Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16

aSe0 as the VIE OF q member Of COngrees ar
as the daughter Of the President Mrs r.
replied she claimed no distinction whatever
but wished only for the same consideration
extended to other strangers. Even when his
daughters were with him. Mr. jefferson never
had drawing rooms, or even private evening
parties. and only such as were on terms OF
personal intimacy ever made evening visits to
the Presidents house"
Evidently Mr.. Merry was not tickled sick
over the residence he secured when he came
here, for he speaks of it as situated ION the
commons which is meant to be the city Of
washington" and that the structures there
are mere shells of houses with bare walls and
without fixtures Of any kind, even without
pump or well"
M. Pichon, the French Minister, was re-
siding IN Georgetown before Mr.. Merry came
mere, having established himself west of Rock
Greek as early as 1902, but Mr.. Merry as said
was the hrst foreign representative to take up
his residence In the new Capital and he con.
t1nued here from November, 1903, to November
1905. Mr.. Erskine, his successor, not only lived
In the street houses, but, according to q deed
recorded October II, 1917. also occupied q
house belonging to the Peter family on the
west side Of Twentieth street between L and
M Streets ON lot 81, square 100, and from the
National Intelligence Of March IS, 1908, we
learn that some Of the British attaches lived in
one OF the Six Buildings PennsyI.
vania avenue
RARON LOUIS MARIE TURREAU DE LIZ
NIERES, marshal of France, came to
Washington as the first French Minister, In
1904, and took up his residence in the corner
house Of the Seven Buildings (19O1 to 1919
Pennsylvania avenue), or at the northwest
corner OF Pennsylvania avenue and Nineteenth
street northwest. The general was born in
1855 and died In 1916, and his diplomatic serv-
Ice here extended from 1904 to 1871 Jose
Correa da Sierra, first Portuguese Minister to
the United States, occupied house 1905 In this
row In 1876 and in 1864 it was the residence
Of Chevalier Joseph Bertinatu Minister resi-
dent Of Italy.
Sir Augustus Foster. who first served in the
diplomatic service here secretary to the
British legation under Mr. Merry. was evil
IDENTIFY not an admirer of Gen. Turreau for I'm
his notes he speaks of him rather harsh1y and
says:
"Bonaparte's Minister was the General Tur.
reau, famous for his Vendean brutaltieS-a
dignitary whose conduct and manners could
not shock even the butchers and hangmen.
sheriffs Of Congress by any contrast of refine-
ment. The ruffian's wife was a gaoler's daunh-
ter, who had favored his escape from prison
upon some occasion; and he had secretary
whose only accomplishment, that of playing ON
the violoncello, was called into daily requisi-
ton, Tor the purpose of drowning the DOOR
woman's cries while the representative of the
great Napoleon was horsewhipping her. until
the popular feeling was so reused on her be.
tatals, ventured to violate the sacredness Of q
diplomatic residence, and, forcing open the
door, obliged this Bluebeard to let out his wife
and even to subscribe TO a paper by which he
agreed to give her separate allowance which.
however, was never paid
She was. during the brief sequel Of her life,
reduced 70 great straits; and even the gentle
men Of our legation had to subscribe for her
relief. None of them ever saw her tyrant in
society, the first consul having among other
erR0wAA IlmNaM ualww
not to meet the British envoy unless it should
be at the Presidents house"
FROM the part Turreau played in attempting
to separate Jerome Bonaparte and his wife.
the beautiful Miss Elizabeth Patterson OF Balti-
more. it seems quite evident that he was sent
70 this country by the first consul for this
especial purpose. However, as will be seen
from the following remarks by Sir Augustus
his 'plans-or Napoleon's plans as they might
have been-did not work out, at least so far
as her marrying the French Minister, Turreau
was concerned, who was then 48 years old, and
she mere girl filled with love for the tickle
Jerome
Regarding this strategic, or diplomatic at
tempt on the part of Turreau, Sir Augustus
says:
II saw M. Jerome at Washington, at a party
at Mrs. Smiths wife of the then Secretary of
the Navy, and thought him a well hammered
young man. dlS brother Napoleon did not at
all approve Of his marrying Miss Patterson
and, not content with declaring the act null
and void according to the laws of France,
endeavored as much as he could to invalidate
1t in the United States. for which purpose he
wished to induce her to take another husband
no less a person than Gen. Turreau his
Minister Plenipotentiary, who used all his elo-
quence to persuade her, proposing it as 'une
af1aire de convenance,' and urging that it was
a shame she should vegetate in such a coun-