THE EMPRESS EUGENIE AND A PRETENDED DAUGHTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 212, 7 September 1891, Page 4

THE EMPRESS EUGENIE AND A PRETENDED DAUGHTER.

Widespread symputhy, writes & Paris correspondent, waß elicted in Paris for tue Empress Eugenic, m view of the pecnliarly painful annoyance to which she was exposed by the claim made upon her by a person named Albertine .Uhaussenot This woman (whom I have interviewed) iB employed as cashier in a small restaurant in the Faubourg St. Denis. She makes the sensational allegation that she is a daughter of the Empress and professes to be in possession of certain proofs that ib w»s she who born at the time that t,he young Prince Napoleon came into the" world ; that it was she, and nob the young Prince, who was the child of the Emperor and Empress ; and that the substitution was made because the Emperor, for political reaßons, desired a male child. I was not able to gather very clearly what might be the nature ■of the proofs referred to. Madame Chaussenst has a romantic story to tell of her childhood and of a certain mysterious visitor who, on his death-bed, told her the Empress alone could reveal to her the secret of her birth. She bliowb, ia supposed confirmation of her story, various tattoo marks on her hands and face — a Ton one of her thumbs, and a mark which she imagines to resemble an Imperial crown, on her chin. According to the statement, she has on her body other tattoo marks — an eagle, a T surmounted with an imperial crown and bo ferth — which she declares were made at the timo of her birth to facilitate her recognition by her Imperial mother. T she presumes to stand for Teba, which was the Empress Eugenie's maiden name.

During the Empress Eugenie's stay at the Hotel Continental under the name of Oouutess de Pierrcfonds, Madam© Chaussenot made repeated attempts to Bee her, Thiß ia not the first time that Madame Ohaussenot's absurd claim has been heard of ; for about a year ago, at the time of avisitoftheßmpresß to Paris, the papers published her statement. It is to be hoped that an end will be put to the lady cashier's dreams of greatness. The Empress Eugenic has enough to suffer i» life without being subjected to annoyances of this kind when she pays visits to Paris, whore she was once so happy, and where she is now so sad^ It is fair to Madame Chaussenot to Bay that bL.6 does wot seem at all prompted in this matter by pecuniary interest, but by a desire to kupw the truth about her parentage. She is a fine-looking woman, but, as far as I can judge, does not bear the slightest resemblance to the beautiful Countess de Montijo. A crowd collects every afternoon in the little restaurant iv the Faubourg St. Denis, where, en attendant, Bhe is eraployed. It is crowded with customers of all kinds and classes, curious to see her. Oue might, indeed, fancy the whole story to be but a new form of advertising.