Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-04
SARA BERNHARDT.

The. Great French Actress, Angercd by a
Libelous Volume Written by Marie CO.
loMhter, Chastiscs the Author--An Ex-
citing Episode.
PARIS, Dec. Ala book called Me
moirs Of Sara Barnum," by Mdlle. Marie
Colombier, purporting to be the mcmoi OF
of Sara Bernhardt, the eX-friend and direct
ress of the authoress during her tour in
America, has appeared. Marie Colombier
began with Sara Bernhardt in the
cradle, drags her whole life through
the mire, and winds up a terrible
Soi-disdnt prophecy, where Sara is repre-
scented dying and having cut open her head
and face from striking the bedstead during
an attack of dclirium tremens. The first
outcome of this book was a duel Tuesday
morning between Octave Nlirabeau, who
wrote a scathing criticism and M. Paul
Bonnetain, the writer of the preface to the
Memoirs. NJ. Bonnctain's seconds were
Prince Karageorgevitch and the Marquis dc
Talleyrand. NJ. Bonnetain received W
slight wounds
The duel begun in the morning by the
men was continued in the afternoon by tie
women, and under the most unique circum-
stances. Thoroughly aroused and too inn
patient to wait for legal tcchnicalities to
suppress the book, Sara took justice INTO her
w hands and sailed forth, armed with a
plain, stout horscwhip. She drove straight
10 the apartment of Marie Colombier. Her
friends, Mdlle. Antonine, and Mines. Jean
Ruchepin and k~erbelnhardt, followed. Ar
rived at the Rue Thanh, Sara glided up the
staircase and rang the bell. The moment
the servant opened the door she darted
like lightning into the salon, and
suddenly found herself face to face
with Marie Colombicr. The two wo-
men for an instant eyed each
other; then, like a hungry tigress, Sara
sprang at her enemy and dashed her straight
across the face with her horsewhip. Mdlle.
ColomDier shrieked with pain and rage. NJ.
Jehan Soudan and Mdlle. Dcfresncs, WHO,
happened to be visiting her, ran into the
room to separate the two He tried
to sieze Sara in his arms to hold her down.
but at the same moment M. Jean Rachein,
who had just arrived, dashed open the door
and clutched NJ. Soudan by the throat.
Sara again sprang at Colombier, lasLlng and
cutting her with the whip.
NJ. Maurice Bernhardt, NJ. Kerbemhardt,
and Mdlle. Antonine soon arrived upon the
scene of the drama. Mdlle. Colombier
flashing her With her whip. The wild pur-
VII SSiieilitSA NV plS 4Sbh N!ASA " W GA
other, nobody being able to stop them.
Sara and her victim jumped over chairs and
tables, and dashed into a thousand pieces
mirrors, biblots and pictures, Sara all the
time whipping Marie, who was shrieking
with pain and terror. AT last Mdile. Colom-
bier managed to escape by the servants
stairway.
Sara Berhardt, utterly exhausted, but re-
venged, withdrew. In passing through the
front door She showed her horsewhip to the
concierge, saying: "Marshal Canrobcrt gave
it to me-, but | give it to Mdlle. Colombier
as a souvenir" An hour later she played
her role at the Theater Porte Saint Martin
in the dress rehearsal for "Nana Saib."
Feeling runs high, and there are advo-
Gates for both parties. bona Sol has issued
a card in the papers to the following effect:
To MY FRIENDS THE PuBL1c: 7 chastised
Marie Colombicr because she insnited nc.
When she was in wan ] Brought her to
America and she shared my, profits. She has
deceived me. ] gave her gold. She gave me
calumny. She called me Sara Burnum.'
am not q Jumbo. Then J gave her the lash.
She weighs three hundred pounds; | weigh
seventy-tive pounds. But she ran before me
this vile, ungrateful woman. this woman
whom | have befricnded-thiS Colombier who
was nothing until she met Sara. ] have done
with her. | did not chastisc her for advertis.
ing purposes. SARA B~ENNuAKDr.