Matagorda County TXGenWeb
Picking up from last week’s history page story on the Countess and Count of Matagorda...
est daughter of the Genitises.
They came with two or three cars of household goods, a large automobile and three or four motor boats, contemplating a happy home on a farm, or “estate” as the Chicago paper had printed it in writing up the conclusion of a romance in which the aged Count had wedded the handsome girl of 16.
But the farm on the Bay A few miles above Matagorda, which the Count had purchased from Mr. J.T. Bird of Bay City, proved a disappointment to the family, and they stopped in Matagorda, occupying first the old Braman home, and then the cottage fronting the bay next to the home of J. Morgan Smith.
Here the writer met them Jan. 1st. The Count received him with all the grace and courtesy any noble could command, and after the business which carried us there was transacted, the Count entertained us with his experiences and his studies along scientific lines which were interesting to say the least.
Among others things he expected to soon be able to control electric storms. In reply to some inquiry about his nativity, he said that some 76 years ago his father, who was a Portuguese nobleman came to this country and married a young lady of the Carroll family, descendant of the Carrolls who founded Maryland. They went to the old country, spent a year in Europe, and were enroute to the United States, his mother being every desirous that he should be born on American soil, and that event occurred on the steamer just out of New Orleans. He was reared about Baltimore after the death of his father, and the last dozen years or so has been living in upper Michigan, where he was when a year ago he subscribed for the News and Farmer, a few months prior to their coming to Texas.
The count admitted to the writer that there were differences between him and his father-in-law; the parental couple wanted to go to California, and he wanted to remain here. However he advertised in the NEWS-FARMER in December his car and boats for sale, and probably would have tried to gratify the parents of his wife.
The Countess is a very attractive young woman, and, while loving her parents, of course, seemed to follow the biblical injunction to “cling unto her husband,” for it was evident that she was very fond of her husband, although nearly five times her age, 74 years.
In his conversation with the writer the Count made no pretense of wealth, but said that he had a title in Portugal if he ever cared to go after it, and had income from some property there which afforded him a modest living.
He is highly educated, accomplished, and courteous and kindly in his bearing, impressing one with the truth of all he claims for himself. Of course at his age he has lost much of the style and ambition of former more vigorous years, but is yet, with all the adversities, a gentleman.
Mr. and Mrs. Genetis, the deceased, were about 50 years of age, natives of Russia. Mr. Genetis being yet unable to talk English, they must not have been very long in this country, although the daughter had a very good use of the English.
Peace to the ashes of the dead and our sympathies to the living.
After the two deaths, and the effort to shoot the Count, the old gentleman under a high state of excitement became hysterical to the extent of a mad man and declared he would cut out the heart of the dead man and made toward the corpse with his knife, but was restrained, and the body of Mr. Genetis moved down town. The old gentleman was in his normal condition of mind this morning.
Later report is to the effect that the immediate cause of the tragedy was a quarrel starting with Mr. Genetis’ objection to his wife and daughter going to church on Sunday—Mr. Genetis having strenuously objected.
The Matagorda County News and Midcoast Farmer, Bay City, March 7, 1916
The Count to Live in Matagorda
The NEWS-FARMER is in receipt of a very grateful acknowledgment from Count S. C. Braganza de la Carola, expressing his appreciation of our full and accurate report of the Matagorda tragedy, “the spirit which permeated your presentation of the dare, foul tragedy enacted in my household: which he characterizes as “a deep, dark stain upon the fair name of honest and proud Matagorda,” and he adds feelingly “among whose generous-hearted, quiet people I am proud to say that I intend living to the end of my days.”—The Matagorda County News and Midcoast Farmer, Bay City, Mar 14, 1916
Baby Girl Was Shot
Matagorda Man Believed to Have Wounded Daughter Accidentally.
Matagorda, Texas, March 14.—When P. K. Ginetis last Monday a week ago shot and killed his wife he also shot his infant daughter, according to a belief expressed this afternoon by an older daughter, the Countess Ludvicka Carranza de la Corrolla.
The countess said that this morning she was bathing her young sister when she discovered a flesh wound made by a bullet, and which is assigned as the cause of constant fretting by the little one during this past week. Previously it was thought the child’s restlessness was due to the absence of its mother. No shots have been fired in the presence of the child since the death of its mother.—Matagorda County Tribune, March 17, 1916
Bride’s Dream of Gilded Happiness Ends in Shocking Family Tragedy
Staff Special to The Citizen Press
Matagorda, Texas, March 21—When Ludvicka Ginetis’ father married her to a Spanish count last summer, a count with a wonderful ranch in Texas and more money than Ludvicka ever dreamed of, the “little Ginetis girl,” as neighbors called her, saw herself on the road to happiness.
Today the 16-year-old bride sits in her luxurious boudoir at the Rancho de Coralla with tragedy her only companion. Her father and mother have just been buried. Her father murdered her mother and killed himself. The Spanish count is still alive, but he narrowly escaped death at the hands of her father-in-law.
The girl bride of aged Count Sebastian Braganza de Coralla, came to Texas from Chicago, last summer, after the strangest wooing that ever won a bride. She was practically sold to the count. Her father, a janitor, advertised in Chicago newspapers that his daughter, 16, “wants a good, wealthy husband.”
The “ad” set forth that the girl and her mother would parade the beach each night at 5, for inspection. Count de Coralla, 60, distinguished in appearance came to woo her. His title was genuine, his Texas ranch was real. Ludvicka was given to him as his bride.
Ludvicka knew nothing of love dreams. To go to Texas, have plenty of money to give her father and mother luxury—that spelled happiness for her.
But the former janitor, having no occupation, became quarrelsome. His new luxuries brought little contentment. In a family quarrel he killed his wife, tried to kill his son-in-law and ended his own life.
The girl bride escaped him, but her dream of what wealth can bring is shattered.—Jackson Citizen Patriot, March 21, 1916
Needless to say, the entire tale from the arrival through the tragic shootings and beyond was bantered about among the residents of Matagorda for years to come. The “end of the story” that follows is partially taken from the recollections Matagorda’s citizens.
The townspeople sensed the family was in financial distress and Ludvika, only 16, now had charge of Johnny, age 12, Victoria, age four, and Rose, age one. Some of the women in Matagorda arranged for Victoria and Rose to enter the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco where they remained until they grew up. Rose attended Baylor University. They moved to California, married and lived out their lives there.
The small house on Big Hill Road was repaired and the landlord was notified the family no longer needed the house in town. The family, now only three, began life in the small house.
After the tragedy, due to the count’s dwindling fortune, Ludvika obtained a job at the box factory in Matagorda making use of the bookkeeping skills she had learned. She had a son on May 1, 1919 and the rumors began that the child did not belong to the count. He was named Edward Carroll Hill. When Count Corolla found out about the pregnancy, he left Matagorda leaving behind many of his worldly “treasures.” Ludvika and Johnny told everyone she and Count Corolla had divorced.
The manager of the box factory, George Edward Hill, moved his family to Wharton County where his wife, Pearl, had a daughter on June 14th. Pearl died Nov. 1, 1919.
By January 1, 1920 the census entry revealed, Ludvika Corolla was still living in Matagorda with her son, Edward Carroll and George Hill’s children, Nellie, Mignon and Pearl. Hill was living and working in Wharton County with his son, Herman, and Ludvika’s brother, Johnny Ginetis.
The Hill family history recorded George and Ludvika as marrying in 1920. They had two more sons, Daniel Alexander Hill in 1921, and Benjamin Luther Hill in 1923.
On January 24, 1927, Edward was convicted of possession liquor for sale and even though he pled not guilty, he was sentenced to one year in the Imperial Unit in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County. His sentence was to last until January 25, 1928, but he was still in prison at the time of the 1930 census on April 1st.
He later moved to Louisiana where he married a third time and had two additional children. He died at age 91, on November 15, 1968 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana and was buried at Alexandria Memorial Gardens.
Ludvika Hill was living in Houston on April 1, 1930 with her three sons, Edward, Daniel and Benjamin. The census record indicated she was divorced.
By 1938, Ludvika had moved to Los Angeles where her younger sisters were living.
She died, at age 39, on August 16, 1939 in Los Angeles and the death certificate revealed her birth date was Nov. 7, 1899.
She was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California where Charlie Siringo was buried.
At the time of the census on April 1, 1940, Ludvika’s three sons, ages 20, 18 and 16 were living alone in Houston.
Her brother, John Peter, lived with his wife and daughter in Orange, Texas and died in 1993.
Before his marriage to Ludvika, Count Corolla, according to some Matagorda reminiscences, used $2000 from a $10,000 inheritance to secure his care in his old age. The money was given to the Soldiers and Sailors Home in Quincy, Illinois.
He was told he could enter the home at age 75 and would receive care for the remainder of his life. By the time he left Matagorda, he was old enough to enter the home.
When the census was enumerated on January 1, 1920, Count Corolla was living at the Soldiers and Sailors Home.
He was listed as married. His Civil War service made him eligible to live at the home. He had served with the New York Cavalry in Company L, 4th Cavalry and Company L, 9th Cavalry.
He apparently lived at the home until his death on February 18, 1929. He was buried in the Soldiers and Sailors Home Cemetery which was later known as Sunset Cemetery.
At age 15, Ludvika Ginetis had a romanticized idea of how she wanted to live her life. One newspaper quoted her as saying when the marriage took place that she was, “happy and expected to remain so,” but her life didn’t turn out at all as she had hoped.
For more information, visit http://www.usgenwebsites.org/TXMatagorda/family_ginetis.htm