Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1907 — DE RAYLAN THE MYSTERY OF THE CENTURY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DE RAYLAN THE MYSTERY OF THE CENTURY

Not since the time of the puzzling Chevalier d’Eon, in the eighteenth century, has there come to public attention ouch a sex riddle as has been presented in the case of Nicolai de Raylan, who masqueraded eighteen years as a man end was found to be a woman only after her death Ln Phoenix, Arlz,, last December. A diary and a bundle of correspondence, Ln the office of the Chicago public administrator, reveal an amazing story. De Raylan, It appears, was started on her career of deception In an attempt to blackmail her mother, at (Whom she was Incensed because the paternity of the girl was kept a secret De Raylan adopted male attire and tried to prove that she had been masqueraded as a girl by her mother,ln .Violation of the laws of Russia, which provide heavy punishment for such an offense. A feature of the story Is the tact that De Raylan Interested the late 33L Oonstantlnl Petrovitch Pobledonoet«ff, procurator of the holy synod, In her case, and prevailed on him to start ault against her mother. The diary, which covers the period between 1888 and 1892, shows that the teal family name of De Raylan was Taletsky. The first entries depict her as a school girl 15 years old, about to graduate from a seminary at Kiev, Russia. At this time the girl’s mother suddenly acquires wealth to the amount of 250,000 rubles (about $125,000), and Nicolai, the only name by which De Raylan Is known to have been called, discovers that the money has been settled on her parent as trustee by a member of the nobility, to be conserved in the interests of Nicolai. The girl becomes curious as to the reason for the settlement and suspects that the unknown nobleman Is her father, but falls to drag Information on the point from her mother. Then comes the Inspiration that resulted In eighteen years of pseudo-mascullnlty for De Raylan. In Russia the law makes It a crime punishable by Imprisonment for any person to gain entrance for a boy Into a girls’ school and also, under the mill-

tary statutes, makes It a serious crime for a mother to hide the sex of a male child. Young De Raylan, according to the journal, schemed to blackmail her own mother by aid of these laws, and to this end took Into her confidence her French governess, Louise Ratone. Two years were spent tn preparing for the assumption of the male disguise, and in 1891 Louise Ratone wrote to the late M. Pobledonosteff, procurator of the holy synod, telling Ln detail the alleged facts In the case. The churchman Insisted on starting criminal proceeding* against the mother. At his Instance Nicolai swore out a complaint against her mother In Odessa. The woman ya* arrested and preparations started for the trial. This, however, was too swift a proceeding for Nicolai, and, fearing detection, she procured money from Zaney Rosdorhney, a woman living in St Petersburg with whom she had professed to fall In love, and fled to Helslnfors, Finland, leaving a letter for M. Pobledonosteff, telling him that filial devotion prevented her apearance against her mother. The procurator was chagrined, but ordered the officials to proceed with the case. The mother produced evidence that Nicolai was a glrL The procurator was enraged. From Helslnfors Nicolai soon fled to Antwerp, Belgium, changing her name to Nicolai KonstahtlnevltCh. At Atwerp a banker, M. Glttena, sent her to the United States. Arrived In Chicago, Nicolai was presented to Charles Henrotin, Belgian consul, whp Introduced her to the Russian consul, and, after taking out naturalization papers, Nicolai eventually became secretary to Baron Schllppenbach, Russian consul. The life of De Raylan In Chicago was disclosed after her death In Phoenix. She smoked and drank hard, used profane language and traveled with a rapid set of young men. She married her first "wife” when 20 years old. Nine years later, the “wife” obtained a divorce, and then married Francis P. Bradchulls, De Raylan’s business partner. Nicolai at once went to New York and married Anna Davidson, an actress, who brought suit to get possession of the estate after De Raykm’i death and sought to establish that D« Raylan was a man. Letters discovered in the strong wooden chest In which the dairy was found Indicate that Mrs Anna De Raylan knew lift secret