Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Police seek beautiful princess in death of Frenchman

October 13, 1928

French police are seeking a beautiful Russian princess, who struggled to escape the influence of drugs, in order to question her regarding the death of a young French artist.  Princess Marie Louise Galitzine now "appears to be entangled in the suspicious death" of Georges Latil," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.
When Latil died on the French Riviera several days ago,  the death appeared to be from natural causes, as the young man was known "to have a weak heart."  The autopsy disclosed, however, that "his death might have been caused by stupifying drugs."  The police decided to follow the French idea of "cherchez le femme," and found that Latil's last girlfriend, Princess Marie Louise Galitzine, had disappeared.
The princess's history is "long and fantastic."  She fled Russia during the revolution,  and settled in Paris, where she tried "to increase her meager income in the theater." But she found no success, and she "sought forgetfulness in the soothing fumes of opium."
Marie Louise's mother sent her to a sanitarium. She was discharged, apparently cured, and had fallen in love with one of the doctors there.  They became engaged.  But then the doctor met an American girl. and, "of course, American women always are fatal to Frenchmen."   The doctor informed Marie Louise that he intended to marry the American girl.  Marie Louise was so distraught that she "returned immediately to the solace of deadly drugs."
Her "interest in life gone," the Princess was briefly involved with a confidence man., until she met Georges Latil.  She was his companion until his "sudden death."  The police, who are searching for her,  know she is in Paris because she "posted a letter today addressed to a newspaper and protesting her innocent in connection with the painter's death."
Princess Alexandra Galitzine, at her home at 34 East Walton Place, told the Tribune that she had heard of Princess Marie Louise, but said she was not "related to her."  Princess Alexandra believes that Marie Louise "was an American girl who married Prince Nicholas Galitzine."  Alexandra said Marie Louise could not be a native Russian, "because Russians do not use a double Christian name such as Marie Louise."

[Prince Boris Galitzine and his wife, Natali Zakjrevsky, were the parents of a daughter, Marie Louise, who was born on August 23, 1902 at Berne.  She married Louis Gomichon les Granges in 1934.]

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