Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-12-21
BERNHARDT'S LATEST EXPLOIT.

! be run permanently. STRONGBOW.
BERNHARDT'S LATEST EXPLOIT.
| The two men who fought duel yesler-
day in Paris on account of Marie Colombo
er's satirical and scaudalous biography Of
Sarah Bernhardt as Sarah Barnum" were
Paul Bonnetan and Octave Mirabeau. Bon
netain is q friend Of Colombier, and wrote
the preface to the book and Octave Mira
beau handled it in scathing criticism that
was as insulting to the authoress as she had
been to her former friend Both Of the men
received scratches in the conflict. Mean.
while young Maurice Beruhardt, Sarah :
sou, was hunting Bonnetain and Colombier,
| but he did no harm to any one. When the
authorities declined to stop the sale OF the
book Bernharlt drove straight to Colombier's
house. followed by one male and too female
friends Colombier had some visitors call.
| ing upon her at the time, but none OF them
could succeed in stopping the whipping that
| Bernhardt administered. BcrnhardLs whip
vas heavy affair, and Colonbier's face
shows the traces of the furious blows that
she received. She ran from room to room
overturning the furniture and smashing
many valuable ornaments. The episode
WAS the talk Of all Paris, even overshadow-
ing the news of the resumption of war in
| Touuuin 1t is known that Sarah Bern
s.; hardt, upon starting out to avenge herself
was armed with dagger, which she car
ried in her left hand, while her right WELD
ed the whip. Mile. Colombier made no at
| tempt at defence, but sought immediate es-
cape by the back stairs, but not until her
assaiant had inflicted several painful blows
across her face. Sarah, presenting the
whip to the concierge on leaving the house
remarked that it had been given to her by
the distinguished Marshal Canrobert, but
that as it had been laid across the visage Of
such an odious person as Marie Colomber,
she disdained to give it house-room longer.
During the general skirmish in the lower
part of the house one of Bernhardts friends
said that if Mile. Colomber had any one
willing TO defend her in any particular, he
was ready to fight him Another friend
tore Sarah's picture from the wall and exc
cuted u frantic dance upon it, wildly assert.
ing it had been desocrated by propinquity to
Marie's portrait.
The appearance of Nine. Bernhardt at the
theater only two hours after the affair, TO
mana Sahib," was the occasion of great
comment. Fer friends gave many eviden
ces of their sympathy with her, and the
GOODNESS of her demeanor after the real dra-
ma in which she played the part Of leading
lady, was a theme of considerable ap-
plause.
The general opinion is that the affair will
have its sequel in the law courts, and, as a
consequence, speculation is busy as to what
other developments will grow out of the en-
liycnment.
NJ. Jehan Soudan, on behalf of Mile. Co.
lombier, challenged NJ. Richepin, one Of
Nine Bernhardt's friends, to fight a duel
Both these gentlemen were present during
the fracas NJ. Richepin declined the chal-
lenge. NJ Soudan has consequently pub
lished the following: Il have found Richie
pin a coward in the presence Of a woman,
and have found him coward with man.
This is logical"
The new play mana Sahib" was brought
out at the Theater Porte St. Martin at night
with Sarah Bernhard in the principal role
The house was crowded, and long run is
predicted for the piece. Bernhardts per-
formance was greatly applauded.
Barnum," which excited Sarah Bernhardt
fancy of Bernhardt, drugs her whole life
through the mire, and concludes with a
sort Of dramatic picture of Bernhard dying
in delirium tremens. The first outcome of
the book was a duel Wednesday morning
between Octave AIirbeau, who wrote a
scathing criticism of the work, and NJ. Paul
Bonnetain, who wrote the preface to the
memoirs. NJ Bonnetain's seconds were
Prince Karageorgevitch and the Marquis de
Talleyrand. The quarrel between the two
women originated during Bernhardts tour
in America. Mile. Colombier was the lead
ing lady Of the French company, and a
good deal of ill-feeling existed between her.
self and the 'star," which was intensified
in 1881 by the publication in Paris jour-
nal of the history of the American tour,
which Bernhardt claimed she had engaged
NJ. Jehan Soudan to write for her. She i'm
mediately charged that "Jehan Soudan,
whom she took out, and to whom she paid
] 900 francs a month TO jot down her Amer
lean travelling impressions for her." had |
written it for Mile. Colombier