Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1910 — WOMAN'S STRANGE BEQUEST. [ARTICLE]

WOMAN'S STRANGE BEQUEST.

An All-White Funeral and Chopln'a March Fifty-Seven Times. The Vkomtesse de Vaugelet, who has just died at the age of 77, left the bulk of her fortune, estimated at SIOO,OOO, various minor legacies being deducted, to the town of Riom on certain curious conditions, which were all, or nearly all, complied with, a Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paris letter says. She insisted on an entirely white funeral, with white trappings, white flowers and white horses. No white horses were discoverable ,in the country, but in other respects her wishes were obeyed. The late vicomtesse seems to have been particularly musical, for she bequeathed S2OO to the local band on condition it played Chopin’s “Funeral March” continually during the obsequies all the way from the house to the church and from the church to the graveyard, a distance of sixteen mlies.X The result was that the band played Chopin’s “Funeral March” fiftyseven times and then retired almost inanimate to a villagte inn, where a portion of the S2OO was consumed in drinks. Mme. de Vaugelet also left $6,000 to the French academy, to be bestowed “upon a child aged between 5 and 15 years having shown peculiar distinction in music.” There seems to be no time limit for the discovery of the requisite prodigy by the academy. Finally the residue of the vlcomtesse’s fortune goes to the town of Riom, owing, it seems, to the stubborn disinterestedness of M. elements!, former minister of the colonies, whom for years she Implored to be her heir. - As he persistently refused, she appointed him only her executor and the town of Riom her residuary legatee.