The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-24
STORY OF A PHoTOGRA PH.
How a Noted, but Naughty, Woman Once
Secured a Big Advertisement

1t represents an old man with gray woody
hair and mustache, and a sensual laughing
lace of the African type; who is seated in his
shirt-sleeves holding handsome and adj
mlrably-formed woman, in full suit of
tights, in his arms whose head is nestled
lovingly to his ample breast. The photo
graph is that of Alexandra Dumas pere and
Adah Menken. When she was introduced
to Dumas the celebrated author was living
in the Boulevard Malesherbes, near the Park
Monceaux, with his daughter, Madame Pc
tel, rather odd genius, who divided her
time between religious practices, the pain
ing of pictures of devotional character,
and the translation into French verses from
the works of the Greek poet Theocritus
Alexandra Dumas, who had become a firm
believer in spiritualism and magnetism had
fallen into the hands of lot Of charlatans
and rogues, who took advantage of his ere
dulity in every conceivable way. The chief
OF these were two female mediums, who had
wormed themselves into his confidence, and
who rarely, if ever, left him. even when he
went on a journey. They were both hand
some women, and they had acquired much
influence over the old fellow to whom they
sought to render themselves INDISPENSABLE
1t was strange spectacle to see this talented
man, after twenty years of avowed atheism
during which he had secuted at everything
that in the least approached the supernatu-
rail- allowing himself to be deceived by the
pretended magnetic sleep of two girls, and
accepting the most transparent tricks as SUI
pernatural prodigies.
Adah lsaacs Menken, after a more than
Uaually fast life, had got religion" in Amer
lea, whence she had Just come accompanied
by her mother and a sort of chaplain, to
whom she submitted all questions that
troubled her conscience. As soon as she
met Dumas, she saw that if she played her
cards right she could get the very biggest
n Of ha init
macy which almost Immediately sprung uD
between them. The old fellow was like wax
in the hands of this pretty woman, and he
soon allowed himself to be taken in the tolls
of fiattery and petting that the shrewd actress
cast around him. It was not hard thing for
her to persuade him to have their picture
taken in the position that have described
it being understood between them that the
photograph vas to be solely for their Joint
admiration. A week later it was in every
show window in Paris; thousands of copies
were sent TO England and the United States
and Tout Paris was laughing over the Joke
which was huge advertisement for the hand
soonest eeuyere of the capital No one con-
sidered Dumas as pattern of virtue; but
this exhibition was too much, even for the
depraved appetite of Paris, and the scandal
1t stirred upwas tremendous. AT first Du-
mas tried to laugh the matter down, as he
had laughed down so many previous scandals
| with which his name has been connected;
but his son got angry and wrote a very
sharp letter to his father, in which he in
sisted that something should be done to nut
an end to the exhibition that was rendering
their name ridiculous Upon this Dumas
had the photographs seized and began suit
against the photographer. The matter came
before the courts, and Dumas had the auda-
city to be present at the argument
For two whole hours he was the
butt of the eloquence and wit of the attorney
for the photographer, and he revenged him
self by stepping up to the legal gentleman at
the close of his speech and warmly congratll-
latng him in open court invited him to din
ner in tone audible over the whole ROOM
The court ordered the photographer to de-
stroy the negative, but the incident has re-
manned the one which has been most unfa-
vorably interpreted against the novelist, who,
according to hisfriends, sin it only the
dupe of sharp woman. Dumas and Menken
are both dead; but there is another person
age, one who has played far more important
role in the affairs of this world, who once
allowed himself To- DE caioied in a similar
way by pretty woman. 'Fhe story is not a
very old one and who is there now remem-
bers having seen in the shop windows of
Berlin photograph of Prince Bsmack and
the actress Medori elasped in each others
arms?