Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1913-12-12
.EUGEN|E'S END NEAR
Some Features in Life of Former
French Empress.
How the Daughter Of Spanish
Grandee Captured the Heart and
Throne Of Napoleon IIi.-At-
tempted Suicide Once.


London.-Empress Eugene lies III
In Marlborough. Press reports say
she is dying The woman, once the
leader of the gayest court In all Eu-
rope and the most beautiful woman of
her day, is now plunged in the most
profound melancholy. She has re-
tired completely from society and re-
fuses to permit any one to talk to
her about the time when, as empress
OF the French. she shone with regal
splendor. And the end is drawing
near for one of the most tragic fig-
ures In France. Hers lie only the
shadow of a name.
The tragedy of my life," she says
to friends, lis almost ended. My Wis
ltors come to witness the last act"
Eugene was not born to the purple.
Her mother was the daughter Of an
Irish adventurer; her father was the
count of Montijo. a grandee of Spain.
The mother was light, frivolous
woman, but Eugene and her sister
Francesca grew up to be adorable lit
tie girls. Their father having died
after inheriting the title of his broth
er, they were sent to a convent in
Paris and came back to Madrid, where
their mother was living as maid OF
honor to Queen Isabella. Suitors
flocked around them. The countess
encouraged the attention of the dash
ing young duke of Alba and babe him
chose between the sisters. The duke
chose Francesca.
When the young girl, beaming with
Joy, fastened to tell the news to her
younger sister, she found Eugene ly-
Ing In bed. At first she believed her
sister asleep, but on approaching
closely she saw that Eugenie's eyes
were staring wide. her cheeks were
wet with Precipitation, her features
contorted by commissions. Eugenie
had heard the dukes proposal to
Francesca and had taken poison in
her sorrow. Slowly she regained her
health, but the incident changed her
character. The convent bred girl be-
came determined to dazzle the world.
She rode through the streets of Mad
rid on an unsaddled horse. She led
the applause at bull fights, fiirted with
toreadors, and embroidered caps for
them In gold.
She received attentions from none
except serene highnesses and dukes.
The queen, angry at being outshone.
dismissed mother and daughter from
court. Eugene tossed her beautiful
head and vowed that II she ever came
back to Madrid II should be as a
queen There was at this time in
France an interesting young man who
had just been elected president Of
the second republic OF France. And
he was destined TO fulfill the young
girls ambition to be a queen.
Shortly after he met the charming
madcap girl. the prince-president
Louis Napoleon. had brought about
the famous coup d'etat by which he
caused himself to be reelected for
term of ten years, and in 1852 to be
proclaimed emperor with the title of
Napoleon III. He was fascinated by
the young girls beauty and her happy
go lucky sort of existence appealed to
one who had 80 long led an adventur-
Gus hand to mouth life. So he at once
made love to her In an easy going
way. She and her mother were in
vited to the Elysee.
But Napoleon had no notion of mar
rying this fascinating Spanish girl.
He realized that the best way to
strengthen his throne was by an al
lance with some woman of royal
blood. He begged Prince Hohenlohe
for the hand of Prince Adelaide OF
Prussia. He appealed to the dowager
duchess OF Baden to help him find n
princess for his wife. Queen Victoria