The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-11 00:00:00

SAD SUICIDE OF AN A. TRESS.

While in Germany last year (says a Paris correspondent)
I had occasion dunng a short sojourn at Brunswick to
attend several performances at the Court Theatre, the
leading actress, Mlle. Stein, a pretty and graceful young
woman, deservedly enjoying a reputation of being one of
the best comediennes on the German stage. A communi-
cation I have received from Ems informs me that Mdlle.
Stein has committed suicide there under rather singular
sircumstences. She had gone there to give a segiea of
performancea, at the Kurhituatheater, the manager, Herr
Neumann, desiring to make his establishment as attractive
as possible during the stay of the Emperor of Russia.
Mdlle. Stein arrived at Ems about 10 days age, drbwing
therein the principal part of Wildbracrra " Zugendliebe "
Her surcess was complete. On the morning of her death
she had rehearsed
.her rd. in • piece by Muter, entitled
"Die Versucherin, " and it had been arranged that in the
afternoon she should rehearse another work by the same
author. As she did not appear at the theatre the
manager sent to her residence. Her emissary was
informed that Mdlle. Stein had gone for a walk in the
wood. As she did not return home in the evening it was
feared she had last her way. A search was organised. and
eventually her corpse was found. To carry out her fatal
project she had chosen one of the most romantic and
picturesque sites of the environs of Elms; she had laid
her plaid shawl on the grass, and had thrown lier-elf
, upon it, her face turned towards the Matilalserg
Her parasol was by her side, and in her right hand she
held a six-chambered revolver, with one bullet of which
she had shot herself in the heart. fn the other hand she
grasped Goethe's famous work, " Willaelni Meister's
Lehriahrr," a orrgi.e.wimaicAl, marking the page where
she had left off reading. The final passages perused were
those which describe how the arrival of Theresa,
betrothed, causes the death of Mignon. It
would appear that Mdlle. Stele was betrothed to a young
nobleman, the Oral von 11., who was 'possessed of very
slender means On the morning of her ,leath Mdlle.
Stein had received a letter stating that Herr von 8., who
was stopping at Hanover, had just been betrothed to a
cousin, whose father possessed a large fortune. The
prospect of acquiring the opulence which his social
position in a 'immure necessitated had, said the letter,
induced the young Graf to cancel his former promises
and to seek an alliance with his wealthy Cousin. This
letter produced a terrible effect on the unfortunate
actress. After reading it she ;it once left the house, and
having formed the project of committing suicide, at
once put it into esmution. The most terrible circum-
stem.° in connection with the whole affair is that the letter
in question was simply a hoax. Graf. von IL hail never
Likud for his cumin a hand, and had never ceased to be
true to the poor girl whose despair drove her to this
desperate act. His uncle had promised to obtain for him
an official post of iinportance, and he was stopping with
bin; daily awaiting a reply to the application which had
been made to the authorities at Berlin. The store is a ..a4
one. I knew Mlle. Stein personally, sod was very
shocked to hear of her untimely end. Irons a theatrical
point of view, her career prllllllllod to be a brilliant one.
lly her de.th the German stage loses an actress of great
talent and dramatic power.