The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-12-28
A man OF MYSTERY
Strange Story of a French Exile
of the Last Century.
MADE HIS HOME IN NEW YORK.

He Lived Royal, but Secluded, Life
Here Until Napoeon's Downfall,
When He Vanished to Reappear, Per-
haps as King Charles X. of France.
In the year 1903 French gentleman
came into the wilds Of the southern
part of Madison county, N. Y, and
erected a chateau upon the wooded
summit Of the highest hill in George
town. He had purchased 2,700 acres of
land, paying for it close to $4,000. He
gave the name of Louis Amathe Muller.
He brought great wealth in gold and
silver coin into the wilderness and
spent it lavishly in clearing land, erect
ing his home and establishing a great
park for game. The chateau was little
less than a fortress.
The master of the house wore the
costume of a French gentleman, lived
royalty and introduced as far as posi-
BILE the manners of feudal France. He
was attended by retinue of French
( men, among them physician. who
bore the name of Pietrow.
During all his sojourn in the wilder
ness Muller received numerous papers
from abroad. 1t was very common for
him to comment upon the progress of
Bonaparte, and, when news came of
his disaster in Russia, Muller was
4 overjoyed and began to make prepa-
rations to return home, and when the
I overthrow of Bonaparte was assured
he rode away ON horseback to take
passage for France.
Many have been the conjectures as
to the identity of this man. He pre-
served his incognito completely. 1t
was believed that only his physician
\ knew his true name. Those who had
carefully studied the events of the
time and knew the history of the royal
family of France believed that Muller
was Bourbon prince hiding from
Bonaparte. The physician once said
that Muller was "cousin the second to
the Duke of Angouleme," but the be-
lief generally is that he was a member
of the Bourbon family, who, on the
abdication of Bonaparte, was restored
to his royal privileges.
BY many it was supposed that the
mysterious American visitor was no
other than the Count of Artois, who
had been banished from France by Ma
poleon and who later governed that
country as Charles X. Only a man
with such cunning as he is credited
with possessing could have concealed
his identity in the wilds of Madison
county. The Count of Artois was the
right age, fifty-one, in 1S08 had suf-
f1cient motive and answers in charac-
ter and in methods of amusement to
Louis Amathe Muller
There is lapse in history as to the
movements of the count. In July, 1889,
he left France as leader of the emf
grants, and his career from this time
on to his return to France in 1914 is
somewhat involved. For the reason
that his real name was as odious In
America as in Europe it is thought
that he came to this country not only
to avoid Bonaparte, but to put to rest
the tongues that were busy with his
name
The description of Mullers personal
appearance fits accurately the descrip
tons of the Count of Artois, or Charles
x. As writer puts 1t, 1.-THE passion
for hunting and dread of Bonaparte
evinced by Muller point unerringly to
Artois as the man who occupied the
chateau on Muller hill" When Artois
became king it is said that he endan
gered his throne through his devotion
to the chase.
The time of Mullers or Artois' de
Bonaparte was subdued cannot be &c
curately given. He left New YoRl
late in 1913. The time of his return tt
America to settle his affairs and sci
his estates is known 1t was when al
danger from Bonaparte was past afte
i the battle of Waterloo. After the hun
dred days of Napoleon's rule and thu
return of Louis XVIII to Paris it i
said by his biographers that the Coun
of Artois held aloof from public affairs
Was he absent In America? Mule
was in this country selling his estate
during that period. Upon his return t
France he waited patiently until 1872
to place the crown upon his head
The stormy life of Charles Y. ende
= at Goritz, Austria. in 1886. His bone
lie there in the chapel of the Francis
cans. His life has never been full
written, but his personality, romanti
career, ETC., fit well into the myster
Gus Muller.-Philadelph Press.