New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-28
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
A Popular Comedian sued for Divorce by
His HistriOnic Wife.
From the Chicago Republican. ]


A popular comedian, who has drawn large
houses at Aiken's Museum and other places
Of amusement in Chicago, and other West
eru cities, entered yesterday upon the two
new roles-that of Tin, Murphy at the
Globe Theatre, and that OF a divorce suit
dependant il the Superior Court-The re-
suits of which protean assumption remain
to be seen.
Among other stage illusions, people who
have never been behind the scenes are apt
to imagine that the joker whose sallies and
by-play, before the toOtlights, furnish them
with such q fund of amusement must be a
genial fellow in private life; but this is no
more a certainty than that the charming
danseuse. whose graceful figure and airy
movements captivate the spectator, will
not turn out, when her stage paint and
spangles are stripped Oft, and she comes
forth into the eight Of common day. to be
place, haggard, anu, possibly,
wrinkled old woman.
ILLUSIONS OF LOVE.
We have all heard OF the great comedian
who went to consulta physician in regard to
a morbid melancholy that oppressed him,
and who was advised to go and hear Lis
ton. and have a good laugh" as the best
medicine he could take "Ah but" said the
sufferer, :" that is out of the question, for
am Liston myself" Perhaps it was some
hallucination of this sort that came over the
mind of Idilla Marvin in the spring Of last
bride of John Maryin-better and more ex.
tensively Known to the theatrical world by
the name of John Dillon.
MAY AND MATRIMONY.
90 In the spring young mans fancy light.
Nv turns to thoughts of love-" sings the poet
of % Lockslcy HAIL." and in May, 1869, John
Dillon, having for the moment ''sworn off u
from benzine forty-rod, and similar exhila-
rating drinks, beguiled his spare hours by
paying court to Idilla, who doubtless drew
an idyllic picture in her own fancy OF the
domestic bliss that awaited her as the bride
of John. On the 18th of May, last year
| they were united in the bonds of holy mat
rimony, and for week or two, "all went
| merry as a marriage bell"
RETURNING TO HIS FIRST LOVE.
But Johns infrmity returned as soon as
| the excitement Of his new mode OF life wore
| off. and in three months from the date Of
| their marriage he was again worshiping al
| the shrine OF Bacchus, under whose inspira
| ton he has said and done some of his mos
| excruciatingly funny things on the Chicago
stage. His performances at home, however
| called up tears instead of smiles into tho
| blooming face of Idilla. She says ht
would relax his overweight mental power:
| by beating. striking, checking, and kicking
| her." and exercise his elastic vocabulary il
| addressing to her all SORTS of abusive ant
| indecent language.
| . EASY CONE, EASY GO.
| Although by his professional talents h
could earn over $4,000 year, he was in thu
habit of squandering all his means in dissi
| patton, and even pawned some of he
| clothes to raise money for more whisky
| In June last he deserted her, and has neve
| contributed anything to her support since
| so now she brings her bill of divorce ant
alimony, charging John with habitua
| drunkenness, extreme and repeated cruelt.
and discretionary one Of which crimes
| sufficient in Chicago to unite the marriag
bond between them.
| THE WIFE.
| Idilla is herself an actress of the chamber
maid order, and almost nightly helps to I'll
up a cast at the Museum. 1t is possible
| that, if John determines to fight che suit
he may drum up material for a cross bill: