Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-13


mentioned one always thinks of the
poor little king of Rome-L'Aiglon-
of imperial blood and of high and an
cient lineage, even though he was the
offspring of a Corsican of far from
gentle birth. But of Count Leon. the
illegitimate child of the matehless
warrior, few ever speak. Indeed,
little general knowledge OF this per-
sonago is current in any circle.
In this day, when every nook and
corner of history is delved into that
Il sensational record may be uncoV-
cred. when it is the fashion to ex-
onerate those whom time has stamped
as the greatest of criminals, as, for
example, Caesar Borgia, II is not
strange that such a character as
Count Leon should be seized upon to
form a chapter of reviVihed human
annals
Thus the " Unknown Son OF Napo-
leon is the title of a book which has
lust fallen into our hands. This is
written by Hector Fleischmann and
is published by a London firm. HaN
ing both the French and the English
TRANSACTIONS. il is enough to say that
the latter is good.
Life Of Count Leon.
This book. then. is a complete rec
ord of the life of Count Leon, perhaps
the completest that will ever appear.
and. taken as literature, it may well
serve as a companion to the ten mon
umental volumes of the history of
Napoleon and his family, the life
work OF NJ Frederic Mason.
French writer's have told US a
great deal about Count Leon IN
e aFat in sol
that the author of this book gives
US much original matter, but these
earlier writer's have been long for
gotten and the title chosen by NJ.
Fleischmann for his book is, there
fore. not wholly misleading
The mother OF Count Leon was
Eleonore Denuelle de Ia Plaigne. She
was born in 1887 and she lived until
1868 She is buried in Perelachaise
in Paris and there her tomb may be
seen by the interested tourist She
was a pupil in the famous boarding
school of Madame Campon, which
was attended by the sisters of
Napoleon. While the girl was at
this school she met an officer whose
name was Revel. To him at a very
early age she was married.
Two months after this marriage
the husband of Nine. Revel was ar
rested and sent to prison on charge
of forgery. Caroline Murat, who had
known Eleonore at Madame Cam
pon's school. befriended the young
wife and took her to her own homo.
There Napoleon met her and induced
her to become his mistress.
The son of this Illicit union was
Count Leon. his name being taken
from the last syllables of his fathers
Christian cognomen. He was born
December IL. 1906, and lived until 1881.
The only thing that can be called
unknown" about him is the fact that
he was buried in pauper's grave
which was marked only by wooden
cross, without inscription Of any kind.
Reyers Long Litigation.
Revel. the first husband Of Eleonore.
was one Of those men who enjoy life
only when they are engaged in Iitiga-
ton. Thus for years he carried on
law suits as a means of gaining
money. After the end Of his term in
prison and his divorce, he made an
attempt to get his eX-Wife indicted .
and convicted for bigamy and even
for "trigamy." This affair dragged on {
for years.
Another of the mans many law
suits was that in which the child,
Leon-always acknowledged by Ma
20 con as ms own Son-WaS f1aue
the defendant the plaintiff making a
disavowal Of paternity. This suit was
not settled until 1872, by that time
having cost the guardians Of the boy
a very large sum of money.
But Revel, scapegrace though he
was. excited sympathy in many minds
from the fact that all knew that his
wife, beautiful and young, had been
appropriated by Ma
Doleon and that the particular charge
of forgery for which he suffered was
what in the slang or argot of the I'M
derworld Of today is known as a
"frame-up.'
1t is clear that Revel was possessed .
of great talent and was most ingen-
ious in his invention of means TO OBJ
tain money. Even after the death
Of Napoleon. Reyel declared that he
deserved to be considered and that
the heirs of the conqueror of a con-
tinent should see that he did not
suffer.
He blamed Napoleon.
THE peculator of every regiment
as NJ Fleischmann calls him. made
prievous complaints because Ma
poleon had neglected To provide for
him in the will which the latter made
at st. Helena.
But Revel for years had been pro-
vided with money by the guardian of
Leon, and. when the youth was about
to become of age the injured husband
feared that this pension might cease.
Leon. however, did not forget the