St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-27
A STARTLING STORY.
A Beautiful American Lady is Decap-
itated i'll Japan by Order of
the MikadO.
Especial Telegram to the Globe

Especial Telegram to the Globe.
New YORK, Oct 26.-A startling story is
related here as coming from Japan, by way
of Paris. It is that one of the most beautiful
women America has produced has been be-
headed there through a special edict of the
mikado, secured through the PRAYERS of his
prime minister. The woman was Countess
Pourtales, zee Mrs. John Beecher, of NewYork
The decapitation 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 aristocratic mother and her beauti-
full daughter to New York from Georgia. The
mother and daughter brought letters to many
New Workers, among whom were ThUrlow
Weed, Hugh j. Hastings, Thos. Murphy,
Henry Clews, and others. The daughter
was so beautiful that she made sensation
wherever she went. She had many suitors.
The sutton most favored was the wealthy
John Beecher, and many New Workers
remember their happy marriage. During
Mrs. Beecher's early married life no pro-
fessional beauty received so much attention
as she did, Accomplished, graceful, vivac-
ious, the young wife was always the center
of an admiring groupe. Her toilet in the
park and at the Jerome club house was al
ways the envy of every lady who saw it.
Every New Yorker remembers Mr.. LLOYD
Phoenix 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
har ebo ed
in pursuit of Mr.. Phoenix The newspapers
were full Of it at the time. In Paris Mrs.
Beecher, supported by Der divorced husbands
money, generously given her, began life of
luxurious plasure. She drove the handsom-
est turnout on the Bots. gave the most sump-
tuous dinners and was the sensation of the
gay metropolis. One of her first suitors was
Count Pourtalos, formerly connected with
the French legation at Washington, whose
first wife was the beautiful daughter of
Ben Halliday. Mrs. Beecher and the
count were soon married. Her 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
Pourtelas was introduced to the highest per-
sonages in diplomatic circles. For time
she led the court circles but soon, it is al
legged, she tired of her husband, as she
had tired of Mr.. Beecher, and
began flirting with a French officer.
the count now claimed that they were not
legally married and sailed for France, aban-
doning the countess in Japan. The next
steamer brought the countess to Paris.
About three months after her adventin Paris
she met a French colonel who fell in love
with her. They were not married, but he re-
turned to Japan with her, arriving as man
and wife. She again met her old
friends in diplomatic circles.
Her propensity to firt again
manifested itself, and her third husband So
called, abandoned her. AS soon as the
colonel had gone the countess became the
wife of the prime minister, one of the
wealthiest and most influential men in japan.
Here the countess had every luxury but
liberty. 1t is alleged that the prime minister
was so jealous of her that he would not let
her talk with any gentleman. Such life
did not suit the countess, so one day she ran
away and became attached 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, con
demning the countess to be decapitated.
Her fourth husband, so called, was impris-
oned. The news has now come to New York
that the edict was carried out, and the beau
tiful Georgia refugee, who dazzled New York,
and the lovely countess, who bewildered
Paris, was actually decapitated. In Japan
mobiles of high rank consider it heinous
offence for woman who has smiled upon
them to ever a.terward smile upon another.
This strange custom cost the Countess
Pourtales her life.