Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-07-30
MUSIC IN THE AIR.
A Former Wheeling professor" Goes Into
the Mormon Business.

the Mormon business.
Many Wheeling people, especially those
in musical circles remember, no doubt,
Prof. Richard Stahl, the fascinating
tenor" and professor of music, who wa III
Wheeling about four or five years ago.
They also remember that his wife was a
charming lady and became q great favOrite
with the gentlemen as well as the ladies.
The Professor got up an oratOrio society
while here, which gave the Messiah, " five
remember rightly, many of our most prom
inent musical people being members. Bust
ness, however, was not the best, and the
Professor figured in several little affairs
that were not pleasant. So, after a short
stay his charming voice was heard no moro
and his beautiful wife became only a sweet
memory of the past, until now they have
almost been forgotten. The following in
teresting bit of news in relation to the cou-
pie, taken from the Washington Star of the
26th inst, will doubtless prove entertain
ing reading to those who knew them:
Miss BERTHE Crawford, who was up to
two years ago well known here as a singer,
went TO England last fall and appeared
there as q star in a musical comedy called
"Capers," under the management of
Richard Staal. 1t has transpired that Miss
Crawford, before she left this country, was
married to Stahl, 4 lady living in this
city, Mrs. Lillian Stahl, claims to be the
first and legally the only wife of Stahl,
] nnl Gonna fin,n a,,n hnrnn nrpnnalinnS 10,
divorce in New York. She did not then
know of Miss Crawford's marriage to Mr..
Stahl. Miss BERTHE Crawford, who is
about twenty-seven years old, is a daugh-
ter of the late Judge Crawford, of Tennes-
see, who for q number of years practiced
law in this city, Her mother is now
a clerk in the Dead Letter Office. Miss
BERTHE studied music for q number of years,
preparing herself for the stage. A yeal
ago last December, when the Kimball
Opera came here and played at Herzog's,
Richard Stahl, n German Musician, who
was the musical director of the company,
paid considerable attention TO Miss Craw,
ford, claiming to be much struck with hcI
voice and capabilities as an opera per,
former. Through his influence she joined
that company and left the city with it,
Subsequently, it is stated, they entered
into other operate enterprises and finally
went to England, where Miss Crawford
was billed as THE Tennessee Nightingale
The marriage appears to have been per,
formed a year ago last April, at Reading,
Pa. A child has been born to the couple,
but died soon, Mrs, Crawford says thai
Stahl told her daughter and herself that
he was divorced.
Mrs. Lillian Stahl, who claims TO be the
wife of Richard Stahl, is slender, lark and
rather handsome. She, also, had p~roclivi,
ties for the stage, and made considerable
reputation as an e%locutiOnist in Norfolk,
where she met Stahl about five years ago.
She married him despite the opposition Of
her friends and left her homo to share will
him the rather precarious fortune of an at
tache of the opera company. According u
Mrs. Stahl's story to a Star reporter, hi
remained faithful to her until he began hi:
attentions to Miss Crawford. He made
various excuses for not taking her with
him when the Kimhall Opera Company
left here. Mrs. Stahl wa until q short
time ago employed in Office here, and lived
with her mother and little girl. Stahl''
daughter, at 1902 G street northwest.