The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-04
QUEEN DISTRESSED
BY OUTRAGE OF TOMB

Olo, covering SOME iAblJ ASteS w thin
the walls Of Paris, situated at the END
Of the Avenue Victor Hugo and facinS
the Bois de BoIogne. The grounds
were laid out by lie Notre. the creator
OF the gardens OF the Palace OF Yer
sailles, while there is scarcely french
King since the days Of Charles TX. WAC
has not contributed something in the
way OF building 20 the chateau
II Is full OF royal and historic assoc
Citations, and among those who have
lived and loved there have been King
Francis l.. queen Margaret Of Navarro
Louis XIII. Louis XIV. Louis XIV. the
Regent Duke of Orleans and Queen
Marie AntOlnette. who spent the early
days of her husbands reign there,
owing 20 the prevalence of smallpox
at Versailles. and who was particular
~ fond OF the place. as was also her
most intimate friend and kinswoman.
the lovely Duchess de I.amOalle, whose
head was carried through the streets
OF Paris on a revolutionary pike dur
ing the bloody days OF the Terror. II
was there that Queen Marie AntOine;te
gave audience 20 a lowly Alsatian who
craved permission to submit TO her an
invention destined to supeTsede the
old-fashtoned cIavecin, or spinet. His
name was Sebastian Erard. the father
and originator OF the instrument now
known as the planoforte.
II was thanks 20 her patronage that
he was abba 10 achieve phenomenal
success with his invention, and when
at the outbreak of the revolution the
chateau and the grounds were put I'D
1T auction, along with other royal
property conhscated by the republic.
he had acquired suffi1ent wealth to
r.-@ %t1a Int
of preserving II for the benefit OF his
iu-fatcd benefactress. The remainder
was occupied for a number of years by
Talleyrand. and IL was only later on
that old Erard was able to complete
his purchase Of the entire property.
which on the restoration he lent TO
the royal Cornte d'Artofs, afterwards
Charles ". who lived there for a time
As soon as possible, however, Erard
resumed possession of the place. where
he resided until his death.
Afterwards his nephew and ntece
lived there, and it was during the
regime of the latter. when widow,
that 1t became centre Of art. htera-
rure, and especially of music. Able
Liszt invariably making the chateau
his headquarters when in Paris.
In the eighties the Chateau de Ia
Nuette was the scene OF shocking
tragedy Nine Dyard he'd only
child, whom she idohzed. happily mar
ried, as everyone believed. to a good
looking. universally popular Alsatian
kinsman of the name of Schaeffer, who
had been placed by hts mother-in-law
at the head of the great firm OF Erard,
and who administered the affairs there
OF to her entire satisfaction The
Schaefrers and their children lived with
oil ~ Al
evening on returning home Sohaeffer
found on his writing table a note in
which his beautiful wife twhom oc-
casionally used to meet at Nine.
Erard's) informed him that not only
had she eloped with the butler, who
had been in che family for fifteen years.
but likewise that all of her three
children were the offspring. not of her
husband, but Of the butler. Schaeffer
cut his throat and was found dead in
his w4fe's room. Mime. Schaef7er and
the butler are reported to have come
to this country, but have never been
heard of since. Perhaps they are still
living.
Mime. Schaeffer was cut of without a
cent by her mothers will, and a mod
crate provision was made for her un
fortunate children. while the Chateau
d.. la Muette and the whole of Nine.
Erard's property were bequeathed to 4
Nine. Francqueville Schaeffer. a niece
of Nine. Erard, who had been taken
in to serve as a sort OF com panion to
the old ladys daughter during tho lat
ter's girlhood.
After the tragedy Nine. Francque-
VILE took the place of the erT-ing
daughter. while Francquevilie assumed
the duties OF the s.lf-slain son-in-law-
After Nine Erard's death Francque-
willie obtained the title of count from
the Vatican. and being a clever man OF
considerable attainments. managed to
secure membership OF the Institute or
France
Some years afterwards Nine. de
F7rancqueville, nee Schaeffer. died. leaV-
ing several children. among them
daughter. who is married to the Bel
gian Due d'UrseL aaron of Hoboken
and Governor OF the Belgian province
Of Hainau1t Afterwards dc Franz
quevIlle married again. his second ana
present wife being Lady Sophia Pal
mer. sister OF the Lord Selborne who
was High Commissioner of British
south Africa for several years and also
first lord of the admiralty and dauSh-
ter OF Lord Chancellor Seiborne.
Copyright, 1913. by the Brentwood
Company