New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-01
DE MORNY'S VICTIM.
THE Suicide OF MILE. FEYGHINE.


suicide Those who were intimately acquainted
with the young and lovely Russian actress are not
astonished, however shocked, at her melancholy
end. She had an Unbalanced mind, and for every
real OF imaginary i'll she was in the habit OF regard
ing suicide as n final remedy She spoke oil IL as
many speak of their favorite quack medicines
MRe. Fcyghne looked at once an angel aud
savage Her eyes were perfectly heavenly uhth u
half-mad spirit cleaned suddenly out through
them. She was very fair, and had form Oh
statuesque beauty. There was not better eques-
trian or fencer. perhaps. In Europe. Her ecceh-
tricity was partly natural and TO some eAVen'
affected. She knew that one of her charms was
pecuiaritv and therefore strove to remain uhpke
everyone else. It was her misfortune TO lose her
mother carly and to be utterly neglected by her
father. who let her grow up like wnd creature
She was quite iilterate at the age OF fifteen wheh
she began to give herself Kind OF an educatioh'
Her chief study tragedy. AS shc llVed I'D tlo
country her dramatic readings excited her uran
oyermuch She heard of Sarah Bernhardts first
English tour and its success, and was hred WIN
emulation. The father, on hearing she wanted 70
be an actress opposed her vocation. threat Oh
suicide made him yield But he allowed the poor
girl TO leave home and seek her fortune in Western
Europe. almost penuiless. From the time she
omitted Russia TO the DAY of her death she never
received remittance from home. Having some
relatives Mt Brussels she went to study there. 8s
she had been brought up in n free and boylsh way
she pned when she was in that city for more OK
citing exercise than rides along Hat, paved roauS OH
hard-nouthed. slow-g0ing hacks ana put herseii
under a fencing master She had aiin"st HON ln-
fancy been good shot. So when she arrived III
Paris to look for an engagement at the francals
she was EARNED at all points. completely cap
pie" The feminine arm of beauty she had III
rare degree 1t appears that she expected NJ once
TO shine as a genius and without serious etuuy ~
tread on the heels OF Sarah Beinhardt AS shc had
many natural gifts. much was hoped OF ner' ilei
dahrt was 70 some extent failure. she was I'M
accustomed to the stage. She appeared as nun
nish slave of the olden time in Barbarine."
Nothing vexed her moro than to know she was
vnned at the Francois less for her talents than Tor
her pecnar beauty The theatrical critics were
uniust 10 her and her sister actresses ferocousy
Jealous OF her They got mp cdbals against her ana
insisted that she had no talent and spoke WITT
vile Muscovite brogue. For her misfortune she
learned French too late to speak it trlpplng.y
Mile Feyqhine was supposed to be, for an
actress, vIrtuous At any rate she maintained oe
hind the scenes proud reserve anu FASTENED nome
the moment she had got through her short part III
Barbarne" But it soon rumored that she
had bought detached house in one OF the most
extensive parts Of the town, and lived there III
mysterious and romantic manner The hero OF her
romance it then tTanspired, was the eldest son OIL
the late Due de Mornv OF sinister memory Ihe
voung nobleman is rich, was educated at Madrid
where his stepfather holds a high Office at Court
affects English dandyism Is French by his father
Slav by his mother-a Princess Tronbctskoi-ald
speaks Russian. HIS mother was the blonde
Princess Sophie TIouhetskoi, whom tine first Due
de Morny shen Ambassador at the Court OF St
petsrsburp married. Mile. Feyghlne only intended
to be the comradc of the young exquisite But she
ended by becoming his mistress and letting MN
keep her up in luxury. There were eXtenuatlng
circumstances arising out OF her position rs an
actress She with n very poor aunt. to whom
she was a burden. She had to pay for her sery eX-
pcnsve costumes, and her salary was trllling.
A marriage was agreed upon when the Duke would
be old enough to force his mother to consent. The
pour girl believed in the word of De Noruy.
Early in the summer Mile. FeyRnne Thought her
10, er showed signs of being tired of her. He intro
duced to her men Of the vilest character who
thought they rendered him service in trying to
degrade her. 1hen he started off on a trip, he
falsely said to Russia, and remained away two
months When he came back he did not show any
inclination to make her house his home. She ques-
toned him about his intentions. He said he kept
away In her interest She had been given the lIn-
portant part of Mrs Garrison in "LEtrangere to
learn Sarah Bernhardt had pla] IN 1t some
years ago. and disldvantageous comparisons be
tween her and Mile. Feyghine would he made II
the latter did not study hard. His explanation
filled the ill-starIed COnedlenne with gratitude.
WHAT q nOLe, thoughtful, seli-denylng young
Duke he was" she wrOie. without shade OF
irony, TO friend But last week paragraph in
.I..1N .. olaf ,tt4h la
Morny WIS dancing attendance on ROthschlld
heress-Charlotte.. the only daughter of the late
Baron Solomon Rothschd of Frankfort. lie had
been, in his tour, following her around fashionable
watering places. Since his return to Paris he was
assiduous in escort ne her and her mother in their
Bots de Doul0gne promenades, when the poor
actress was engaged wish her professor of elUcuOn
On the morning on which the paragraph alluded
TO appeared Mile. Feyghine', maid said that the
actress looked dead than alive. She could
not cat or speak, was pale a corpse and sent
away her professor when he came TO give her a
lesson Then she wrote the following letter to NJ.
Henri Houssaye. who was at Vichy:
My FRIEND-I stand in great need of you.
am at the point of death from sheer wrotcnedness.
Come if you and save me from myself. Give
me- by IA little kind advice, the strength and
courage to live.
After she wrote it she rang for the foOtman to
take it to the post Bat he was out She then
said What a fat llityw and threw the m.ssive ON
her desk where it found when sho no
moro For an hour or more she sat IN n state OF
torpOr from which she reused herself and went to
practise shooting in the cellar. Sue said she was
trying to strengthen her nerves. and told the maid
not to lie alarmed
On Sunday Mile. Feyghino again fell into the
torpid state When she got ont of it she told her
maid that she going to break up The household
and take long journey. All the servants except
10 deaf old cook and Abigail were called up to tie
salon. Their wages were paid and they were dis
missed. The maid then vas instructed to pack the