Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-31
GUILLOTINED.
The Mikado Orders the Decapitation
of an American Woman.
Because the Prime Minister Had Become
Jealous Of Her,
The Checkered Career of Beautiful
Refugee Prom Georgia.

NEW YORK, Oct. 28.-Truth pub
fishes the following: A wonderful
and startling story comes to us from
Japan via Paris. One of the most
beautiful women America has ever
produced has been beheaded there
through special edct of the mikado, |
secured through the prayers of his |
prime minister. The woman was the |
Countess Ponrtales, nee Mrs. John |
Beecher of New York, The decapita- |
ton was caused through the Japanese
prime minister's love, jealousy and
revenge. The story of the countess
Pourtales was as follows:
after the war there came an aristo-
cratic mother and her most beautiful
daughter TO New York from Georgia.
The mother and daughter brought let
ters to many New Workers, among
whom were Thurlow Weed, Hugh j.
Hastings Thomas Murphy, Henry
Clews and others. The daughter was
so ravishinglV beautiful that she made
a sensation wherever she, went. She
had many suitors. The sutton most
favored was the wealthy John Beecher,
and many New Workers remember
their marriage.
"During Mrs. Beecher's early mar
ried life no professional beauty re-
ceived so much attention as she. Ac-
complished graceful, vivacious, and
with n color more transcendently
| beautiful than the loveliest rose, the
| young wife was always the center of
an admiring group. Her toilet in the
| park and ut Jerome clubhouse was
| always the envy OF every lady who
saw it. Every New Yorker Temem-
bers Mr.. Lloyd Phmnixis Irritation
with Mrs. Beecher; how she shot at
! him as he passed up his sisters steps
on Fifth avenue, and how, after her
husband separated from her, she fled
TO Europe in pursuit of Mr.. Phoenix.
The newspapers were full of il at the
time. Gn Paris Mrs. Beecher sup
ported by her divorced husbands
money, generously given her, began
life of luxurious pleasure. She drove
the handsomest turnout on the Bots,
gave the most sumptuOus dinners, and
was the sensation Of the gay metropo-
lis. One of her first suitoTs was Count
POurtales, formerly connected with
the French legation at Washington,
whose first wife was the beautiful
daughter OF Ben Holiday.
Mrs. Beecher and the count We're
soon married. Her transcendent
beauty was the craze of Paris, and
while the countess was the talk of the
city she sailed with her husband 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 in diplomatic
circles. For a time she led court cir
Giles, but soon she tired of her husband,
as she had tired of MIR. 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, where she COM
menced most profiigate life. About
three months after her advent in Paris
she met French colonel, who fell in
love with her They were notmarried
but he returned to Japan with her.
Arriving IA man and wife she again
met her old friends in diplomatic cir
l Giles. Her propensity to tlirt again
manifested ITSELF and her third hus-
band, so .called, abandoned her. He
said the prime minister of Japan had
been too intimate WITH hie wife,
J '"This was no doubt true, for as soon
as the colonel was gone the countess
became the mistress of the prime min
: lister, one of the wealthiest and most
2 influential men in Japan. Here the
=, countess had every luxury but liberty.
! The prime minister was so Jealous OF
her that he would not let her talk to
any gentlemen. Such "a life did not
. suit the countess, so one day she ran
Y away and became the mistress OF
another Japanese official. The
affair so exasperated the prime
minister that he went "a
the mikado and prevailed upon
him to issuean especial edict condemns
9 ing the countess to be decapitated
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 Georgii
q refugee who dazzled New York anC
= the lovely countess who bewildered
Paris was actually deoapitated. In
Japan mobiles of high rank consider il
a henious oflense for a woman who ha
smiled upon them to ever afterwarc
, smile upon another. This strange
- custom cost Countess Pourtales he
y life.n