The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-03-11
SEARCHER RS T IND
CRAVE Of GREAT
NAP0LE0N's SON
Unmarked Mound Is Discov-
cred Among Bushes in
the Laurel Hill
Cemetery
SUPERINTENDENT IS
CONFIDENT OF PLACE
Omission of Burial Records
Indicates Motives of Doubt
full Political Morale

IN SlFOng contrast 10 the toiiU "
his illustrious sire in the Hotel des
Invalides in Paris is the unmarked
grave in Laurel Hill cemetery of John
Gordon Bonaparte, son of Napoleon /,
emperor of the French and an English
housekeeper. wooed by the Conqueror
during his last years on St Helena.
To searchers in the cemetery yester
day afternoon c. +. Kruger, the super
intendent, pointed out an uneven
mound, partially covered with laurel
bushes and grown over with periwin-
kle, the delicate lavender blossoms
giving a faint touch OF color to the
otherwise unadorned sepulcher.
There" he said, 'is what we believe
to be the grave of the last son of Ma
poieon. 1t is known that his body is
somewhere in the cemetery. ThereNis
no record of his interment, the omis-
sion indicates political motives of
doubtful morale.
OLD TIMERS RECALL GORDON
This is one of the few unrecorded
graves In the cemetery. Old employees
who were here in the eighties have told
me that this ground covers the body
of John Gordon, whose facial resem-
blance to the emperor was so marked
as to cause comment wherever he ap-
peared. / understand his quiet funeral
was attended by persons from the
French embassy in Washington"
At least two men in San Francisco
remember John Gordon well Undoubt-
edly there are more. but many of his
intimates of the old days-he came to
San Francisco In 1s74-have died or
left the city. George Fields, bar
tender in a Market street saloon, knew
Gordon.
'He came TO New London, Conn, be-
fore I was born" said Fields, 'and
when I had grown up there 1t was an
accepted fact that his father was the
famous Corsican. He was an expert
watch maker and 5eweler and visitors
in New London were shown the store
where Napoleon's son was employed
along with the relics of the revolution
-earthworks where farmer boys died
fighting the soldiers of George III.
CAME TO SAN FRANCISCO IN 1872
Gordon had three children: one was
Bill, with whom I was intimate, while
the others were girls, one of them be-
ing a cripple. I came to San Fran
cisco in 1872 and two years later Cor
don came here. At first he was en-
ployed by Tucker. who conducted the
jewelry store at Sutter and Montgom-
cry streets, which at that time was the
rendezvous of the eity's fashionables.
Later he opened store of his own
in Kearny street near Bush. 1t was
not so elegant as fuckers, but the
work turned out by Gordon was the
best In the city. He could make a.
better watch than most of his craft.
His departure from New London
was sudden and mysterious, I have
been told. One night he closed up his
shop as usual and the next morning
his customers discovered he had packed
up over night and left the city, taking
his entire stock of jewelry with him.
San Francisco. His wife had died be-
fore he left New London, but he had
his three children with him.
son NOW IN Los ANGELES
Il was away when he died in 1886;
| If my memory serves me right, I was
turned / learned he had died His
house was in Sacramento street near
Clay.
Il know several people here who
knew him both in San Francisco and
New London. One Of his acquaintances
Henry Whittimore and usually he
spends his winters in Los Angeles,
where, I understand, Bill Gordon now
is living. Bill is grandson Of the
great emperor. He didn't resemble his
father at all, and none would have
suspected his relationship to the dis
turber of the century.
"Old man Gordon, though, was dead
ringer for his father. He didn't deny
the relationship, but I can't remember
hearing him refer TO ii.
"lIe wasn't very short. but his head
was remarkably like that of Napoleon
the jaws square, the chin pointed and
the eyes wonderfully expressive and
piercingly intent in their gaze. I'll bet
he'd have been a great one II he had
had half chance
DOCTOR McNUTT FINDS RECORD
Or. w. F. McNutt. founder OF the
McNutt hospital, Is one of the keenest
students in America Of the life of
Napoleon, or for that matter in the
world. His library contains more than
1000 volumes dealing with the emperor
Doctor McNutt has known of Gordon
Bonaparte for some time, and still Is
making exhaustive efforts to trace his
life. His library contains at least one
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