The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-02-05
The Count Joannes.

The Count Joannes, who died in New
York lately, was man of little value in
the world, yet one may say with Prince
Hal, when he supposed Falstaf dead, we
"could have betterspared better man.
He was born George Jones in London
GO years ago last March, and began
actor at %, in Boston. where he had his
education. He was a good actor, too,
and married. wife who had good line
on the stage, and together they starred"
through this country and Great Britain
and Ireland with success. Their daugh-
ter Avonia (named after the Avon of
Shakespeare was also an excellent act
ress, married Gustavus Vaughan Brooke,
the tragedian, and died Young. Mr..
Jones was the original "Claude Mel
notte" in this country. He was
somewhat eccentric as an actor, and
started as author with tract to prove
the American ahorigines identical with
the lost tribes of Israel This was
symptom of the obtrusive lunacy that
made the man nuisance for wears,
solely from his love of notoriety. He
was one of Louis Napoleon's friends
during that princes exile in this coun-
try, and after he became emperor he
was made Count Palatine by some
small German prince who had the right
to confer that title. Ever after he
wrote his name "George the Count Jo-
annes, citizen of the United States"
He turned lawyer and made a good liv-
ing at that in Boston and afterward in
New York. He sued a Boston paper
for calling him "soi disant count" and
called Governor Andrew, General Butler
and others for witnesses, making very
amusing plea, asking the jury to
consider how it would sound to call Mr.
Andrew "soi-disant Governor" ETC.
The Count brought so many suits to
sustain his personal dignity that he was
finally put through for barratry, that is,
as common suer of bascless litigation.
He was familiar figure in the New
York lower courts, and among the
stories told of his eccentric appearances
is that of a contested election case being
tried before Judge Brady, who inter
rupted squabble between the two
lawyers by saying "Well, gentlemen
let us go into the merits of the case. l
suppose that all either party desires
is an honest count" At this
point Count Joannes, who was in
the room, arose with his hand upon his
breast, and, bowling low, said "May it
please the Court, ecce homo ~ Three
years ago he made "A starring tour as actor
with IAN adopted daughter Miss Avo
MIA Fairbanks, appearing in this city
one evening, and greeted everywhere
with cabbage bouquets and other such
unsavory marks of distinction. He
made money out OF this trip, and more
of the notoriety that was his life out of
Sothern's personation of The Crushed
Trasedian, in which lie was the
model for "Fitz Altamont He was a
strange looking person in his later years;
he prided himself on his marked re-
sembance to Ex-Governor Hoffman, and
when he first saw Sothern in the above
mentioned part, he turned to that gen
tleman, who stood beside him, and ex-
claimed "lIeavens Hoffman, is that
you, or |, or our third Z" Lately he has
been in a state of harmless dementia,
sitting in New York square and play
ing with the birds and children, like
George Francis Train.-Springield Re
publican.