Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-05-26


little difficulty was had in indefinitely postPon-
ing the whole subject
---$sO+S-----
THE legitimate FRuITs or THE ILLEGTTINA1E
DRAYA.-we don't know that actors and thea
trical officials generally, are much worse than
the common run Of people We say we don't
know as they are, but some how they get into
more noisy and disrePutable scrnpes than other
people. Thcy-Lhat is, males and females, are
thrown together in very doubtful sort Of plays
made 10 assume very often anything but mod
est parts or delicate attitudes in those parts, and
it would be strange if there Was not wearing
away of the finer feelings, and aecretiOn Of
what we know as the baser kind The prevail
ing stage costume, which so often goes 10 the
outer edge of decency, is enough to embraZen
the feelings and the faces of much more refined
ladies' and gentlemen than generally start out to
gain living by dramatic presentations Hence
it is that we are not Mt all incredulOus OF the
scandaious affair between two Stars in New
York, which is now the sensation, inasrnuch as
Mathews and Davenport are widely known to
all theatre.goers. Cards and manifestoes from
each of these worthless, concerning their recent
scrnpe are to be found in the New York pa
peers. The last one is from Davenport, explain
ing the reason why he whipped Mathews as he
did. 1t seems TO us that a "raw hiding" was n
Communication Of punishment for such crime,
for which Mr. Mathews has reason to be greatly
thankful. without shamelessly exhibiting himself
before the public in card
From Davenport's card We extract the fol-
lowing:
When Mr.. Mathews came to this country he
was personally unknown 10 me. bad never in
my life done him an injury. While playing
here some short time after his arrival, he form
ed rs he admitted in open court, criminal con-
nection with my wife. With what sincere al
lection had loved that wife, and iOrgstten in
my affection every fault there are hundreds in
this. nv native city, who can testify; and had
then inflicted on him a far heavier chastfsemenI
than he has now received, there are few, think,
who would hold me heavily to blame. Mr..
Mathews had not the excuse OF youth nor mex
perience in such crime. His whole life has
| been to his profession, unhappily, a speaking
shame For the sake Of that profession which
at the time many of the best men in this coun-
try came forward to defend and elevate, | re-
Trained from any action which would lead to
| the exposure of such man, and intiict on 1t
disgrace. I took action for divorce. Mr.
Mathews admitted his guilt have since been
silent Not so Mr.. Mathews. Not satisfied
with the deep injury he had done me, lac stated
publicly in the presence Of several OF my pro-
fession what he virtually admits in his note to
Mr. Stuart, that he had paid me three hundred
| dollars for my wife. l was naturally stnng TO
Indignation Had not been 80, should have
been unworthy of the name of man, and of that
generous support may say regard-which
has always surrounded me in this city. | at
once wrote note to Mr.. Mathews requiring
him to give an immediate contradiction of so
shameful Ealsehood or abide by the conss-
uuences but was deferred from sending it by
my friend and manager, Mr.. Stuart, who stated
he felt assured that Mr. Mathews had never
given utterance to such talsehOod, and who
undertook to write to him for contradiction.
He did So That note written on Wednesday
night, was posted Thursday morning By Nh.
Stuart'S servant; but Mr.. Stuart not receiving
an answer, on Thursday informed me he feared
he might have mistaken the address, given TO
him hastily, and to prevent NIL mistakes sent a
letter with directions TO give 1t into Mr.
Mathews hands, II required no time to give it
a reply contradiction to n shameful falsc
hood was demanded. 4 line would have given
it. 1t was not given. looked on itsnot being
given as an admittance that he had propagate1
the lie met him in the street; asked him If he
had done so, which he, somewhat equivocating-
ly, was forced To admit struck him, and We
were separatcd.- @