The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-06
The Benicia Boys Wife.
ON the New York Tribune, March "A.


This lady, who has been of late the sub.
ject of more newspaper speculation than
commonly falls to the lot of unprotected wo-
men, has been playing an engagement this
week at the Bowery Theatre, where her ap.
pearance has created an unusual and not
unfattering sensation. Though at present
captivating the nation as an actress, that is
but one of many vocations Mrs. Heenan has
followed. Her life has been one of exciting
adventure, if we may believe biography Of
her now in course of publication in a city
newspaper. She has been at various times
a dancer, a hunter, a singer, an editor, and
an actress bat if she possesses one talent
more prominently developed than the rest,
it is, perhaps, a capability for captivation,
marriage, and divorce. Starting in life with
the maiden cognomen of Campbell, she has
since, by various marriages, acquired the
names McA--, Kneass, Menken, and
Heenan. She speaks French, Spanish and
English can ride, hunt, shoot, dance, sing,
and act; has been taken prisoner by Indians;
has learned the art of war from General
Harvey while the Benicia Boy has put her
up to the manly act of self-defence and the
tactics of the ring, previous to which in
struction she used to settle her little affairs
in an of-hand, amiable way, with the
genuine horsewhip, as we learn from the
biographical sketch aforementioned.
She was once elected, or appointed to, or
ip some way achieved the honorable title OF
Captain in some western military com.
pany, and in her starring engagements in
Peoria, and other metropolitan cities of the
great west, she has generally been advertised
as " Captain Adah Isaacs Menken." Since
her alliance with the juvenile of Benicia, the
military prefix has been discarded. Mrs.
Heenan is also poetess, and her effusions
have appeared in these columns. The mating
of p0etess to prize>fghter is something
perhaps little out the common order, and
must, we suppose, be put into the intermir
nable list of the Eccentricities of Genius. u
We need say no more of the former career
of the lady who challenges our present con-
sideration to show the reader that her life
has been most interesting one-our more
immediate business is with her powers as an
actress in which capacity she is at present
winning new laurels, and delighting the
pecuniary sensibilities Of the manager of the
Old Bowry Theatre.
Mrs. Heenan is an actress of versatility.
She attempts characters demanding qualif-
cations most opposite to each other, and
does them all acceptably. In the more
dashing and sprightly parts she sometimes
rises to an unexpected pitch of excellence
Her voice is good, being musical and under
good control, and her varied accomplish
ments enable her to undertake and accom-.
plish more than is usually done by actresses
performing the same line of business. AL
together, she has every reason to be pleased
and satisfied with the impression she has
made on her audiences, which is most
agreeable one.
In appearance Mrs. Heenan is a snowy,
handsome woman, being tall and graceful
with face not easily forgotten. Her eyes
are very dark; her hair is glossy and extra
ordinarily luxuriant, and she dresses it in a
style peculiar to herself, and which adds still
more to her striking appearance.