The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-11-14

ticed than Sophia was whisked on to
the Riviera by her parents and the
long arm of the kaiser reached out to
assign zu Putlitz to a minor post at
the embassy in Athens.
The pair never saw each other
again. The betrothal of Sophia to a
princely cousin, rich and recently wild
owed, was announced forthwith.
Years passed in her effort to escape
that match-years during which there
was a steady flow of love letters be-
tween Athens and Heidelberg, Sophia
succeeded in getting the engagement
annulled early in 1908, after a per-
sonal visit to the grand duke of Sax
ony and many letters to the kaiser.
The previous night EdIer zu Putlitz
had put a bullet through his brain,
leaving a letter of farewell to the
Princess Sophia.
Had Royal Mourner.
One distinguished mourner followed
the body of the young lieutenant to
the raw 1t was the crown princess
of Greece, sister to the kaiser; and
on that occasion royalty was eel to
weep in public. For the crown prin.
cess had just heard from Berlin that
the emperor would place no further
barriers in the way of the young
couples marriage!
The little semi-royal court at Held
elberg, with it's meager income and its
ancient dignities, gave no outward
sign. But the Princess Sophia was
fading visibly. Two years later
among the routine of visitors, Hans
Won Bleichroeder appeared. He wal
the youngest member of the great
Jewish banking house which, it i!
/. said, made possible the Prussian vic
2 tory owe France in 1870. His title
of baron has been in the possession o
' the family a much shorter time thar
: the millions. Every n knew, II
8 fact, that it had been conferred on hi
r father because Of them. Hans Vol
9 Bleichroeder was ardent, handsome
n and intelligent. He had a vigor tina
even Elder zu Putlitz lacked. Sophi'
@ fell in love with him s~traightway.
A. Again the ponderous wheels of Gel
man ~statecraft whirred. The Bleict
|. roeder millions would place tn
# troublesome Saxe-Weimar family in
r. position which the male member
would be less likely to desert-at tn
first reckoning of happiness-as pr
m vate citizens. The match was san'
j. toned by the shrewd kaiser, pendin
Il. the consent of the grand duke of Sa,
" ony, head of the house. The Bleicl
roeder clan, elated and breathles
r sent impetuous Hans to New Yorl
q. where he passed two years in Wa
as street as an employee Of Messrs. XII
r. sci, Kinnicut & Co., international ban
I'd ers.
i'd A year passed, then two. TT
10 young Baron Won Bleichroeder r
ct turned from foreign parts-and VIZ
or not received by Prince Wilhelm
Sake eimar,
he Estranged From Family.
M The estrangement from her fami
of the Princess Sophia began fro
he that moment. On September
in Prince Wilhelm was startled by .
III ugly umo from Paris, whence Il
princess and her mother had gone
a shopping trip. A gypsy's child h,
he been killed in the forest of Fontair
an bleau by a motor car belonging
be Baron Won Bleichroeder. The c
nd had been driven not by the bare
'or however, who sat with the princess
he Saxe,Weimar in a real seat, but
id the Princess Sophia herself!
af- There is no record of the intervit
he that took place between Prince VI
er- helm, his wife and his daughter. VIII
zen the royal ladies returned from Fran,
The The household observed, merely, th
no the Princess Sophia kent tn her roo