The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-24
A BRITISH SCANDAL.
The Elopement OF a Noted Lady With Earl
Shrewsbury.
From a London Letter

Horace Walpole, or some other writer of
his kind tells how lady of quality" was
inveighing against the immortality of mod
ern times and insisting that no such scan
dalous proceedings ever took place in the
earlier days of the world. To which state
ment another ..lady of quality" replied by
asking the very pertinent question:
And pray, madam, what do you think
of Mrs Potiphar and the two Misses
Lot?'
The scandal at Pharaoh's court would
have been very great had Mrs. P. persuad-
ed Joseph to elope with her. and public
opinion w4uld probably been against her
Mrs. Mundy, the modern Mrs. Potiphar
of England, has come in for full share
of denunciation, while her boyish para
mour is more pitied than aught else. The
young earl of Shrewsbury, who is the
hero of the present scandal, was
born in 1850, and has not yet at
tanned his twenty-frst birthday His
father died suddenly in 1877, and the
lad, then at Eton, Viscount Ingestre, sue
ceeded to the ancient titles and estates as
the head of one of the greatest of English
families-the renowned Talbots. Every
student of English history knows what a
prominent part this great family played in
days gone by, and will regret that the
young man, born with such a golden spoon
in his mouth, should try to mar the splen-
did career which lies before him by begin
ming life with such false step. The very
Importance of his position as an English
man, and the influence for good or evil
which he cannot fail to exert, have drawn
more than ordinary attention to the pres
ent scandal. The newspapers here do not
touch it, sufficient influence having prob
ably been brought to bear upon the sub
jeet
The earl of Shrewsbury is the premier
earl of England, hereditary great senechal
of Ireland. from which unfortunate land he
derives two titles, those of earl of Water
ford and Wexford. He has three sisters,
all happily married, the eldest, LadyCastle-
reagh, being one of the most beautiful wom-
en- in Lonkon, where her photographs are
to be seen in all the shop windows. His
mother was one of the best and most pious
of women, and brought up her young son
in all the odor of sanctity. But no sooner
did his fathers death free him from pater-
nal authority than the young earl began to
be talked of in connection with several of
| the leading professional beauties. 1t was
said that he had caused that good man Mr..
Langtry, much anxiety and it is not very
spicy story was told of a collision between
hour 1t was related that the prince of
Wales had written to Mrs Langtry, invit-
ing himself to afternoon tea at her house.
| The letter was supposed to have miscarried
for when the prince arrived he found the
fair lady in deep conversation with her
youthful admirer, who did not seem inclin-
ed to resign his pretensions even in favor
of royalty. It may be added that Lord
Shrewsbury is slight, 1issome youth with
blue eyes and light brown hair,
With the heroine everything is quite diff
ferent. She is not nearly so young as Lord
Shrewsbury, and she has been married for
eight years. 1t was in 1878 that Mr.. Edward
Miller Mundy, then just fresh from Ok
ford, led Miss Ellen May Palmer-More-
wood to his keeping. All went well for q
few years, and little girl was born. But
during the past few years rumor has not
altogether spared her good name, and
many curious stories were af1oat. But no
one ever believed that she would be guilty
of the madness of running away with such
a boy as Lord Shrewsbury. When the
news became known all London was
aghast and wondered what would happen
next. 1t was known that an assortment of
the lady's brothers, of whom she has FIVE
and the outraged husband were in persdit-
The absconded wife had left letter for
her husband and another for a friend
which enabled the pursuers to capture the
fugitives. Several accounts of what actually
took place are given. According to one, the
husband boxed the young earl's ears,
scolded his wife and told her to come home
and not make a fool Of herself. But, ac-
cording to another, the brothers set upon
Shrewsbury, and thrashed him soundly.