National Republican., 1886-12-11
A BOLD ADVENTURES.
The Checkered Career OF Dangerous
Momnn.
[Atlanta constitutional


When Capt. La Rue, of sherman's army,
dashed into Blankvllle at the head of a party
OF raiders one fine summer morning, his
first impulse was to swear, and his second
was to laugh. Being versatile young
fellow Of infinite resources, he did both.
The troopers saw at glance that there was
nothing in this little North Georgia noun
tain village. or the forty or fifty houses
struggling around the public square not
more than n dozen were occupied. The
majority Of the Inhabitants had lied to the
mountains.
"You, Jinniel You, Jlnniel" shouted an
old woman who had her head poked out OF
her cabin window.
Capt. La Rue languldly turned his head,
then look OF keen interest flashed from
his bold black eyes.
"Jinnie is worth looking att said the
young officer, after critical survey Of the
slight figure swinging on the gate.
jimmie had never seen any Federal caval-
rymen before, and in her anxiety TO secure
good view she unconsciously perched her.
self upon the gate In position which
showed her of to the best advantage.
"Look at that pretty cracker gall" said q
big fellow as he ratified his sabre to attract
Jlnnie's attention.
The girl was evidently not moro than 10.
Diylnely tall and divlnely fair her lissome
figure revealed every line and curve OF It's
graceful contour through the soft clinging
drapery IN which she was attlred, and
which seemed to be part of her. Under
her rustic hat was perfect face.
"Such girl" muttered Capt La Rue to
himself, "hnB no business here. II | am not
very much mistaken there is trouble In
store for her." The captain did not find
the time hanging very heavily on his hands
IL 10 A.. ..Na A.
Cupitd by Jimmie and her mother, aud his
appearance was so warlike that the old wo-
man husied herself IN the kitchen, leaving
the daughter to Keep the self-invlted guest
under strict servelllauce. 1t was long after
midnight before the troopers rode out of
town on their way back To the main body
Of the army. How It came ABOUT was never
fully explained, but the captains spirited
charger carried a double burden, and one
OF the iiders looked wonderfully like
jimmie.
Among tle Americans who did valiant
service In Maximilian's army after our war
was over was Capt. La Rue. The captain
had wife who was the toast of all Mexico,
from the capital city to the Rio Grande. In
the American colony there were strange
rumois about this beautiful woman. 1t was
said shc looked like an angel and acted like
a the-devil. There were queer stories too
about her early life. IL was whispered that
La Rue picked her up with a lot OF other
plunder in mountain town In Georgia Just
for lark, but IL turned out serious busl.
ness. 1t seems that the girl took It into her
head to fall in love with him. and she made
life burden to him until he married her
and took her TO Mexico.
La Rue was killed along with Prince
Salm salm, and when the princes widow
sailed for Europe Mrs. La Rue went with
her. Almost anything can be done with a
girl, provided she is taught young. A year
or two more In that bleak and poverty
stricken mountain hamlet would have
turned jimmie into commonplace young
woman. AS 1t was she was thrown into a
strange circle just at the time when she was
feverlshly eager to initiate those who were
above her in the social scale. She stripped
of the provincial husk that enveloped her.
She studied men, women, costumes, man
ners, newspapers, theaters-everything that
could throw light upon the great mystery
called society. For such woman to learn
to talk well in French and Spanish, as well
as In her own tongue, was q small matter.
With her beauty and the subtle witchery OF
her magnetism, what wonder is IL that
Eugenie La Rue was soon mathematical by
all the prudes in Parisp
1t was some time In 1870 that certain
claim became the talk Of hotel circles in
Washington. The claimant, charming
woman, swore that she was unIonist, and
that Shermans raiders had destroyed
something over 100000 worth of her prop
erty In north Georgia. She had quite an
array of receipts and aflidavits, but the
case looked doubtful from the first. FL
nally there was startling expose. 1t was
shown that she was almost a pauper, had
never lost any property, and had eloped
from her native town during the war with
cavalry officer named La Rue.
The adventures left Washington after
this exposure, but in q few years she was
back there again In the role OF lobbyist.
In the long run, however, the lobbying
business failed. Men were afraid to have
dealings with the La Rue woman, and she
disappeared.
Such career always tends downward.
A few years ago Mrs. La Rue married n
rich old man. lie died In short time and
she lost his fortune In Wall street. Then
the greedy, grasping adventures struck
out blindly in every direction. She was
wanted in one city for swindllng aui an
other for blackmailing. Society every
where leagued itself against her.
Recently Philadelphia court threw out
suit brought by this woman against u
weak old man who had placed himself IN
her power. There was found forgery and
perjury in the case, and 1t collapsed before
1t got fairly under way. AS the patient
rushed from the court room in tit OF I'M
potent rage, bystander caught Georglan's
arm and said:
"That woman was Eugena La Rue. She
married old -, you know"
The Georgian was thunderstruck. Could
that frowsy, wrinkled old hag, with gray
hair and red eyes, be the charmer who had
once been the talk Of two continents
That was her last public appearance.
She will next be heard Of when she regis
tiers at an asylum or prison or is flshed
out OF the river and carried to the morgue.