The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 25, 1904, Page 17

‘Pages17t024 | & C N FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1904. EAT HOPES OF DUCHESS D’AOSTA ARE DISPELLED BY BIRTH OF A SON TO THE KING OF ITALY. WARRIOR AND BANDIT FOR HUNDRED YEARS | 5 S SERNL S VIAN METHUSELAHS’ LIFE | —— . Ease on What He Has Been Able to Save From His Plunderings. Dec. 24.—Besides being men in the world, the Gyurgytis, has just ¢ i sev th birthday, s had an extraordinary career. Most his life has been spent in fighting the T For many years, ver, he was a bandit, and he now es that by combining thrift with ved enough from his live in ease for the rest When asked, recently, if f life this venerable r replied: “As long k my portion of y) and wine I shaill be only was only seventeen when he k up arms against the Turks. was a hundred years ago when ather of “Black Peter,” the Servian King, proclaimed a tion against them. Joining the Stojan fought in several a saber wound nearly He paid back that a hundredfold. y the most sacred a swore a vendetta Turks Returning to his organized a band of haj- k| and ravaged and pil- laged several Turkish villages, putting the inhabitants to death, for it is part of his creed that the only good Turk is a dead Turk HOSTILE TO THE TURKS. Still, to give the picturesque ruffian is due, he always preferred legitimate arfare against the Turks to fighting m on his own account. In 1823 he found a chance whenwghe Greeks were geling for independence, and join- a band of janitsars, under the lead- of the famous Saip Bey, he distinguished himself. He re- mained in Greece for some time, after it had been proclaimed a kingdom, but the Turks had put a big price on his head and they managed to get hold of him. His captors wanted to make an object lesson of him and decided to postpone executing him until the thing could be done in style before a big crowd. Agile as a mountain goat and as cunning as a fox, Stojan slipped through their fingers and fled to Bel- grade. There he met the future Prince, Milosh Obrenovits, and tried to get him start another revolution against Turkey. A year later he went to St. Petersburg and was received by the Czar Alexander I1, to whom he present- ed a memorial devicting the woeful condition of the Servians and begging the Czar to intervene in their behalf against their "hated oppressors. The Czar was not ready to play that <ort of game just then, and, returning » Servia, Stojan turned bandit again By preference he always chose Turks for his victims, but he would not fly the present rev he (robbers) n the face of providence by neglecting any opportunity that offered to make here. He had several es, but always man- d capture, being assisted peasantry. who regarded his oc- cupation as a'legitimate and eminently respectable one. 3 He was 90 years of age, when, in 1876, the Serbo-Turkish war broke out, but he was not too old to take part in it. The Servian commander, General Uzum Mirkovits, sent him on a speclal m sion to ascertain the strength of the Turkish forces and he succeeded in ob- taining the needed information. At the conclusion of the war he retired from the bandit business and settled down at Nish to enjoy the rewards of his preda- tory industry and untroubled by any conscientious scruples concerning his past life, His appetite is still good, his teeth sound and his eyesight clear. His mem- ory is excellent, and he vividly recalls six good chances that he missed to kill that number of Turks. If he had his life to live over again he is sure, he says, there would be.no such failures to reproach himself with in his old age. He was twice married and has three daughters living—the oldest 80 and the youngest 40. —————— AMERICANS GIVE AID TO THE ENGLISH POOR nis- Young Mrs. Bradley Martin Responds Liberally to the Charitable Appeals. LONDON, Deec. 24.—Following the ex- ample of Lady Craven, young Mrs. Bradley Martin has already commenced to take an active interest in charitable institutions that devote their efforts to the relief of distress among indigent old people. She has no sympathy with the English poorhouse system, by which old married couples are separated as soon as they become chargeable to the ratepayers. It has been the custom in recent years to solicit subscriptions from wealthy people to provide some measure of Christmas cheer for the poor in the workhouses. Such “luxuries” can be cbtained only through voluntary sup- port, because the Government will not sanction any extra expediture that might involve the general ratepayers. ‘When Miss Phipps was appealed to a few weeks ago for a subscription to provide an entertainment at Christmas for the inmates of one of the Scotch poorhouses she quietly told the collec- tor that she would be always happy to contribute if there was a guarantee that husbands and wives were allowed to share the same table on Christmas day. The collector could give no sach guar- antee and had to go away without any assistance. Mrs. Bradley Martin and Lady Cra- ven have always responded to such charitable appeals liberally, but it would appear that Mrs. Bradley Martin Jr. prefers to support places like Naza- reth House, where old married couples are allowed to enjoy each other’s so- ciety within stipulated hours. She will not be found among those who indulge in indiscriminate almsgving. ————— Marlborough's Poverty Belied. LONDON, Deéc. 24.—Though society is busy talking of alleged retrench- ments in the Marlborough household, the Duke and Duchess are going about and enjoying all the gayeties with un- diminished zest. WOMAN HAS PUBLISHED 200 NOVELS Remarkable List to the Credit of Mrs. Meade. -— LONDON, Dec. 24.—Mrs. L. T. Meade, whose new novel, “Love Triumphant,” has just been published, is probably the most prolific of English women writers. Mrs. Meade has been writing for so long, and with so much success that her name must be familiar to American readers; but they may, not know that she has published over two hundred novels. As the imposing list of her works at the British Museum shows, Mrs. Meade’s versatility is almost as strik- ing as her productiveness, for this list includes stories of domestic interest, quiet in tone; stories that are frankly sensational; stories cf religious interest and stories for boys and girls. Some of this author’s books, however, have been written in collaboration—notably with Robert Eustace—a case in point being “The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings,” which attracted so much attention when published serially in the Strand Magazine. There is much in getting an early start, which Mrs. Meade certainly did, her first novel having been published when she was 17. She is the child of an Irish clergyman and pretty nearly anything would have been more to her parents’ liking than her decision to earn her living by story-writing. But the girl was deter- mined and at 18 she came to London, and almost from the start found a ready market for her wares. Fertlle of imagination, before three years had passed, she had over a dozen books to her credit. She is now married and has three children, but in spite of domestic duties, admirably performed, Mrs. Meade keeps grinding out fiction more industriously and more successfuly than ever. He/ “Stories From the Diary of a Doctor,” written with Robert Eustace; “The Sanctuary Club” and “A Race With the Sun,” are famous on this side of the water. Even to-day Mrs. Meade thinks nothing of turning out 8000 words a day, most of her matter, however, being dictated to a secretary. The title of her new book, “Love Tri- umphant,” was suggested by that of the picture by the late G. F. Watts, In + JOYFUL MOTHER AND ONE WHO EORROWS AT THE BIRTH OF ITALIAN HEIR. & o’ private life “L. T. Meade” is Mrs. Toul- min Smith. ————— WILL SPEND A FORTUNE PREPARING ENGLISH HOME James Van Alen to Remodel and Re- furnish Rushton Hall, Where He Will Reside. LONDON, Dec. 24.—James Van Alen, who intends to become a British sub- ject, is clearing out all the furniture that remained in Rushton Hall, his newly acquired mansion in Northamp- tonshire. Second-hand furniture deal- ers from London and Birmingham have been examining everything, from pic- tures to tapestry, in the place during the last few days. ‘. It is generally believed that the new occupier would retain some of the best furniture, but when the whole had been catalogued he gave, an order that the lot be cleared out. He found that the furniture would not hurmonize with BY THE I " THER OWN CHILD DISPLACED NFANT PRINCE. Contest for the Throne Results in Butter Feud Between Ambitious Mothers. + A PROUD ! TNMOTHERY : THE <U=EEN" } ST ITAI. Y ... | o NOW HMAS A SONT AND . HER TWNO DAUGHIERS ROME, Dec. 24.—It is rather doubt- ful is the world contains at present a more disappointed and dejected mother than the Duches d’Aosta, whose fondest hope—that of seeing her eldest son ac- claimed King of Italy—has been shat- tered by the birth of an heir to the present King. When the Duke d’Aosta begged her to marry him, nine . years ago, the Duchess—then Princess Helene d'Or- leans—asked only one question. That was, “Will the Prince of Naples ever marry?” The then Prince of Naples is the present King, and his cousin, d’Aosta, stood next in line for the throne. “Ng,” replied the latter. “Victor will never marry. He has an absolute ob- horrence of the idea, so I shall undoubt- edly be sovereign. He is delicate and weak, and I shall outlive him. Any way, if [ have a son, he will sit on the throne.” So the Princess Helene said “yes,” and her marriage to the Duke took place soon after. BEGINNING OF FEUD. One year later, before any child had blessed the union, the Prince of Naples suddenly fell in love with Princess Hel- ene of Montencgro, and, to the secret horror of the d’Aostas, married her. At that moment the feud began, which has existed ever since between the Duchess d@’Apsta and the Queen of Italy. T have been deceived,” was the bur- den of the Duchess’ plaint, followed by scathing references to “peasant girls frem the mountains,” and to “delicate men who must go wife hunting.” The then Princess of Naples, with her sensi- tive soui, was quick to understand and resent this attitude, so war ,was de- clared. However, time passed, and within three years of her marriage the Duch- ess had a son, the heir presumptive to the throne, followed by another, two years later, while the Crown Princess still remained childless. Hope revived, and “deception” was less talked of, and “my son the King"” became the Duch- — the scheme of decoration which he means te introduce, so that the hall will be newly furnished from floor to ceiling. He has expressed himself ready to spend $500,000 on Btructural altera- tions alone, and it is understood in the neighborhood that there will be hardly anything but the outer walls left when these alterations are com- plete. He is considering a number of estimates and specifications, and it is not anticipated that he will be able to take up his permanent residence there for another six or nine months. An architect from New York has been exploring the mansion for the past fortnight and it is considered most likely that the alterations will be car- ried out under his direction. The build- ers in the neighborhood of Kettering, which is the nearest town to the hall, are competing keenly for the work. —————————— Nuns Slain; Convent Robbed. _ - PALERMO, Dec. 24—The three last surviving nuns of the convent of St. John in Mitello, a small village near ess’ dearest phrase. Five years passing without children being born to the Prince and Princess of Naples, the lady Aosta allowed herself to be more gra- cious, while her eldest son, Prince Ame- deo, was treated and surrounded with ceremonial as though direct heir to the throne, and this without the least effort to conceal her hopes and desires. TWO BABY GIRLS BORN. Simultaneously with the present Queen’s accession to the throne, how- ever, came the whisper that her Ma- Jesty was in a delicate state of health “—a whisper which later proved to be true. One can sympathize with the agony of the ambitious woman who thus saw her hopes vanishing. It was indeed a tragic moment for her and she took it tragically. “Is it true?” she asked her husband, with face as white as death. “Yes,” was the low-voiced reply, whereupon she fell to the floor as one dead, and when she revived, some hours later; refused food, crying hopelessly over: her son, murmuring in her mad- ness that he was about to be deprived of his rights, and that he should be King in spite of all if it lay within her power to compass it. But the expect- ed baby proved to be a girl. “It'is in answer to my prayers,” the Duchess whispered, so the cloud lifted somewhat, to fall again blacker than ever a year later when another baby was expected. This, too, was a girl, and in her joy the Duchess gave little heed to the grumblings among the low- er classes, who declared. that she had cast the evil eye on the Queen, who would thus never have a son, and, per- haps, that was her own conviction, as when, for the third time, the Queen became delicate, she took little notice of the fact and continued happily to consider her son as the future mon- arch. AN HEIR TO THE THRONE. Thus ‘a tiny baby has plunged one household into the deepest depths of gloom, and another into heights of joy never before experienced. A boy! The news, before many hours had elapsed, rang out all over Italy, throwing an entire nation into parox- ysms of patriotism and lovalty The patient, dignified Queen smiles at her little n, and thus becomes as any ot mother. Victor, just look at his wee fingers,” “Victor, he ks like you, dear,” “Vie- tor, was there ever such a baby?" and to crown all and wear the supreme diadem of womanhood she is nursing the little atom, a privilege denied her with the other children. Prince Humbert (as he is called) Is a lusty youngster, who decidedly re- sembles his mother. He first opened his eves in a chamber totally and im- maculately white, prepared on pur- pose for the occasion, and was at once pounced upon by those present so that for a moment his royal mamma was in danger of neglect. His first act was to yell at the top of a particular vigor- ous volce, and to decidedly rebel against the process of dressing. YOUNG PRINCE'S PROSPECTS. Prince Humbert, when in the course of nature he comes to manhood, will.-be one of the most sought after princes of Europe. He will be heir to the throne of a prosperous country, will not be rich, as he has no property in his own right, but will make up for it by the wealth of his titles. Among them will be the high-sounding one of King of Cyprus, Crete and Jerusalem, but at present he only has one, Prince of Pled- mont. Queen Helene is devoted to children. A story is told of how she could not even resist little Prince Amedeo, whom she thought she hated. One day, the then Princess met the little fellow in a cor- ridor of the Quirinal Palace in his nurse’'s arms. She would have avoided him, but as she passed, with averted head, he suddenly held out his fat dim- pled arms, and on the impulse of the moment she took him from the nurse, while her eyes fllled with tears. The little boy, then about a year old, laid kis lips on each of her eyelids, strok- ing her cheeks with his hands. The Queen gave a sob and giving the child back to his nurse walked hastily away. 8 Catania, each of whom was more than 70 years of age, were foupd murdered cne morning this week and every ar- ticle of value in the convent stolen. From the position of the bodies it is surmised the thieves dragged the nuns all over the building, compelling them to point out the hiding places of their valuables, and then strangled them to death. e MRS. WARD’S NEW NOVEL STARTS A DISCUSSION Critics Trying to Trace the Sources of “The Marriage of Wil- liam Ashe.” LONDON, Dec. 24—A discussion is threatened as to the source from which Mrs. Humphry Ward drew the plot of her new romance, “The Marriage of William Ashe.” It was said that the author of “Lady Rose’s Daughter” was aided in producing that work by the ‘perusal of old French memoirs, and now. Clement K. Shorter says that Mrs. Ward was inspired by English mem- oirs in writing “William Ashe.” This critic declares that all who are famillar with the complete stery of Lord Melbourne and his wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, Lady Caroline’s In- fatuation for Byron and her puBlica- tion of “Glenarvon,” will find the whole thing repeated in Mrs. Ward’'s book. Shorter admits, however, that tife story is altered considerably, the poet “bold, bad and dangerous to know" of real life being a fascinating but wicked explorer in the novel —_————————— Chorus Girls Go on Strike. PARIJS, Dec. 24—The strike microbe seems to be in the air, affecting all classes. The very latest, as gecorded in a special from Geneva, is & strike among chorus gitls there. B — Angelsey’s Income Raised. . Dec. 24—Owing to the s of the Anglesey sales, the trustees have decided to increase the Marquis' aliowance from §10,000 to $12,500 a year.