Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-11-04
A Once Famous London Actress
Picking Coal in Kansas city.

/
From the Kansas City Times.l
The recent arrest Of number Of poor
coal-pickers in West Kansas City result
ed in the discovery of the identity and
the present home of once very popular
actress, who made her debut in, and for
the season drove the play-going public
Of London wild over her beauty and pow
err of delineation Mrs. Caroline Whit
tlesey, or as she was better known, the
Brighton Pearl, appeared on the stage
in Drury Lane about twenty-five years
ago, and after brilliant season Of favor
and popularity, suddenly faded from tie
London stage, and for several years was
lost to the public gaze. When next she
appeared berore the footlights, it was as
Mrs. Whittlesey, in the Theater Royal,
| Hull, Yorkshire.
These brief outlines of this woman S
remarkable history were given by her
self to neighbor who has by kindness
and attention to the child of this gifted
and eccentric woman--a little girl
of thirteen years, who was caught by
railroad Waterman q few days ago
in the act Of filing her little basket
with coal from the cars of the
Missouri Pacific railroad-won her con-
fidence, Mrs. Whittlesey appeared in
behalf of her child, and her calm and
lady-like manner, and pale, oare-worn
face, we're all the eloquence required TO
release the little girl from the watch
man grasp. This man, to test the NO
mans words as to her poverty and des-
titution, visited her shanty, rude, I'M
plastered howell in the bottoms, near the
railroad track. The contents of the
home of this once brilliant woman are a
vivid contrast to her palatial residence,
furnished her while the mistress of the
late Lord Denbigh. A clean but humble
bed, few chairs, table, a number of
relics of the stage, such as play bills,
portraits, etc., and a sewing machine,
comprise all her earthly possessions.
Although poor and pinched by poverty,
this woman preserves all the dignity of
Queen Elizabeth, a character she has
no doubt illed.to perfection some day,
long, long ago. She came to Kansas
City about FIVE years ago, and has lived |
here, since the death of her husband in |
1870 by her own exertions as a seam
stress. She wears upon her finger a hand
some ring with the Denbigh coat-of-arns
engraved thereon. She says when she |
left the stage in 1853 she did so to be \
come the wife OF Lord pepbigh, with
whom ale vent as his wife, to Geneva,
and thence to Florence, where they lived
in retirement several months. On his
death her claims as his wife were set
aside, and having neither money nor
friends she abandoned her claims and
again returned TO the stage, ana for sew
oral years Was popular provincial
favorite in England, Australia and Can
ada. While in England, in 1850, she
married a young Englshman named
Whittlesey, with whom she lived many
happy years in domestic euie;. She
says she has been soW2elledto send her
child to gather coal to assist in eking
out the seanty support won by her
needle. rc v|IHr LII Hgr- vi
Emong the curious mementoes Of her
early life, Mrs. Whittlesey preserves
nothing with such jealous care as a
folio OF play bills giving her cas-" in
plays for several years in England, Au-
stralia and Canada. This lady still re-
.ains some trace Of that remarkable dash
md beauty which made her the favorite
'tar on the London stage twenty years
lgo. d