Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-11
Forly-three and Eigh,y-four.


NEW YoRK-A DARING WIDOW CAP
TUREs THE VENERABLE THOMAS LORD
AND HIS THREE MILLIONs-A SECRET
WEDDING BY THE CATHOLIC CARDINAL
NC CLOsKEY-ATT EMPT OF tn
aRooM's CHILDREN TO HAVE HIM DE-
CLARED A LUNATIC,
&C, &C., &C.
The wealthy Thomas Lord, OF New
York, is eigLty-four years Of age, five feet,
ten inches high, and weighs about two
hundred pounds. His property is esti-
mated at IS 100000. He is decrepid, and
SO iifirm that he cannot walk without as
sistance. though he Indignantly rejects it
when offered. He has been a widower for
ten years and resided in West Seventeenth
street with his two single daughters. He
has four sons. For some months he has
been sending goo deal of money to Eu-
rope. his sons suspt citing it was sent to a
dasllBg widow nan ed Hicks, who has been
assocatng with tls:. nobility over in Eng
land and France. La ely she returned to
tins country, and Mr.. Lord, whose mind
as well rs his body is represented as in
liim, commenced visiting her daily, v hich
gave alarm to his SONS, who began making
arrangeu. ents to have him declared by law
incapable of attending to his property. A
Few days ago the widow and Mr.. Lord re-
paired to the residence OF Cardinal Nc
Closkey, and were married, and then to
Rev DR.. Van Kleeter, rector Of Christ's
Episcopal Church. who again Performed
the ceremony. The lady then took him
back to her own house, where the happy
couple lave been secreted ever since, to
avoid the legal proceedings, which have
been begun by the groom's family. We
gather the following particulars of this ex
traordinary marriage from the New York
papers:
THE BRIDE.
The lady is described as tall and hand
some, showing very few evidences of hav-
| ing lived forty-three years, the last twenty
! of which she has passed in almost continu-
| ed gayety in this city and Europe.
Of Mrs. Lords early life little is accu-
rately known. 1t is stated that she is q
native of Fishkill, Of good family, and that
when she was young her great beauty and
spirit attracted the admiration OF a
! wealthy old gentleman named Thomas
| Hicks, who eslded in this city. He mar
ried her and brought her to New York.
where she Immediately entered fashionable
| life. and very soon surpassed all COMPETE
tors in elegance of manner and dress, and
in skill in arranging social entertainments
She went to Europe and there attracted a
great deal of attention. Her tastes were
very expensive, and her husband becoming
| Temporarily embarrassed, she was compell-
ed for brief period to reduce her expen-
ditures. Mr.. Hicks died shortly after this
] event, leaving her the possessOr of a large
quantity of real estate, most of which was
situated in Toledo, Ohio. Her income now
becoming greatly augmented and amount
ing to $4,000 year, she resumed giving en-
tertainmentS on grand scale at her house,
No. 10 West Fourteenth street. Here Mr..
Lord first met her. About four years ago
Mrs. Hicks went to Europe. Having let
tiers of introduction to members of the
British nobility from friends in this city,
she was welcomed in London, and from
thence she went to Paris. At the time of
the Ecumeilical Council Mrs Hicks went
to Rome. There she was welcomed by
several American Catholic ladies, among
| whom were the benevolent Mrs. Peters, of
Cincinnati; Miss Polk, the sister of ex-
President James; K. Polk, and Miss Car
to the members of the Catholic hierarchy
and she devoted herself to entertaining
them. Mgr. Capel was then in Rome, and
his lectures were attended by all society
people. Mrs. Hicks went with her ftiends
to hear him, and was introduced to the
eloquent divine. She invited him to her
receptions, and he attended them with his
noble convert, the Marquis OF Butte. Mgr.
Chatard. president of the American Col
lege IN Rome. was also one OF her guests,
and she gave special entertainment to the
American hierarchy, among whom Arch
bishop McCloskey, and Bishop McGill, OF
Richmond, Va, became her particular
friends. Mrs. Hicks conversed REPEATEDLY
with these divineS ana Mgr. Capel, and,
being overcome by their arguments, she
entered the Catholic Church. Mgr. Capel
and Bishop McGill were her sponsors.
Persons who are acqua inted with Mrs.
Hick' s cal eer abroad say that she was nc
ted for always having in her train some
needy member of the nobility, whose ex-
penses she paid in return for the social
countenance thus supposed to be afforded
her. On her visit 10 Paris last summer, she
was accompanied by the Dowager Duchess
of st. Adams.
According to current report, Mrs Hicks
was recently engaged to Lord Lennox.
The match, it is said, was broken off be-
cause his lore ship refused to give up left
handed connection with another lady, who
had not, like Mrs. Hicks, been presented
to the Queen.
Among the bits of gossip which are
floating about is one to the effect that the
late widow one time had her eye ON the
Hon. George Bancroft, United States
Minister to Berlin. 1t is said that she
frequently solicited the pleasure of Mr..
Bancroft's company in horseback rides in
| Central Park. offers which the wary diplo-
mat courteOusly declined.
In Lord Houghton's recent visit to
| America, Mrs. Hicks entertained him in
grand style at her house in West Four
| teenth st, The qne1aas at one of the dinner
parties given in his honor was printed on
| elegant Sheets of white satin, at cost of
| SIS apiece.
| It has Aeen reported that she was engag-
| ed to various British noblemen, and when
Gen. Robert c. Schenck was Minister at
the Court of St. James it was stated on
apparently good authority that he would
bring her to America as his bride, In
Paris she repeated the success she had at
tanned in London. and she travelled fire.
quently between the two cities. The last
reception she gave in the British capital
Was in the middle OF last October. Gen.
] Grant was then her principal guest, and
| among the party assembled to greet him
were representatives of the highest society
Of Great Britain. Shortly after that festi-
val Mrs. Hicks made arrangements to re-
| turn to this city, and arris ed here about
| November 18th.
She has often excited attention along
| Fifth avenue where she has appeared on
| horseback in brilliant riding habit, follow
| ed by IA groom in livery. For the past few
years she has lived in style in London,
and entertained on grand scale. She was
a frequent att endant at fox hunts given
by the British nobility, and made many
friends by her dashing way.
THE GROOM.
The relatives of the bridegroom are ex-