A CURIOUS STORY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1334, 16 March 1887, Page 5

A CURIOUS STORY.

The Paris correspondent of the New York "Times" says in a cablegram dated January 15th, that in a few days the story of Caroline Watkins, who claims to be the mother of a natural child of the late Prince Imperial, will be made public. The story has gained so much credibility that the Empress Eugenic hsra telegraphed to the Due de Mouchy to make strict inquiry. What gave weight to the story is that no money is demanded or apparently desired, and the effort has been continuous to hide the ohild. The mother ia a schoolmistress in Australia. Her documents are in the hands of Mr Reynolds, an English solicitor here, and consist of two letters and two telegrams, the former unmist .kably in the Pinctf's handwriting ; but they refer only to trifling questions and appointments. The girl claims she met the Prince in a railway train in England in October 1877. She did not really know Walter Louis was the Prince till after his death. Though his resemblance to the Prince's photograph's attracted her attention, when Bhe spoke of it he dispelled her suspicion. The letter closes : " I have no desire for money or support from the Imperial family. I have only s«en the Empress once : that was at Chiaelhurss soon after his death. My only 'wish is to support my own child and bring him up in France. He shall never trade upon his origin. I wish him to be a plain, obscure French citizen. I have often heard his father say that he wished he were a carpenter, or anything toilsome. My only object in making this s'atement on oath is that it would be unfair to the possibilities of my boy's life not to do it. The boy is said to be the image of his reputed sire, and there are sundry strong influences in the shadow behind him. The story gets a good deal of credence.