Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-31
Great Mems Love Letters
Duke of Marlborough to His Duchess.

Duke of Marlborough to His Duchess.
 The great army of readers who have read, and many of them enthusiastical- iy devoured, Dumas exciting story of Monte Cristo, have never, until recent ly for 8 moment supposed that it was anything more than a fanciful tale of d man of rare attainments in such work. Most people are aware that there is an island of Monte Cristo, and that 1t is the favorite retreat of King Victor Elm manuel, of Italy, but further than the name. they had no idea that there was anything but fiction in the story.
 But that Monte Cristo was merely the brilliant imagination of Dumas is not the truth. The archives of the French embassy in London, of the time of Charles x, of France, and of George ", of England, contain many proofs to the contrary.
 The true story of Monte Cristo came about in this way. One evening in Paris cafe several friends were seated in conversation, when one of them an nounced that he was going to marry wealthy girl named Theresa. His name was Picaud. One of his companions, Loupian by name. made a wager with the others that the marriage would not take place upon the day appointed. They asked him how he would prevent it, and he replied: "Oh, by means of some practical joke or other
 Picaud was a very likely fellow, and while in prison made the acquaintance of an Italian priest of great learning and considerable fortune The priest died in prison, and as Picaud had cared for him so tenderly during his illness, he left him his fortune.
 He carried out his design by notifying the chief of police of Paris that Picaud was 8 secret agent of the Chouan con- spiracy, and that he was plotting for the overthrow of the empire and for the assassination of Napoleon. Thereupon, the chief of police arrested and sent to an island prison in the south of France where he was incarcerated in a dun geon. He was given no trial, as was not unusual at that time, and he was soon forgotten by the authorities at Paris.
 l After Napoleon was overthrown in 1 1874. Picaud was set at liberty, and started at once for Milan, where,s after some difficulty he obtained the execu- tion of his friends will and received pos session of his property. The legal rec ords of this part of the story are to be found at Milan. From there he made g tour of the large cities of Europe and f. nally reached Paris in 1915.
 I mer fiancee, whom he found had mar. ried Loupian after she had waited two l years. unable to account for his disap-
 pearance other than that he had for saken her. From that time forth Pi. caud set to work, without letting any one know his identity, first to ruin and then to cause the death of, either by sui eide or murder, not only Locpian but
 the latter's children, the faithless The resa, and the men who had taken part in the wager as well as their families
 Thus began the famous vendetta ot
 Monte Cristo. Not one of the victims
 dreamed of the fate that was pursuins
 them, or was able to penetrate the mys
 tery thereof until in the throes of deati : and unable to reveal the secret. ,l The revenge of Picaud and Mont, Cristo are almost identical in story
 Loupian was the last to perish. He wal
 stabbed in the gardens of the Tulieriesx
 and by his side was piece of pape,
 bearing the numerals i and 30. Tn one signifed that he was the primar, object of the vendetta, and the 30 tha
 he was the thtrtieth victim. This tool
 place in 1925.
 3 Picaud made a death-bed confessio, s and also signed a statement containinl I his story ard had it placed in the hand
 of the French authorities It is no
 known jest how Dumas obtained hi
 knowledge of the story, but that a,ul not be very difficult matter His nov el of Monte Cristo appeared sixtee | years later. in 1s44, and the two stor
 les are too similar in every respect, an
 In most of their details, to admit 0 q mere coincidence, at least this is tn l, opinion of such writers who have give a a careful study to the subject, but Du
 mas always affirmed that his Mont V Cristo WAS merely fancifuI story of
 secret vandetta which he had Worke OTT% tvs haa <--.