The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-11-07
AFALLES STAR.

The following is from the Kan
sas City Times:
The recent arrest of a humble
of poor coal pickers in West Kan
sas City resulted in the discover,
of the identity and the presen'
home of once very popular &C
tress, who made her debut in, ant
for a season drove the play-goins
public of London, wild over he
beauty and power of delineation
Mrs. Caroline Whittlesey. or, Al
she was better known, the 'sBrigh
ton PEARL" appeared on the stag'
In Drury Lane about twenty year!
ago, and after brilliant season o
favor and popularity suddenly
faded from the London stage, ant
for several years was lost to the
public gaze. When next she ap
peared before the footlights it wa;
as Mrs. Whittlesey in the Theatrs
Royal, Hull, Yorkshire.
These brief outlines of this wo
mans remarkable history were
given by herself to a neighbor
who has by his kindness and at
tention TO the child of this gifted
and eccentric woman, a little CIR
of thirteen years, who was caught
by railroad Waterman few days
ago in the act of filing her little
basket with coal from the cars OF
the Missouri Pacific railroad.
Mrs. Whittlesey appeared in be
half of her child, and her calm
lady-like manner, and pale, care.
worn face, was all the eloquence
required to release the little CIR
from the watchman's grasp. This
man, to test the woman's word as
to her poverty and restitution
visited her shanty, rude, unplas-
tered howell in the bottoms neal
the railroad track. The contents
of the home of this once brilliant
woman, is vivid contrast to hel
palatial residence, furnished hel
while the mistress of the late lord
Denbigh. A clean but humble
bed, few chairs, a table, a mum
Der of relics of the stage, such as
play bills, portraits, ETC., and g
sewing machine, comprise all hel
earthly possessions. Although
poor and pinched by poverty this
woman preserves all the dignity Of
a queen Elizabeth, q character she
has no doubt filed 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 6
seamstress. She wears on her fin.
ger handsome ring with the Den
bigh coat of arms engraved there
on. She says when she left the
stage in 1853 she did so to become
the wife of Lord Denbigh, with
whom she went, as his wife, to &c
neva 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, and
for several years was a popular
provincial favorite in England
Australia and Canada.
While in England in 1860 she
married young Englishmar
named Whittlesey, with whom she
lived many happy years in domes.
tic quiet. She says she has been
compelled to send her child tc
gather coal, to assist in ekeing out
the scanty support won by hel
needle.
Among the curious mementoes
of her early life Mrs. Whittlesey
preserves nothing with such care
as a folio of play bills giving hel
"cast'' in plays for several years
in England, Australia and Canada
This lady still retains some trace
of that remarkable dash and beau
ty which made her the favorite
star of the London stage twenty
years ago.