Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-24
A t SCANDAL.
The EIOpement of a Noted Lady
with Earl Shrewsbury.

Horace Walpole or some other
writer of his kind tells how a lady
of quality" was i~nyeighing against the
Immortality of modern times, and
insisting that no such scandalous pro-
ceedings ever took place in the earlier
days OF the world. To which state
ment another lady ofquality" replied
by asking the very pertinent question:
"And pray, madam, what do you think
Of Mrs. Potiphar and the two Misses
Lott" The scandal at Pharaoh's
court would have been very great had
Mrs. p. persuaded Joseph to elope
with her, and public opinion would
probably have been against her.
Mrs. Mundy, the modern Mrs.
Potiphar of England, has come in for
a full share of denunciation, while
her boyish paramour is more pitied
than aught else. The young Earl Of
Shrewsbury, who is the hero Of the
present scandal, was born in 1860, and
has not yet attained his twenty-frst
birthday. His father died suddenly
in 1877, and the lad, then at Elton,
Viscount Ingestre, succeeded to the
ancient titles and estates Of one of the
greatest Of English families-the re-
nowned Talbots. Every student of
English history knows what a promi-
nent 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 splendid career which lies
before him by beginning life withsuch
a false step. The very Importance Of
his position as an Englishman, and the
influence for good or evil which he
can not fail to exert, have drawn
more than ordinary attention to the
present scandal. The newspapers
here do not touch it, suficiest inAu-
ence having probably been brought
to bear upon the press.
The Earl of Shrewsbury is the pre-
mier earl of England, hereditary
great seneschal of Ireland, from
which unfortunate land he derives
two cities, those Of Earl of Waterford
aud Wexford. He has three sisters,
all happily married, the eldest, Lady
Castlereagh being n Of the most
beautiful women in London, where
her photographs are to be seen in all
the shop windows. His mother was
one of the best and most pious of wo-
men. and brought up her young son
in all the odor of sanctity. But no
sooner did his fathers death free him
from paternal authority than the young
earl began to be talked with connec-
ton with several of the leading pro-
fessional beauties. 1t was said that
he had caused that good man Mr..
Langtry much anxiety, and it is not
very long since a spicy story was told
OF a collision between the Prince OF
Wales and the hero of the hour. 1t
was related that the Prince of Wales
had written to Mrs. Langtry inviting
himself to afternoon tea at her house.
This letter was supposed to have been
m~iscarried, for when the prince ar
rived he found the fair lady in deep
conversation with her youthful admir-
er, who did not seemed inclined to
resign his ~pretensions even in favor OF
royalty. 1t may be added that Lord
Shrewsbury is a slight, lissom youth,
with blue eyes and light brown hair.
With the heroine everything is
quite different. She is not nearly SC
young as Lord Shrewsbury, and she
has been married for eight years. II
was in 1873 that Mr.. Edward Miller
Mundy, then just fresh from Oxford.
led Miss Ellen May Palmer-M orewood
to the altar and entrusted his honor
to her keeping. All went we'll for o
few years and a little girl was born.
But during the past few years rumol
has not altogether spared her good
name, and many curious stories were
ahoat. But no one ever believed that
she would be guilty Of the madness Of
running away with such a boyas Lord
Shrewsbury. When the news became
known all London was aghast and
wondered what would happen next
1t was known that the guilty pair had
fled to Strasburg, and that an assert.
ment of the lady's brothers, of whom
she has five, and the outraged hus-
, band were in pursuit. The absconding
/, wife had left a letter for her husband
and another for a friend which en-.
abled the pursuers to capture the fu.
gitives. Several accounts of what
actually took place are given. Accor.
ding to one, the husband boxed the
young earl's ears, scolded his wife, anC
told her to come home and not make
a fool of herself. But, according tc
another, the brothers set upon Shrews-