The Washington herald., 1918-12-15
THE WASHINGTON HERALD SUNDAY DECEMBER Is 1918

flowers along and distributed them
among the graves OF those who died
in the service. All of which is quite
understandable. But no one can quite
understand why they are coming
home just as the big show begins
The President and Mrs Wilson seem
to have defied age-old superstition as
successfully as he has ever since he
has been in the White House brushed
age-old precedent aside. He landed in
France ON Friday, the 18th. and re-
fused to believe that that fact would
be able to hoodoo his stay there: made
his way direct to Paris, where he and
Mrs. Wilson and their Immediate en-
tourage are by now comfortably set
tied in the town house of Prince Mu-
rat. where their private suite has re-
Gently been re-decorated for them in
gray and gold.
Ever since the announcement that
the Presidential party was to be
housed In the residence of Prince Mu-
rat In Paris there has been a perfect
whirlwind of stories purporting to ex-
plain just who that gentleman Us. and
dwelling lovingly on his being of
American blood and the writer's of
these stories have been decidedly
mixed as to Just which Prince Murat
II was. who had offered his home to
the French government for the use of
our President.
1t Is Prince Joachim Murat's house,
ON the Rue Monceau. In Paris. that
has been placed at the Presidents dis
posal. and Prince Joachim. while he
is of American blood. is not, as some
of the stories have set forth. the
grandson of Catherine Willis, great
grandniece of General George Wash
ington. but of Caroline Fraser, of
Philadelphia, and her husband, Lu-
cien Murat, second son of the
great cavalry commander of Napoleon
Bonaparte's armies, Marshal Joachim
Murat, whose wife was Caroline Bon
aparte. youngest sister of Napoleon
and said to have been the most beau
tiful woman of her day In Europe).
and who was for seven years King of
Naples.
Itwas Lucien's elder brother. Prince
Achille Murat, who married Miss " IL
lis, Of Tallahassee. Fla. in 1S26. She
was the granddaughter of Col. BYRD
Willis, of Willis Hall. near Freder-
icksburg. and his wife. Mary Lewis,
the niece OF George Washington. She
and her husband left no descendants.
As l remember il, however, 1t was
this Prince Murat who was genera
tion ago nearly engaged to Miss Mary
Caldwell. eldest daughter of Shake
speare Caldwell. "of Kentucky. West
Virginia and Paris"-and Washington.
For they spent several years here. oc-
cupying the picturesque old Knapp
house, at that time owned by the fam
lily of the late Gen. Myer, at the corner
of Seventeenth and 1 streets. which
about eight years ago was torn down
to make room for a new building for
the Army and Navy Club, it having
outgrown its old quarters on the op-
posite corner.
When the family came to Washing
ton Miss Mary wore a very becoming
halo of romance" for having at the
eleventh hour thrown over Prince Mu-
rat. and thereby missed being chate-
laine of the house which is to serve
as the French white House for the
next few weeks. And there within
the next few days they will celebrate
the third anniversary OF their mar
absolutely unima ginable career-that
day three years ago opened up for
Mrs. Wilson. who had been Mrs. Nor
man Gait! 1t makes one dizzy TO think
of il,
To return to the other wedding-the
one that didn't happen. 1t was told
that the engagement was broken liter
ally at the last minute, when the we'd
ding gown and veil and the accom-
panying orange blossoms lay ready
for the bride to put them on.
That gown created a sensation In
Washington a couple of years later.
when the younger of the two sisters.
Miss Lena Caldwell, wore it on the
occasion of her marriage to Baron
Zedwitz OF the German Legation. 1t
was a superb creation of silver satin
a triumph of simplicity and perfec-
ton. Everyone knew all about the
rMurat' wedding gown, as all of
Washington society called it, and
there was general disappointment
when it was found that the wedding
the younger sister was to be very
small-in fact. almost pr1vate-''in the
presence of members of the family and
intimate friends only" 1t was SOL
emnized in the newly chapel
of the Catholic University of America,
which the Caldwell fortune had so
literally helped to build
However, although few saw the
ceremony, everybody of any social
standing saw the gown, for a large
reception followed the wedding at the
church, and was altogether a pic
turesque and spectacular affair. Baron
Zedwitz took his beautiful bride to
Germany. where they lived happily
until a few years ago when the former
Emperor's yacht ran down the one in
which Baron Zedwitz was sailing, in
the Kiel Canal, and the baron was
drowned. Baroness Zedwitz died about
two years ago. and her only child, a
son, was killed during the present
war. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Much OF the social interest in the
past week has centered in the brides
and the buds. Two weddings there
have been of more than usual interest
-one in Philadelphia and one in WASH
ington. Miss Hannah Randolph's mar
riage to Robert Spear Hudson of the
British Embassy took place in Phila-
delphia on Tuesday, with a consider
able number of the British Embassy
and War Mission circle I'm attendance.
and Mr.. Hudson is to bring his bride
to Washington shortly to take possess
sion of a house which, he has leased in
Massachusetts, avenue.
On the, following day Miss Eleanor
Morgan married Maj. Maurice Fftz-
maurice Day of the British War Mis-
sion at her parents home in Chevy
Chase. They are OF on a short we'd
ding trip, and after their return will