1939-08-25 — Page 29

THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 25, 1930.

TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE

THE WEIRD WOMAN OF BOURTON

·By VINCENT TOWNE

"Trouble and mystery dwell in houses!"

A young woman of striking appear- ance and pronounced charm made this reply to good house-wives of Bourton, England, who offered her shelter when she bagged at their doors for tea and milk.

Bourton is a village near Bristol. The year was 1776.

Although showing signs of superior breding, she was in dire distress, at times speaking wildly, as if in the first

Women of the Neighbourhood Offered Her Shelter

Which She Refused For Four Years.

stages of mental derangement. After Gloucestershire, and there placed in of Spain replied, asking for further wandering about the neighbourhood a private madhouse. The celebrated particulars, and his letter astounded all day in search of a resting place she Mrs. Hanna Moore took up subscrip- Emperor Joseph, who had written no was overtaken by nightfall and lay tions for her expenses.

After some such request of the Spanish monarch. down under a haystack to sleep. Sev-time her legs became contracted as a The forgery was then traced to a my- eral ladies of the neighbourhood, who result of her years of exposure, and sterious young woman living in great found her, begged her to come to she became pitifully lame. Thereafter luxury at Bordeaux, where she was their houses, but she refused. Believ- she seldom arose from her bed of known as Mlle La Frulen. Being ar- ing her to be insane, the townsfolk straw, where she lay, quiet, stupid and rested, she caused a sensation through took her to St. Peter's Hospital, Bris- harmless, except when efforts were the courts of Europe by relating a tol. But, being released from that in-made to dress her or place her in a strange story whose principal details stitution, she hastened as fast as her comfortable bed. She was finally re-were as follows: shattered strength would allow to her moved, as incurable to Guy's Hospital, As far back as she could remember, favourite haystack, six miles away. Southwark, where Mrs. Hanna Moore she had lived in a desolate house in Without bed or roof she continued to continued to supply her extra wants the open country in Bohemia, under live in this miserable shelter for a until the time of her death on Dec. the protection of two women and a period of four years.

18, 1801.

priest, who had purposely prevented ACCEPTED MILK AND TEA ONLY

DESCRIPTIONS PUBLISHED her learning to read or write. At Although fed and clothed by her Detailed descriptions of "The Lady various intervals she had been visited had neighbours, she would accept from of the Haystack" were published in by a distinguished stranger, who them, by way of food, only milk and the newspapers through the contin- given her his portrait and also that of tea, and only the plainest clothing ent of Europe, but brought no res-two women, one of whom he had told Given anything luxurious ог orna-ponse until nine years after her dis- was her mother. After some years the mental, she would hang it on thecovery near Bristol when a mysterious priest had announced her distinguish- bushes as unworthy of her attention. anonymous pamphlet printed in Frenched visitor's death and had sent her Every morning she walked about the was circulated throughout Europe. It away to a

in France, but village, conversing with the poor child- was entitled "The Stranger-a True while en route to that retreat she had dren, to whom she gave various arti- History", and offered interesting data escaped. After various wanderings in cles presented to her for her own purporting to identify the Lady of the Europe she had been discovered by the

Haystack as a certain woman of mys-Austrian Ambassador to Sweden She spoke with a slightly foreign tery who had in recent years provid- sent to Bordeaux, where she accent, and a man who went to her ed an enigma to the courts of Vienna been placed in charge of a woman haystack to visit her for the purpose and Versailles.

of that city and visited at various of inquiring into her identity spoke to It appeared that a few years pre-intervals by a strange man, who in a her in several continental tonguesviously the King of Spain had receiv-short time presented her with purses without noticeable effect until he re-ed a letter, purporting to be from Em-containing in all £6,250 sterling. Al- sorted to German. Then she broke peror Joseph II. of Austria, asking though this man into tears, being apparently very much him to take under his protection affected by the associations which that young woman whose presence in Aus- tongue conjured up in her memory. tria would cause great grief to his After the four years spent in her mother, the Dowager Empress, be- haystack this remarkable personage cause she was a natural daughter of was removed to Britton, a village of his late father. Francis I. The King

comfort.

PRESIDENT LINER

Sailings

SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES

Via

SHANGHAI, KOBE, YOKOHAMA AND HONOLULU

†8.9. "PRESIDENT CLEVELAND" SAILS AUG. 26th at 12.00 Noon *S.S. "PRESIDENT PIERCE"

"

9.S. "PRESIDENT COOLIDGE"

SEPT. SEPT.

*8.8. "PRESIDENT TAFT"

"

OCT.

18.8. "PRESIDENT CLEVELAND" *8.8. “PRESIDENT PIERCE"

"

OCT. NOV.

9th at 4.00 P.M. 23rd at 9.00 A.M. 7th at *8.00 A.M. 21st at 8.00 A.M. 4th at 8.00 A.M.

* Omits Shanghai..

† Omits Yokohama.

AND FORTNIGHTLY THEREAFTER NEW YORK AND BOSTON VIA SUEZ

$.8. "PRESIDENT HARRISON" S.8. "PRESIDENT HAYES"

SAILS SEPT. 1st at 12.00 Noon SEPT. 14th at 12.00 Noon

AND FORTNIGHTLY THEREAFTER

6.8. "PRESIDENT HARRISON” 8.8. "PRESIDENT PIERCE"

9.5. "PRESIDENT COOLIDGE" 8.8. "PRESIDENT POLK"

MANILA

SAILS SEPT. 1st at 12.00 Noon SEPT. 3rd at 2.00 A.M. 1.00 A.M. SEPT. 29th at 12.00 Noon

"

SEPT. 16th at

✰✰ AMERICAN ✩ ✩

PRESIDENT LINES

44

12, PEDDER ST.

ROUND-WORLD service."

TELEPHONE 28171.

a

convent

and had

to

a

"Page 21

HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI

BANKING CORPORATION,

Authorised Capital

Issued and Fully Paid-up..820,000,000 Reserve Funds:--

Sterling

$50,000,000

£ 0,500,00€

$10,000.00.

.$20,000,00

Hong Kong Currency Re-y

Herve

Reserve Liability, of Pro-

prietors

HEAD OFFIOE: HONG KONG:

DARD OF DIRECTORS: A. L. Shields, Esq. Chairman.

W. H. Lock, Esq.,

Deputy ChairmaD.

Hon. Mr. J. K. Bousfield, O. Miskip, Bag, A. H. Compton, Esq., . 8. Morrison, Esq., Hon. Alt. S. H. Dodwell, Hon. Mr. T. E. Pearom D. F. Landale, Esq., H. V. Wilkinson, Eag

Sir Vandeleur M. Grayburn,

Chiat Manager.

MOY BANGKOK BATAVIA BOMBAY CALOUTTA

CANTON CHEFOO COLOMBO DAINEN FOOCHOW HAIPHONG HAMBURG HANKOW HARBIN HONGKEW

ILOILO IPOH JOHORE KOBE

BRANCHES :-

KOWLOON. KUALA LUMPUR

LONDON LYONG MALAGOA MANILA MUAB (Jokare) MUKDEN

NEW YORK PLIPING PENANG BANGOON SAIGON SAN FRANOI800 SHANGHAI SINGAFORE

BOURABAYA

SUNGEI PATANI SWATOW

TIENTSIN

TOKYO TRINGTAO YOKOHAMA

:

Curront Accounts opened in Local Currebon and Fixed Deposits received for one year 00 shorter periods in Local and other currencies on terms which will be quoted on application.

ALBO up to date SAFE DEPOSIT BOXE in various sizes TO LET.

Hong Kong, 25th February, 1939.

HONG KONG SAVINGS BANK,

on application.

The Business of the above Bank is conducted NGORONG KONG AND BHANGHAI BANE

CORPORATION. Rules may be obtainal

FOR THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHA BANKING CONFORATION,

V. M. GRAYBURN, Chief. Manager.

Hong Kong, si March, 1987.

THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA & CHINA

Incorporated by Royal Charter, ISIS.

of Pro-

£8,000,000, .£8,000,000.

£3,000,000.

had promised

from continue these remittances very mysterious source, his visits sud-Paid-up Capital denly ceased and after a time she Reserve Fund found herself overwhelmed with debt. Reserve Liability

prietors. Of the three portraits given to her by

HEAD OFFICE: LONDON: her protector, that of himself proved

38, Bishopsgate, E. C. 2. to be the likeness of the late Emperor.

Sub-Agencies in London: Francis I. Another was that of the

117/122, Lendenhall Street, E. C. 9 Empress, and the third, represented

West End Branch: to be her mother, was that of a partly

14/16, Cockapur Street, S. W. 1. veiled woman,

Manchester Branch: 52, Mosley Street, Manchester, 2.

According to the pamphleteer who related her strange history, Mile. La Frulen remained as Count Cobenzel's prison for several months. Then he suddenly died and she was conducted by a young officer to Quivṛang, a small town in France. Fifty louis were here placed in her hands and she was "abandoned to her destiny.”

THE BANK OF EAST ASIA, LTD.

Authorised Capital Paid-up Capital Reserve. and Undivided

Profits

$10,000,000.AL 5,598,600.00

2,888,092,01

HEAD OFFICE:—HONG KONG, 10. Des Vœux Boad, Central.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1---

Bón.

Bir Shou-son Chow, Chairman i Ls Roar Chun,

Esq., P. K. Ewok. Eng., Wong Yu Tong, Esq. Chan Ching Bhak, Esq., LA Lar Bang. Esq., Wong Cho Bon, Esq., Kan Ying Pe Esq, and Fung Ping Wah, Bag-

Kan Tong Po, Esq., Chief Manager Li Tse. Foug, Esq., Manager.

Branches And Agencies:-

Amoy Batavia

Manlia

Melbourne

Bombay

Nagsarki

Calcutta

New York

Haiphong

Paris

Bankow Honolulu

Falpins

Bestila Samareng Shanghai Bingapore Bourabaya Swatow

Penang

Bydney

Langoon

Kowloon

Saigon

London

Ban Francisco

Every description

Business transsċied.

sscurities.

Kobe

AGENCIES AND BRANCHES:

Alor Star Amritsar

Bangkok

Batavia

Bombay

Valeutia Agancias? Klang

Clive Streat Fairlie Place Canton

Harbin Hongkong

Prosng

Bangoon

Hollo

Balgon

Ipok Karachi

Seremban Shanghai

Bingapore

Kobe

Sitiawan

Kuala Lumpur

Bourabaya

Kuching

Taiping

Madras

Tientsin

Tongkah

Modan

(Bhukat)

New York

Taingtao

Haiphong Hamburg Hankow

Peiping

Tokohama

(Peking)

Cawnpora

Cabu Colombo Dalki

Manila

-- FCREIGN EXCHANGE and General Banking Business, transected.

CURRENT

ACCOUNTS

opened and · FIXER DEPOSITS received for Одо Year or abortos pariods in Local or Other Currencies si zako which will be quoted on application.

SAVINGS ACCOUNTS also opened in Local Currency and Starling with intareat allowed as ratur obtainable on application.

The Bank's Head Cffe in London undertakes Executor and Trustes business, and claims re- covery of British Income Tax "överpaid, on which may be ascertained as any of the Agatolen and Brandbas.

£. A. CAMIDGE.

Manager.

THE WING ON BANK, LTD.

Head Office: Hong Kong. 26 Des Voeux Road, Central. Authorised Capital $10,000,000 LONDON BANKERS:— Westminster Bank, Ltd. Foreign Exchange and every descrip. tion of banking business transacted.

Current Accounts and Savings Ac counts opened. --Fixed Deposits receiv Qurrant Accounts opened in Lecal Durreared at rates which will be quoted or and Fixed Deposlis received for ons

Tiantain Vancouver

of Banking and Exchang

Loans granted on approva

skorter periods in Local and Foreign Currencies Application. -on terme which will be quoted on application.

Safe Deposit Bazsa Ta Lak.

Trustmankly and Executórship under,

#Deposit Boxes for hire.

taken

KAN TONG. PO,

Chief -Manager: