South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-12

uleu the OIuef
day was one of the most tragic that
any royal house has ever had 10
record in its annals. He was the
oldest son Of the younger brother
of the Alexander ii. the Grand Duke
Constantine Nicholaiewitsch. and of
his beautiful consort, the Grand
Duchess Alexandra, who, before her
marriage. has been a princess Of
Saxe-Altenburg and the sister Of the
late Queen Marie of Hanover. He
was one of the handsomest men of
his generation; clever, too; very
well educated and a great favorite
in society. In his ana gen.
eral demeanor. as well as by his
goo, looks, he reminded one. in
many respects. of his sister, Queen
Olga Of Greece. All the children of
the Grand Duke Constantine had in
herited his cleverness and attrac-
tive ways and no branch of the i'm
perial family was more popular
than theirs. 1t was, therefore, no
wonder that as soon as the young
Grand Duke Nicholas began TO go
out in society he made for himself
numerous friends.
The Susceptible Duke.
Unhappily. he was Of a very sus-
ceptible temperament, especially
where ladies We're concerned. and his
hirtations were in~numerable, and
perhaps not always desirable. Yet
no one could have expected the
catastrophe which was TO put an
end 10 his career in the terrible way
that it did. When il happened the
CONSERVATION was general, but
many people thought hat he was
far too harshly dealt with and
that the justice 10 which every pri-
vate person would have been en-
titled in the like case had been de-
MED TO him.
There appeared one day in st.
Petersburg. as Petrograd was still
called at the time, a young French
actress, Fanny Lear. She had ar
rived in the Russian capital with "A
very we'll established reputation i'm
more respects than me-. and il was
known that several prominent mem
bers of the French ~aristocracy and
nti0AtE AA0 spent AdiEE SUITS upon
her and given her wonderful pre-
sents OF jewelry and other valuable
things. The Grand Duke Nicholas
/ Constantinowitsch met her at a
supper which had been arranged by
q few officers belonging 70 different
guards regiments, and ne had forth
with fallen i'm love with her.
At first the lady had proved shy.
then after a time she listened 10 the
enamoured young man. and soon the
magnidcence of her sables. carriages
and dresses became the talk Of the
town. The prince. indeed. was so
entirely suhjugated by the charms
of Fanny that he allowed her 10 per-
suade him 20 take her one DAY over
the palace Inhabited by mis- father
and mother. which was considered
one OF the show places IN st. Peters
burg. and 10 show il 20 her in all
its details. down 20 the Grand Ouch
ess A~leNandra's private rooms. dur
ing an absence of the latter.
one day a terrible rumor flew
\ through the town. II was said that
Fanny Lear had appeared at some
] party or other 70 which she had
been invited wearing some diamonds
that had been recognized as being
the property of the mother OF the
| Grand Duke Nicholas Constantine
witsch. The fact was reported 10
that princess, who started 10 verify
the contents OF her jewel boxes.
with the resUl; that the police were
communicated with. and in due
/ course the emperor himself inform
ed OF the occurrence.
The Mistake.
Now when the Grand Duchess
Alexandra had laid her complaint
before the project of st. Petersburg
who at that time was Gen. Trepon
the father of that other Trepon who