Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-11-05
An American Girls Fate.

THE COUNTESS PoURTALEs BEHEADED-rHE
LIFE ROMANCE OF MRS. JOHN BEECHER
THE FAMOUS BEAUTY-MARRIED FOUL
TIMES AND FINALLY LOSING HER HEAL
BY oRDsR OF THE MIKADo.
New YORK, October 26.-A wonderful
and startling story comes to Truth from
Japan by the way of Paris. One of the
most beautiful women America has ever
produced has been beheaded there through
la special edict of the Mikado, secured
through the prayers of the Prime Minister.
The woman was the Countess Pourtales
formerly Mrs. John Beecher, of New York.
The decapitation was caused through the
Japanese Primo Minister'S love, jealousy,
and revenge.
The story of the Countess Pourtales is
this: After the war there came an aristo.
cratic mother and her most beautiful daugh-
ter to New York from Georgia. The
mother and daughter brought letters to
many New Workers, among whom were
Thurlow Weed, Hugh J. Hastings, Thomas
Murphy, Henry Clews and others. The
daughter was so ravishingly beautiful that
she made sensation wherever she went.
She had many suitors. The suitor most
favored was the wealthy John Beecher, and
many New Workers remember their happy
marriage. During Mrs. Beecher's early
married life no professional beauty receiv-
ed so much attention as she. Accomplish
ed, graceful, vivacious and with a color
more transcendently beautiful than the love-
liest rose, the young wife was always the
centre of an admiring group. Her toilet in
the Park and at the Jerome Clubhouse was
always the envy of every lady who saw it.
AN AMERICAN BEAUTY IN PARIS.
Every New Yorker remembers Mr.. Lloyd
Ph9nix's Irritation with Mrs. Beecher-
how she shot at him as be passed up his
sisters steps ON Fifth avenue and how, af-
ter her husband separated from her, she fled
to Europe in pursuit of Mr. Phoenix. The
newspapers were full of it at the time. In
Paris Mrs. Beecher, supported by her di-
vorced husbands money, generously given
her, began a life of luxurious pleasure. She
drove the handsomest turnout on the Bois,
gave the most sumptuous dinners and was
the sensation of the gay metropolis. One
of her first sui ors was the Count Pourtales,
formerly connected with the French Lega-
tiOn at Warrington, whose first wife was
the beautiful daughter of Ben Holiday.
Mrs. Beecher and the Count were soon
married. Her transcendent beauty was the
craze of Paris, and while the Countess was
the talk of The city she sailed with her hus-
band for Japan. where the Count joined the
French Legation. In Japan, as the wife of
an attache of the Legation, the Countess
POurtales was introduced to the highest
personages Ia diplomatic circles. For a
time she led court circles, but soon she tired
of her husband, as she had tired of Mr.
Beecher, and began flirting with French
officer.
The Count now claimed that they were
not legally married and sailed for France,
abandoning the Countess in Japan. The
next steamer brought the Countess to Paris
About three months after her advent in
Paris she met French colonel, who fell in
love with her. They were not married,
but lie returned to Japan with her. Arriv-
ing there she again met her old friends in
diplomatic circles. Her propensity to flirt
again manifested itself, and her third hus-
band, so-called, abandoned her.
BEEEADED IN JAPAN.
He said the Prime Minister of Japan had
been too intimate with his wife. This was
no doubt true, for as soon as the Colonel
had gone the Countess became intimate with
the Prime Minister, ono of the wealthiest
and most influential men in Japan. Here
1uO CouLleSo hhu every iuAuiy Uub llDeIty.
The Prime Minister was so Jealous of her
that he would not let her talk with any gen
tleman. Such a life did not suit the COun-
tess, so one day she ran away and became
engaged to another japanese official.
The affair so exasperated the Prime
Minister that he went to the MikadO and
prevailed upon him to issue an especial
edict condemning the Countess to be de-
capitated. Her fourth husband, so-called,
was imprisoned. The news has now come
to New York that the edict was carried out,
and the most beautiful Georgia refugee who
dszzled New York and the lovely Countess
who bewildered Paris was actually decapi-
tated. In Japan mobiles of high rank con-
slider it heinous offence for woman who
has smiled upon them to ever afterward
smile upon another. The strange custom
cost Countess Pourtales her life.