OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16885, 13 July 1920, Page 7

OBITUARY.

EX-EMPRESS EUGENIE,

(Bv Cable —Prc=s Association —Co - .iyri;fci.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON", July 11. The ex-Empress Eugenic died while visiting Spain.

3 ! The career of the ex-Empress Eugenu> >! affords one of the most fascinating royal J j romances of Wth century imstory. Her I grandfather was a Scotchman, \\ilnam i : Kirkpatnck, of the Closeburn family, m i Dumfriesshire. The descendant, of ' Robert Bruce, as he proudly claimed himself to be, ultimately settled at Malaga, Spain, as a fruit and wine merchant, and prospered exceedingly, not s the least of . his assets being three daughters, admired for t?ieir uncommon : beautv. The youngest of these, Donna - Manu'ela, found a husband in .a Spanish grandee of very high lineage, and became the Countess of Montijo, the third - child of the union, Eucenie, being born - on Mav oth, 1&26. When Eugenie was - eight vears old, her mother went to . Paris, * For five years the Countess and her children spent most of their time in the heart of a brilliant circle. Eugenie's early education was watched I over by Prosper Merimee, tho witty and ", showy" French writer, and she soon be- ' came distinguished at the various enf tertainments given at the Tuileries by the dignity and elegance of her de- [ meanour, and by great personal beauty. I I In this brilliant, life she was the recog- „ nised queen of beauty, and had many suitors. She took a keen interest in politics, and it is said that when a Spanish statesman declared to her that women should not meddle in politics, "for if things came to the worst, you would not have the nerve to face cold steel," she replied, "Would I not? and snatching a knife from the tab!© sho inflicted a stab on her arm. In course of time Mademoiselle do Montijo ' attracted the very marked attention of tho arch-adventurer, Napoleon 111., [ Emperor of the French. When it be- ' came known that the Emperor intended to make the Spanish beauty jhis wife 1 there was considerable surprise and ' angry opposition from his advisers. The ' Emperor, however, was determined to 1 have his way, and the marriage was " celebrated with much magnificence at Notre Dame, in 1853. In the years 5 that followed her elevation to a throno, ! the Empress was the' most brilliant and observed of royal personages in Europe. The Empress delighted in presiding at the great balls under tho Empire, which lasted from January to Lent, the invitations often numbering four thousand. Tho masked balls which she S a J e a * the Tuileries were open to a good deal of objection, and, in fact, were loudly condemned by an abbe who preached ' before tho sovereigns in the chapel ol the Tuileries. The Empress was of a I quick, inquisitive mind, extremely • fond of reading, and pomewhat given to mysticism. She caused some scandal by the extraordinary credence she gave to • the spiritualist medium, the Scotchman - Hume, a naturalised American, who was ! a nine days wonder at Court and in i society, and disappeared from Paris as • swiftly as he came. > Napoleon 111. and his consort were , extremely fortunate in securing the [ friendship of Queen Victoria, who, in . company with Prince Albert, paid them [ a State visit in the fifties. This visit was noteworthy, as it was the first* ; formal recognition by a European Power ■ of Napoleon's position in France. Prob- \ ably the most brilliant event of the [ Empress's life was her tour to the East to open the Suez Canal, constructed by tho famous engineer Do Lesseps. All the gorgeousness of Oriental luxury attended her progress, and a railway lmo was even laid down to the Pyramids in. order that she might visit the famous monuments. There is no doubt that the Empress in the later days of the Second Empire contrived to get a good deal of power into her hands. At tho' outbreak of the Franco-German war she was appointed Regent, consequent upon her husband leaving for the scene of hostilities. Everyone knows the result of that campaign—the humiliating defeat at Sedan and the surrender of the French Emperor to Ms foes. After the abdication of Natioleon, the Empress found a refuge in England, at Chiselhnrst, where the Emperor joined her, his death occurring in 1873. The overwhelming sorrow of 'hor widowhood was tho death of hor only son, the Prince Imperial (born March 16th, 1856), who fought in the British Army in the Zulu war, was highly praised for the courage ho displayed, and was killed in action there. His body was brought to England and buried at Ohiselhurst, with military honours. Among the , wreaths was a most beautiful one from Queen Victoria. The great Englbh Queen was a constant Wend to the Empress, and she' it was who encouraged her to visit the fatal spot in Zululand on the anniversary of her son's death. In 1881 the Empress took up her residence at Farnborough, in Hampshire, an estate consisting of 257 acres. Of late years she added a museum to her mansion, where she kept relics of her son and of her past glory. At this residence sho received visits from the Emperor of Germany and other notables. She several times crossed to the Continent and to France —where, in the pathetic figure of the Comtesse de Pierreponds, aged and decrepit, • few would recognise the once dazzling Empress Eugenie. MR G. B. BULLOCK. (special to "the press.") ■WELLINGTON, July 12. There was widespread regret in shipping and commercial circles here this morning when it was known that Mr George B. Bullock, Dominion superintendent of tho New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd., was dead. On Thursday evening Mr Bullock was seized with a paralytic stroke, and though his friends knew he was seriously ill Uney were pleased to see in this morning's papers that he was much better. He, however, died suddenly thi3 morning. The late Mr Bullock was well known in New Zealand, and especially in Dunedin and Christchurch. He was only iiity-seven years of age, and had been connected with the New Zealand Shipping Company from his youth. Ho joined the company as a clerk at Christchurch in 18»2, and in 1887 was appointed local agent at Timaru. Ho left there in 1896 to become manager at Napier, and three years later was appointed manager for the company at Dunedin. While resident in Dunedin, Mr Bullock became a member of the Otago Harbour Board in January, 1907, and continued in office until his departure from Dunedin seven years later. He was an enthusiastic member of the Dunedin Jockey Club, of which he was a vice-president. In 1914 Mr Bullock assumed the position of manager at . Wellington, and on the retirement of Mr A. W. Bennett, ten months ago, he was appointed Dominion superintendent for the company. He had a first-class knowledge of shipping business, and was an excellent organiser. His friends held him in the highest esteem. During the war he did excellent work on the Overseas Shipping Committee. He was a member also of the National Disputes Committee, established to deal with labour issues, and quite recently he was chairman of the conference between the Government and the railway employees. Flags vrere flown at halfmast to-day in tribute to his memory. Mr Bullock was twice married, his first wife being a sister of Mr William Wood, of Christchurch, and his second wife, who survives him, was Miss Turnbull, a cdusin of Mrs George E. Rhodes ; of Christchurch. By the first marriage ! there was one son, Mr H. W. Bullock, 1 and by the second one daughter. ■

of Representatives, was found dend in bed this morning. Commander Horne was born off Cape Leeuwin, on the v.ay to Australia, 75 years ago. His narents settled in Australia, but the deceased was sent to England later to study for the Navy. lie entered with a "commission, and saw service on various stations, including the Pacifie. It was while doing duty in the Pacific that ho first visited New Zealand. He retired from the Navy in ISSO and settled in New Zealand, marrying; a niece of Sir Maurice Roehefort. Commander Honw was appointed Ser-geaut-at-Arms of tho Hoiue of Representatives in IS3O, and fulfilled these duties till ISS'J, when he retired to take up tho govornorsCiip of a large gaol in Northern New South Wales, a position he held tor some years. On the occasion of his retirement from the Hrnse of Representatives, the House passed a resolution placing on record its sense of the exemplary manner in which he find discharged his duties and devoted himself to the service of the House. Mrs Home having died, Commander Home married an Australian lady, Miss Catherine Jane Moohan, who survives him, and who lives at present at Nelson. His reappointment as tfer-geant-at-Arms took place in 1915.