Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-10
Death of Cora Pearl.

Cora Pearl, The once famous demi-mon.
dame, died at Paris Thursday, in poverty.
Her death was caused by cancer. Cora
Pearl, according TO her own story, was an
English woman, her name Emma Crouch,
and tho daughter of Professor i. Nicholas
Crouch, of Baltimore, author Of "Kath-
leen Mavourneen," by his first marriage
with Lydia Pearson, an English ac-
tress. Emma left home suddenly when
quite young girl and under circum-
stances that were never spoken of after
wards in tho Crouch family. Cora was pos
sessed OF beauty Of q sculturesque type, and
was fond of parading her exquisite figure in
faultlessy fitting riding suit in the Bois de
Boulogne. At one time she appeared, when
walking, with poodle dog dyed to match
the Costume she was wearing until one day
the beast died from being colored with Il
poisonous dye, when the police interfered
and put q stop to this cruelty to animals.
One episode Of her career was brief ap-
pearance on tho Paris stage as Cupid. Her
dress was Of the scantiest, the tlraperes be-
ing scarcely more voluminous than the
clasps and chains Of diamonds of which they
were fastened. She had no voice for sing
ing the part, and could not even talk French
correctly She was Kissed, and after her
twelfth performance she was forced to retire.
Her memoirs, which were evidently printed
for black mailing purposes, are filled
with boastfuI sentences Of the way she plum
dered her dupes and spent their money.
She tells OF maintaining intimate relations
with Prince Plon Plon Bonapart, and receiv-
ing from him - 600 francs month, while
at the same time she was spending more
than twice that amount. She says Plon-
Pon gave her a key to a private entrance to
his palace, and that she frequently dined in
room adjoining the parlor occupied by his
him to London, and on being turned out of
hotel, the Prince hired private apartments
for her. She also claims to have been init
mate with the Due de Morny, Prince Demi-
doll the two Dumas Gather and sony, Is
mail Pasha and other prominent pcrsonages.
She tells about giving supper5 where l3OO0
francs worth of violets were used, instead
OF moss, to garnish the fruit on the table,
and according to her account, her Jewels In
Il single season cost 1000,0 600 francs. She
suuandered $4,000 francs during short
visit to Baden Baden.
Cora Pearl became most notorious from
her connection with young Duva, the son
of the famous Partisan restaurant proprietor,
who attempted to commit suicide after she
had helped him TO dissipate his fortune and
deserted him. In consequence of this, she
was expelled for a time from France. She
went to Monte Carlo, but the authorities
there forced her to leave after she had paid
rent for her rooms three months in advance.
After drifting about Europe for time, she was
permitted to settle down IN Paris again but she
was obliged TO raise the wind by auctionng oil
her treasures among them the square of carpet
on which the young Duval had stood when he
made tho attempt to blow out his brains. This
sale realized $4,000, which was about twice the
value of the articles About three years ago she
again came to the 'front.' her milliner bringing her
before tho courts to know why she should not dis
charge balance of 4. 415f. 23c., which remained
due on an old account She did not again emerge
from obscurity, until last winter, when the publ
cation of her alleged Memoirs" brought her
again before the public. The book was failure.
1t was simply nasty, and the only success the de-
throncd Queen of tho demi-monde achieved
through it was in the way of black mail levied on
such Of her old cronics as preferred not to figure
in its papcs