The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1923-04-05
CALVI THOUGHT
MAD when HE
TOLD OF TR0TH
Forced to Reveal Secret
Betrothal to Princess
to His Supporters
COLONEL FEARED INSANITY
Army Officers at First
Refused Him Leave
of Absence

MILAN. April 5. Friends and fel
low officers of Count Calvi di Bergolo
prospective bridegroom of Princess
Yolanda, firmly believed that the
count was insane, when due to fire.
quent leaves of absence previously
granted, his superiors at first refused
to permit him to go to Rome for the
official announcement of the betrothal
until he divulged his secret, according
to an apparently authentic story that
is now going the rounds.
The future husband of the princess
is captain in the army and is sub
Ject to the usual military rules. There
fore, when he was continually asking
for leave and going off to Rome or to
San Rossore, near Pisa, where the
royal family spend some part of each
year, his colonel began to be dis
turbed
Finally the captain received an in
vitation from the Princess to come to
Rome for the official ceremony of the
betrothal, as she had succeeded in
obtaining the consent of her family
Liberty Is Refused
On the strength of this Count Calvi
di Bergolo went at once to his colonel
begging that he might go Immediate
1V tn Rnr1n Of no ~, :
Importance. His request was refused.
Undaunted, the count remarked:
Il am very sorry, Signor colonel,
but even if you do not grant me the
permission l must go just the same"
To which came the answer:
And |, on my part, shall be obliged
to place you under arrest!"
The count. realizing that he could
not explain his position, kept on in.
sisting. The puzzled colonel inter.
rupted him impatiently:
What urgent affair can there really
be which forces you to ask for this
leave"
"Well,' answered the count, after a
moments reflection, 'T will speak tc
you not as to superior officer now
but as to another gentleman. I know
that you will keep the matter a secret
Tomorrow I am to be betrothed for
mally to the Princess Yolando 81
Savoy"
Thought He Was Crazy
This speech overpowered the col
onel, and the captain took his way di
rectly to the station. Tho colonel was
convinced that his subordinate Officer
had gone suddenly mad. He sum
moned several other officers, tolC
them, and the general opinion was
that sudden insanity had seizel theil
poor friend.
! The count first went to Turin, ant
it was proposed to stop him there BY
telegraph. Then it vas decided to in
form his father and have the count
placed under restraint.
AS it happened, the only people who
knew the true state of affairs were
the parents of the count, and they
were able to reassure the colonel
while at the same time the newspa
pers gave out the news Of the en-
gagement.
In marrying outside of a royal fam
lily the Princess Yolando of Italy is
doing as several other ladies OF the
House of Savoy have done. There have
been marriages with the princely fam
| lily of the Colonna and with other
members of patrician families. Prin
cess Anna Teresa married Prince
Charles de Rohan, in 1741, and the
daughters of Prince Luigi Vittorio Of
Savoy Carignano married, respective
ly, Prince Giovanni Doria Pamphi and
the Princess Lamballe. The latter fell
a victim to the French Revolution
The youngest sister of this family was
one of those who contracted mar.
riage with the Colonna, and she led
a life of great brilliancy at Rome and
Naples.