSOR reference 10 the cur
rent issue Of the Almanach de Gotha will
show that all the honors and digniues OF
the royal house OF Poniatowsh became ex-
tinct in 1888. with the death of Prince
stanislas Poniatowski, third Of his name,
AZ Florence. This Stanisss was nephew
Of stanisas II. the last King OF Poland
Who had been the favorite Of Catherine the
Great Of Russia, and who died unmarried
OF King Stanislas's two nephews and heirs.
the elder, Prince Joseph Poniatowski. dis
tine,Ilshed himself under Napoleon l, by
whom he was created a field marshal OF
France on the battlefield OF Leipsc in 1873.
Intruste6 with the command of the rear
guard Of the army. he perished, after being
badly wounded, in the River Elster, pre-
ferring drowning 10 captivity. He lives In
history as "the Bayard Of Poland.
His younger brother. Stsnislas. sought
refuge In Florence. where he lived many
years. and likewise died unmarried In 1888
without legitimate issue, True, there
we're two boys in his household ~hom
he treated as his sons: Charles
and Joseph. They were not, now
ever, legitimately his, being the offspring
~ the wife OF his valet 1t Is also true that
old Prince stanislas went through the form
~ recognizing them as his offspring many
Years after their birth. But tnasmuch as
their mothers legal husband. the valet
was living az the time when they were
born. and even At the time Of the reooe-
nitjon, the princes efforts to establish MS
paternity were Of no avail
II was only some years after old Prince
stanislas's death IN lS22 that the two boys
Charles and Joseph, having inherited most
~ his money acquired by purchase from
the nagistracy Of the city of Florence 'oe
Florentine title OF Princes OF Monte ho-
tondo. Later on. through the influence OF
the then Grand Duke of Tuscany, VINO WAS
a member of the imperial house OF Haps-
b,rg their titles as Florentine princes were
recognized and registered at the court OF
Vienna. This was in 1880 OF these two
sons Charles died without leaving any
issue His Younger brother, Joseph, mar
ried the Italian Countess Perotu, and II Is
,boir son Stanislas. who was the father
of the Prince Andrew who has just re-
ceiyed the cross Of the Legion of Honor
and also Of the late Prince Charles fonia-
,ov.ski who married Miss Catherine Ely
Goddard. Of New York, and died OF pneu-
rnouia at the st. Regis Hotel some years
ago on his return from Mexico. Where
ne was interested In extensive mining prop
critics.
This Prince Stanslas Chat is TO say. the
father of the late Prince Charles and OF
the newly decorated Prince Andrew
nlayed A considerable role at the court OF
Nanoleon III whom he served in the ca
racitv of imperial equerry. In 1856 he Gre
stsd a great sensation by marrying Louise
Ie Hon. whose mother, Nine. lie Hon. "lle
of q Relgian diplomat, was famous as the
Eseria of me late Due de Morny. In fact'
tho marriage Of Prince Stanislas 10 Mile
IA Hon was announced in the following
terms in the Official Gazette of Milan:
Yesterday was celebrated the wedding OF
Nile. lie Hon. daughter of Nine. lie non
and OF the Due de Morny, to Stanislas' son
of the Prince Joseph Poniatowski.' Mime.
I.e Hon. who was of Hebrew birth, being
the daughter Of the once well known fa-
rtsisn money broker, Mosselmann. fanillai
10 all the gilded youth Of the reign OF
Louis Philippe, occupied a superb mansion
on the Champs Elysees, near the hond
Point while the late Due de Mornys quar-
ters we're established in small pavilion
adjoining thereto. 1t used to be popularity
l,novn az the kennel of Nine. lie Hons
pet dog"
BY this marriage with Mile lie non
Prince Stanisas, who died in 1903 had three
children-a daughter. of the name OF Ca'h-
crime. who still lives in the Rue de HlVoh'
IN Paris; Charles, who married Miss Cath
crime Ely Goddard. and who died, as nave
described above, in New York, at the Hotel
81. Regis. in 1905. and Prince Andre" fo-
niatowski. who, after being connected WIN
the California Jockey Club and severdl
mining and industrial enterprises, Is now
the head OF a Franco-American BANK al
Faris. and is apparently regarded there AZ
an expert authority on American hnanclai
affairs He is married TO Miss Ehzabe'h
sperrv. of Stockton, Cal, sister-in-law OF
W. II. Crocker, of San Francisco