Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-18
WILSON HOST, SCION
I. OF REFUGEE TO U. S.
Grandson of Prince Murat Re
paying Debt to America for
Asylum.

In placing their beautiful mansion in
Paris at the disposal of President Wilson,
the Murat family is repaNlng an old debt
to the United States.
For ii was in America that several of
the Ronapartes fled after the fall of Ma
poleon at Waterloo when with them came
Prince Joachim Murat, the son oil Caroline
Bonaparte. sister OF the Emperor and wife
OF King 10 chin of the two Sicies.
Here not onlv did the dashing young
Prince find refuge, but also bride While
stopping at his Incle's estate, near Borden
town. \ j.. he met and fell IN love with
the beautiful Caroline Fraser, daughter of
Major Fraser a Scotchmau. who had
settled nearby.
So it is altogether fitting that the
grandson of the young Prince and Miss
Fraser, who soon became the Princess
Nurat. should now turn over his beautiful
palace at IS Rue dc Monceau to the
President during his stay IN Paris.
RECALLS THE BoNAPARTEs.
The debt of gratitude now being re-
paid recalls the very interesting history of
the fight OF the Bonapartes and their
subsequent life in this country where
thew stayed for many wears. Near Bor-
dentown still NAV be seen the few crum-
bled ruins, all that remain of the once
miniature Versailles of America, built
hv Joseph Bonapartc at an outlay OF
S}00,000 during his period of residence
here from 1917 TO 1889.
Ii was in 1917 that Joseph Bonaparte,
brother OF the Emperor, fed from France
in disguise, and still in disguise landed in
New York from the American brig Com
merce He was mistaken for a French
general. but when his real identity be-
l. .-toI -
as a roval guest He preferred to be well
coined as private citizen.
THE HALF-DoLLARs AND GIRARD.
For a while he lIved in Philadelphia
lie leased a mansion at Eleventh and
Market streets, where the Bingham House
now stands and furnished 1t Sllmptuously
lie even planned an ESTATE" on this
block He offered TO buy the property,
bounded by Tenth, Chestnut, Eleventh
aud Market streets, so the story goes, for
the sum represented by covering the entire
acreage with silver half dollars. Stephen
t,irard, who owned it, told him he would
have to stand the silver dollars on end to
satisfy his demands. 80 the deal ieil
through.
About this time, the New Jersey Legs
lstalre offered him q tract OF about 900
acres near Bordentown, II being the under
America. he would live there. Napoleon
never came but Joseph bought the plot
and began building hlS estate. Presidents
and statesmen of America came, even It
Napoleon did not, and hither, too came
LAFAYETTE during his memorable return to
America in 1924, and IN 1887 came Prince
Louis Napoleon, later Napoleon III OF
France.
KNOWN As PRINCE RErKIRs.
Here, also. came Prince Murat Prince
Reckless as he soon became known, and
1t is said that his uncle, Joseph Bonaparte,
gave up all attempts to curb him and
suffered hum to do pretty much as he
pleased fos the sake of his sister, the boys
mother. So 1t pleased the young Prince TO
fall IN love with Caroline Fraser, who lived
nearby st Linden Hall.
Major Fraser WAS by this time dead,
but Mrs Fraser did not deny the young
Prince TO the house, even though his
reputation for souandering his wealth,
making champagne punch IN horse buck
cts and gambling with stable hands at
roadside inns was everybody : knowledge.
In keeping with the care-free existence
of the Young Prince, he chose 70 elope
with his pretty sweetheart and they were
clandestinelv marr,ed In Trenton, al St.
Michael Episcopal Church, by Rev.
Frederick Beasley, father Of the late
Mercer Beasley, chief justice Of the New
Jersey Supreme Court.
ELoPEMENT ANGERs UNCLE
When his uncle, Joseph. heard Of the
eopement, he cut the Prince of from his
allowance, but later relented and provided
hlm with funds occasionally. These be
needed, for he soon managed TO sduander
t1e fortune he got through his wife, but
LII r. T@,-t be- he Ir.e% Hcr
love. and her devotion To him through
out herlife remains one OF the most touch
ing In royal history.
In New Jersey. a son was born, the
father of the present Prince, and this
child went back with the Prince and
Princess 10 France, in l849, after the
election of Louis Napoleon 70 the presi-
dency. Prince Murat himself entered
the French Senate and In 1860 appeared
is the claimant 10 the throne OF the eicIllee
His wife, whose beauty was remarked
even among the beauties Of the French
court, shared all her husband 5 uncertain
fortunes, and died IN the same year that
took her husband, 1878, respected and
honored by all who knew her.
OLD ESTATE IN STATE or DECAY
With the return Of the Bonapartes to
france, the splendor Of Bonaparte Park
as soon q tnlng OF the past II was
bought in 1850 BY Henry Beckett, British
Consul in Philadelphia, who expended an
other fortune on i When be died, ms
ms tried to dispose Of it BIt it was
allowed to waste awav III the meantime,
md when it was finally disposed Of j
brought but s2s, ,OOe for more than half
million which it cost its iormcr owners. Il
was used as q school for a while, and a. la'c
- 1911 was purchased by John ) Rlcc
.Ir, Of Bordentovn. and Harms Hammond
son Of John Havs Hammond, of New orb
! here has been tak OF restoring The
property, but It never came TO more than
talk
Mcanw hilc the Murats settled ID Paris
with their principal residence on The
beautiful Rue de Monceau And II I>
here that President and Mrs Wilson have
now gone 70 remain during the 7 stay at
the Peace Conference