St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-23
THE BAH SINISTER.
An EarI's TIiegitimate Son Cutting n
Figure ian English Society.


London letter to the San Francisco Argonaut.
One Of the most amusing spectacles in
society at present. and one which is al the
same time as pitiab.e Is it is absurd. is that
afforded by the unblushing efTrontery and
grotesque antics Of young man who goes
by the name Of Capt. WalpOle." His
position in society would be a far more cred
liable position did he possess name Of his
own, but he doesn't In short he Is what
in the delightful pages Of Blackstone. is de-
Scrbed as nullus hlIUs. Instead Of feeling
his namelessness with keen sense OF
shame. and showing by modest deneanOr
and retiring WAYS his own proper apprecia-
ton OF his awkward condition, not only
does this Capt Walpole" apparently not
care fig about it, but he actually seems TO
glory in the fact.
You see, his case is that Of no ordinary
young man. His father is the earl of
Orford mot Oxford and his mother the
countess OF Lincoln. This doesn't sound
50 bad OF Itself until il is added that al the
time of the captains birth, about thirty-siX
years ago. and for some years previous
thereto, his father was another wOnau's
husband and his mother another mans wife.
80 marriage, don't you SEE, between them
in time 10 legtimatZe the result Oi their
liasOn was out OF the question. They,
however. knew this when their liaisOn be-
gan. The countess Of Lincoln was very
beautiful woman. She was Lady Susan
ougias-Hamilton, daughter OF tie tenth
duke of Hamilton. aud as the vie % the
earl of Lincoln would, had size remained
faithful to him, have become IN due time
the duchess Of Newcastle. Between
thirty-six and thirty-seyen years agO
it was that Lord Lincoln had
reason to suspect his wife of in
fidelity. They had been separated for over
year, and she was living upon separate
maintenance at HOmbuTg. The Earl of
Oxford (he was then Lord WalpOle) was
also at Homburg. lie was "A gay. handsome
young man, tail and graceful, and line
dancer. IL was suspected that things were
not going on quite as they should be be-
tween him and Lady Lincoln; 50, Lord Lin
coin got couple of friends, one Of whom
was no less person than Mr.. Gladstone,
to 20 over TO HOmburg and see for them
selves if his suspicious were well grounded.
The result OF their observations was that
Lord Oxford and Lady Lincoln were living
together as man and wife, and that the
countess figure, as seen daily and nightly
in the gambling halls bore unmistakable
signs of approaching maternity. The
case was a good deal like that
OF the Countess OF Aylesford and the
Duke sof Marlborough. Not knowing
that the eyes of Mr.. Gladstone and his
partner had been upon her, Lady Lin
coin. after the birth Of capt. WalpOle,"
tried to foist him upon her husband as his,
and for a short time | believe the bar SIMS
ter young gentlemans name appeared in
in the peerage as a Clinton, under the title
of Newcastle. But Lord Lincoln took i'm
mediate steps to prove the illigitlmacy.
The proceedings were had, as / understand.
in the house OF lords by the examination Of
witnesses before a special committee.
Those were the days before the divorce
court and lis pioneer judge, Sir Cresswell
Cresswell. and all divorces had to be granted
by special and private act of parliament.
The legal presumption of legitimacy from
being born in wedlOck was easily rebutted
las in the AylesfOrd caSe) by proof Of non
access TO Lady Lincoln by her husband for
a year. and MIR. GladstOne's testimony TO
this day preserved in "Hansard') Oyercame
any doubt that might have arisen.
So, on Aug. 10. 1850. the act of divorce
was passed, and young Mr.. Clinton became
Mr.. Blank. Lord Orford, pink of chiyalry
that he was. threw off his paramOur, but
took their offspring under his protection.
He had him educated in Germany. and at
the proper age, competitive ''eXamS." being
then comparatively light purchased a COM
mission for him in the Rifles. What name
the youth went by abroad, 1 know not,
but. at any rate, when he entered the army
he did so as Mr.. Walpole"-WalpOleb being
Lord OrfOrd's family name. Until then he
had been forgotten. but the story was at
once revived, and every one soon knew who
the young man really was. When his leave
came, he would go to Wolterton Park, Lord
Orford's hall, and stay for the shooting or
hunting, as regularly as though it were
his own home. He had no other home or
place TO go tO-nO family, relatives or
people" of any sort or description. He
soon got to calling Lord Oxford father
when he spoke of him. and people who
knew that Lord Oxford had no son Ga fact
which both Burke and DeBrett clearly
show didn't exactly know how to reply or
what to say to cover their awkward looks.
But people have got accustomed TO all that
now. Strange to say, there are people who
don't seem to know the real position Of the
young man. He has left the army now win
the rank of captain. and he lives with Lord
Oxford, is supported by him and travels
about with him when he goes abroad in
search of health, for he is now growing old
and broken. Meanwhile Capt WalpOie"
gets invited about here. there and
everywhere, and goes. The best peo-
pie receive him, out of regard
for the rank and position of his father and
mother! If you say word TO some people
rank Tories, as a rule-they will tell you
who his father and mother were. with a
flourish of trumpets, as though it were a
thing to be proud of. The snobs positively
run after the young man. Generally ignor
ant of the family rules and regulations of
the nobility, they fancy that he really is the
son of an earl. They do not know that
were he so he would be Lord WaipOle. Is
Lord Orf0rd has no other son. In any
event, he would be the Hon. Mr.. Walpole.
A glance at peerage would show them this.
as also that Capt. Walpole's name
wouldn't be found therein. But still they
go on running after him, and toadying him.
and trying to get him for their daughters.
The gallant captain accepts ali their invi-
tatiOns and attentions. eats their dinners.
spoons with their girls. stays in their houses.
and keeps up the game in a very dishOnOr-
able way, some people are decent minded
enough to think. Were he the romantic
son of Mr.. jenkins or Mr.. Thompson no
one would notice him; he would get the
cold shoulder from society. you may be
sure He is a most commOnplace-lOO
chap; tall. thin. narrOw-ShOuldered and
long-legged with tow hair and whiskers
and an expression like cat. lie talks
with a drawl through his nose that would
do credit to a true stage Yankee. and
combines it with the Dundrearyish inability
to pronounce an ''r." All his verys are
''veyws7' and his reallys ''weallys." He
dresses in the most elaborate fashion, and
is always declled out with jewelry, his
fingers being covered with diamond and
other gem rings. He is one of the few
young men in English good society who