Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-10
GEBHARD's INFATUATION.
How He AIasqueraded as " MI. Davis
i'm San FrauciscO

How He AIasqueraded as " Mr. Davis "
in san Francisco.
About a dozen men in New York, says
a letter 10 the San Francisco ArgOndut,
are laughing over the neat joke which
Mr.. Frederick Gerhard played on San
Francisco. As vet it is almost unknown
here, and it is supposed that San Fran
cisco is still ignorant of the tact that Mr..
Gerhard was with Mrs. Langtry during
her entire stay liz San Francisco. Several
Of the New York papers copied articles
from the san Francisco press, explaining
with great detail that Freddie had been
supplanted in the affections of the Lily by
Harry Oelrichs. Oelrichs is as well
known here as Gebhardt. His brother,
Herman Oelrichs, is Vice President of the
New York Athletic Club and a member of
all the better clubs of New York. He Is
said TO be the best heavyweight boxer in
America, is a popular man about town, a
millionaire, and man of influence in the
financial world. The brother, Harry
Oelrichs, is an ideal ranchman. he lives
like Prince il the West, and swings in
with his brothers. set when he comes to
New York. He and Gerhard have known
each other all their lives, and it was
probably on this account that Mr.. Del
richs agreed to assist Freddie in his
scheme for deceiYing the san Francisco
reporters.
Whenever Mrs. Langtry went out with
Mr.. Oelrichs in San Francisco \ ''Mr.
Davis was near at hand. If the genial
rauchman and the Lily drove together,
s'Mr. Davis" sat in the close carriage
which followed a short distance behind.
At supper parties, and, during long walks
in the country, MIR. Davis was always
within call, though Harry Oelrichs was
usually by the side of the beauty. 1t is
curious thing that the secret of Mr.. Geb-
b lrd's presence did not leak out in San
Francisco, as several of the members of
/ tn company knew him by sight. 1 am
not surprised that the san Francisco peo-
Dle did not recognize him, for there have
/ been very few accurate descriptions of
| this millionaire whose infatuatiOn for
| Mrs. Langtry has made him notorious.
/ Gebhard is not the narrOw-chested,
weak-kneed and insipid Miss Nancy youth
that the comic papers have pictured. He
[ Is, on the contrary, a tall, well-develOped
and grave young man, with great self
control and confidence and the general air
I of sOlemuity, not to say stupidity, which
/ characteTiZes the average society
man. When with Mrs. Langtry he never
/ dresses in a way to attract attention, con-
I filming himself usually to dark business
/ suits. He is by no means the glittering
/ swell in appearance that the papers pic
I in the deception was the result of an ir-
! resIstible desire to play practical jokes
and the fun OF helping his friend Geb-
/ hard. Even when the company got back
/ u New York here the secret concerning
the identity OF "Mr. Davis" was still in
tact; and though the reporters Of the diff
ferent papers saw Freddie get of the
train with Mrs. Langtry when she ar
rived, not one Of them was able to get at
the facts in the case. The assurances
that Mr.. Gerhard had not been in San
Francisco were so strong that they gave
up the ease. and so not a single New York
/ paper has vet had the truth about the con-
Stancy Of Mrs. Langtry's lover. When
Mr.. Gebhard arrived at Jersey City he
I tainted away in the station and it was
some time before he could be brought to.
When he was at last brought about so that
he could sit up he was assisted to a car
riage and he and the Jersey Lily were
driven together to the Albemarle Hotel.
No one knows why he tainted. The in
fatuation of Mr.. Gebhard for Mrs. Lang
try is as complete as ever.