Alexander Wilhelm, Baron von Stael-Holstein who passed away in the German Hospital, Peiping, on Tuesday last, came of a very old family of German lineage, owning large estates in the former Russian province of Esthonia.
He was born, an only son, in 1876, and in his youth went to, the local schools and "then, in his eighteenth year, to the provincial university at Dorpat. Here he first took up. the study of theology, but afterwards, under the influence of one of his teachers, turned his attention to the sluely of Oriental. philology, spect Ay of Sanskrit, For this purpose he continued his studies first at the University of Berlin and later at Bonn, where he took his doctor's degree. During the latter part of his stay at Bonn he became Involved in some duelling affair, and in whence was confined in a fortress, of which incident had many amusing anecdotes to fell, From Bonn he proceeded to Oxford to take "a post-graduate course, and such were" his learned attainments that he was treated there more like a professor than a student.
From here he returned to. Russia and "entered the Ministry Foreign Affairs, and in 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, was trans ferred 0 India where he took. up the post of Vice-Consul at Bombay under' Mz. V. 0. Klemm. who still living in Peiping. During his Journ in India, the classical country of Sanskirt, von Stael-Holstein continued hig philological studies, _attending the university of Bonar where his grip of the subject excited general admiration among his Brahmin fellow-students, He was possessed of the most innate courtesy and tact, with a wonderful facility for "suffering fools gladly" and listening with infinite patience to the other person's view, even if he did not always agree with it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.