Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-02
Love Slain by Napoleon
The Death of Charles J. Bonaparte
Recalls Romance of American Heiress.

arch, himself soon to become king OF less n-
portant state, falls in love with beautiful
American girl.
Jerome, for that was his name, is captain
in the navy OF his native country at the age OF
Is. when he makes voyage to Baltimore. At
bail given in honor of the visitors from overseas
he meets Elizabeth Patterson, belle at II, and
daughter of the second wealthest citizen in
Maryland ....,
All that sounds rather familiar to readers Of
historical novels "Ah, yes they will say, "his
royal brother opposed the match, and the girls
the youth made a love match inadvisable, for
bade their marriage. Romances of that sort all
read alike"
And so they may, but in the year 1908 those
things happened in real life. The death OF
Charles J. Bonaparte, attorney general of the
United States under President Roosevelt, re-
moves the last living evidence OF the marriage
between the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte and
the daughter of William Patterson, owner of
great line of Yankee clippers A grandson of
Jerome Bonaparte and grand-nephew Of the
great Napoleon, he was for all that an American
through and through. unlike his father who
lived much abroad, and his elder brother, who
resigned from the American army in 1854 to
join the French in the Crnean war, serving
later in the dragoon guards of the Empress
Eugenie.
That ball where Jerome Bonaparte fell cap
tive to the charms Of Miss Patterson was more
than hundred years ago; it was given BY SAM
uel Chase, signer of the Declaration OF lnde-
pendence The courtship that followed was
blocked first by Mr.. Patterson, who, seeing
clearly that the first consul would object to any
such marriage, sent his daughter to Virginia.
This separation only increased the ardor OF
the couple, who were neither more than children,
and in short time they became engaged through
secret correspondence. As soon as he reached
the age Of 10 Jerome procured marriage. Ii
cense and the ceremony was solemnzed before
a large and fashionable assemblage.
The great wealth of the Pattersons did not
serve to tighten the anger of Napoleon, who sent
a message to Jerome that if he left the young
person" in America his youthful ndiscretion
would be forgiven; If he brought her with him
he should not set foot on French territory.
This did not suffice to send the honeymoon
into eclipse After two years in Baltimore the
sailing ships, bound for Lisbon, where they
found a French frigate to prevent their landing.
In a moment OF desperation Jerome went on
alone to Paris to plead the cause of his bride,
who proceeded on the ship to Amsterdam.
There two men-of-war awaited her, and she was
forced to take refuge from the hate Of Napoleon
in England.
So great was the excitement there that the
British authorities had to send a regiment to
Dover to control the multitude that watched her
arrival A few days later her son, Jerome Bona
parte, was born Her husband, though remain
ing in France, constantly sent her messages OF
affection and fidelity Napoleon, still obdurate,
attempted in vain to induce the pope to annul the
marriage, and had to content himself with an
annulment by his imperial council of state.
On condition OF her going to America, he Of
fered her large pension provided she did not
take the name of the family. In the hope of
concatng her brother-in-law, the American
heiress returned to America, still little more than
a child, for all her bitter experiences.
GAS for your affair with your little girl, do
not regard it," Napoleon informed Jerome and
created him prince of the empire and admiral
of fleet for his desertion. Later he was made
not only general, but successor to the throne
in the event Of Napoleon's leaving no son, and
in 1907 he became king of Westphalia. In the
same year he married Princess Catherine Fred
erica of Wuertemburg, by whom he had three
sons.
This was the bitterest blow for Madame
Bonaparte as the American girl still rightly
called herself, and she employed every means to
uphold the validity of her marriage and the le-
gtimacy of her son. Years later, when Napoleon
III mounted the throne, she was granted for
NAL hearing
Then occurred an incident that won the SYM
pathy and attention of Europe for the deserted
wife. Jerome, the man who had wooed her as
youthful sailor, appealed to the council of state
to forbid his son to assume the name of Bona
parte Nevertheless, the council decreed that
the son was entitled to the name of Bonaparte
although he could not be recognized as men,
Der of the imperial family
Ambition seems to have overcome the inde-
pendent spirit of the mother. Instead OF show
ing natural pride and going her own way, she
ever after sought to establish herself as con-
nection of French aristocracy. Her son refused
to sue for the hand Of the daughter Of Joseph
Bonaparte and insisted on marrying an Ameri-
can girl, and this episode alienated from her
both father and her son. She then passed much
of her time in Europe, reveling in the sympathy
she found there and untouched by the ostracism
to which she had been so literally treated
Her fathers death left her millionaire, but
as age came on she became niser and misan-
thrope, although she never lost her brilliant con-
versationa powers and her noble airs. The dream
of the glory that might have been hers never
was lost, and at the downfall of the second en-
pire and the death of Napoleon ILL., she was un-
sparing of money or effort in advancing the
claims OF her grandson the elder brother of
Charles J. Bonaparte, and hoped to see him
called to the regency or perhaps the imperial
throne if the republic could be overthrown.
1t is strange that She her son and this elder
grandson despite the wrongs and insults that
had been heaped upon them, should have main
tanned the close relations with the French court
that they did. Her son was never naturazed
as an American citizen and spent much time
abroad, cutlvatng terms of intimacy with the
father who had endeavored to disown him. His
eldest son. too served with distinction in many
French campaigns, leaving only the brother who
mas Just died to carry on the American branch
OF the family, which now has disappeared
P.G