The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-02-21
4 CHECKERED CAREER.
Romantic History of "A Woman
Formerly Well * aown Ina
Parkersburg.
A Once Beautiful and Houored
Woman Sinks 30 the Depths
of Enfa my...A Life of Au-
triaue and shame.


fifteen summers, the only laughter
Of then prominent clergyman of
Philadelphia, came to Parkershurg to
visit a young lady here, who at ths
time was SchoOlmate OF hers She
soon became the center of attraction
of adiniring beaux and the euvy. of
her less favored associates With a
form delicately rounded. eyes like
sparkling soiitaires. and manners
winning. yet modest, the safiny soft
ness of her lily -hued skin won the
admiration of all who knew her.
But there was "a worm i the bud "
When at home in Philadelphia she
was demure, modest and circumspect,
but once away from family restraint,
the tloodgates of indiscretiou were
wide opened, and then her true ma
ture asserted itself. By an intrigue
the dark secret of which is still
buried from the worlds knowledge,
she entrapped promising young
man of one of the best families of
Parkersburg He endeavored To
make the best of what he knew Mas
q bad bargain, but all to no purpose.
His wife became addicted to the use
of stimulants, and her conduct was
not such as should characterize the
matron.
So matters went on from bad to
worse, until finally an awful denoue-
meat came. Her husband was found
dead in bed, having retired in good
health the night before She drew a
life insurance policy for $4,000 held
by the deceased, without difficulty.
The public was suspicious, aud wills
pered, but did not openly avow foul
play, vet many citizens declared that
they had no doubt the unfortunate
gentleman met his death by poison.
From this city she repaired to Phil.
adelphia, left her only hoy with her
mother, and then commenced bril-
liant career as an adventures. At
the watering places she was known
as gay and pretty widow, and so
adroit were her schemes, so modest
and suspicion disarming her ways,
that many's the nnwary she lured to
her folds. Her love for notoriety
was excessive She caused to be
published tale that while she was
travelling on the cars an old man tot
tering with years entered. She gave
him seat and so administered to
his wants and comfort that the old
gentleman mistook her for an angel
of mercy in disguise, and dying
shortly afterward, bequeathed to her
a half million of dollars. The fishi-
ness of this story, though very APP
parent, gulled the public for some
time.
Ten or twelve years ago she went
to Europe, and during the Paris Elk
position she fell in with the son of
the Russian Grand Duke Nicholas,
brother of the Gar, Alexander III.
When the Exposition closed Mrs.
Blackwood, as she then called her
self, who had now assumed the name
of Blanchard, accompanied the young
Prince to st. Petersburg, where he
lavished thousands upon her cap
rices. Not long after her arrival at
ST Petersburg, imperial jewels of
great value were missed from the
Emperor's palace. An investigation
was held and the haubles were traced
to Mrs. Blackwood's apartments. At
her instigation it was stated that the
young Prince had stolen the jewels
and presented them to his mistress.
The stones were recovered, the i'm
perial burglar was banished to a 81
berian fortress and the adventures
was escorted beyond the Russian
frontier by detachment Of gen
darmes.
While all Europe was still ringing
with the scandal and the imperial
family quarrel was yet at its bitter
est, Mrs. Blackwood took up her res
idence in Paris, where she became
again and again the heroine of sen
sational and scandalous stories.
Among the most prominent Of these
was the account of her marriage
with man of princely wealth in
Paris. His name was Feenix, and a
long account of the imposing cere-
monies, the grandeur of the event,
and the magnificencc of the jewels
were printed in the American press
at the time.
Now the woman is once more be-
fore the footlights of public opinion
in colors holder and more glazing
than ever before, as the most sue
cessful adventures of our day. She
has just appeared, after brilliant
and successful series of exploits,
which she accomplished with such
skill and adroitness as to battle the
metropolitan police in court in the
city of her childhood, Philadelphia,
where she had H. S. Marcks, of boz
gus check fame, arrested for robhing
her Of $50 in money. The press
dispatch which brings us the intelli
gence says she is beauty of pro-
nounced blonde type, and her out
ward charms together with an excel.
lent education and many accom-
plishments, make her very attrac-
tive woman.
When she appeared at Marcks'
preliminary hearing, she was dressed
with faultless elegance and costly
diamonds twinkled at her ears. She
still bore traces of her former beauty
and retained something of the air
and manner that had infatuated the
nephew of the Gar. She would not