Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-16

friends, arrived in Tallahassee the
belle of Florida was Katherine Willis
Gray, a young widow who lived with
her father, Col. Byrd Willis, who had
sought and made his fortune in the
new territory of Florida.
Mrs. Gray had married a Scotsman
at the age of fifteen and was left
widow at sixteen, and as her child
also died she returned to live with her
parents at Willis hall, near Fredericks-
burg, Va, and accompanied them
when they moved to Florida. The
Willis home in Tallahassee on South
Monroe street, near the capitol, was
a center of the social life of the state.
The beauty and charm of the young
Virginia widow, who was then only
twenty-five years old, Immediately cap
tivated the son of Caroline Bonaparte
and his courtship seems to have been
as ardent as might be expected from
temperamental Frenchman. How
ever, the young woman was not only
beautiful and wealthy, but her mother
was Mary Lewis, a niece Of George
Washington, and not even the dazzling
fact that Colonel Murat's mother was
a sister of Napoleon could blind the
eyes of the blue blood of Virginia to
the knowledge that his father, Joachim
Murat, was the son of an obscure inn
keeper.
Beside which the prince was eccen-
trio to a degree that was almost i'll
bred. He spoke a burlesque Of the
English language and was perhaps
easily affected, but certainly often af-
fected, by wine. He was, however, an
intensely interesting companion, and
was eagerly sought socially and valued
as a sincere and unchanging friend.
The courtship of the greatest belle
and the only prince in Tallahassee was
watched with interest by the friends
of the couple and with approval by
the parents of the young woman; and
when the devotion and undisguised ad-
miration of the prince finally won
there were hearty congratulations and
good wishes for them from many parts
of the United States as we'll as their
adopted state.
Mrs. Gray and Colonel Murat we're
married July 80, 1926, and went to live
at Lipona, his large plantation in JEFF
ferson county, the name of which was
transposed to Napoli, the city with
which he had so many associations. 1t
was one of the most beautiful estates
in Florida and near the township in
the same country which was given to
Lafayette by the United States gov
eminent on his visit in 1924
The prince becoming restless on his
Florida plantation. he and his Ameri-
can princess went abroad, and being
forbidden to enter France and Italy
they went to Little Paris" as Brus-
sells is called, where they spent two
delightful years. The prince, who was
close personal friend of King Leo
pold, was made a colonel in the Bel
gian army and had command Of a regi
ment of lancers. Both he and the
princess we're Immensely popular, too
popular, in fact, for the fine Bonaparte
face of Prince Achille was so much
like that of his uncle, the great Ma
poleon, that he was often stopped on
the street and embraced by old SOL
diers. who fell on their knees before
! him.
The Powers saw and trembled for
fear that he might be able to enlist
soldiers enough to restore his family
to their former thrones, and his regi-
ment was disbanded. Prince Achille
made a memorable address to his men,
speaking to them in seven different
] languages, one after another. and then