The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-08

How Morlacchi Snubbed Jim Fisk and Mar.
ried Scout-Her Independence.

How Morlacchi snubbed Jim Fisk and Mar.
ried a Scout-Her Independence.
Nym Crinkle, in New York World
Last Saturday week ago died, In little New
England town, ballet dancer whose life in q
great measure answers the oft-repeated question
about class Of women whose profession is popu-
larly held to be one of exposure.
Guiseppina Morlacchi was celebrated in her
time, and, as she was born in l843, that time wan
not so long ago. Why, it was only so far back
as 1859 that she appeared at the Grand Opera
house here in that famous production Of 1.-THE
Tempest" which turned Clifton Tayleur's hair
gray and made the English stockholders Of Erie
shares squeal Then she was a stage queen.
In the height Of her beauty and flush Of her
power she had every path Of successful stage
queen open to her.
find that the record and the traditions agree
as to her exemplary character, her exceptional
probity, her marked individuality and her rare
sense OF honor and justice. Isn't this delicious
in ballet dancer2
Among the herd of admirers while she was
playing at the Grand Opera-house was the gen.
erous, reckless and somewhat fiabby Jim Fisk,
the after-Mikado Of West-side saturnalia. He
had everything but his own money to be Croe-
sus. He only lacked discretion to be Macanas.
One night he went to Morlacchi as she was wait
ing to go on and slipped diamond ring on her
finger After the performance she sent for him
and handed the ring back to him.
'On it's real" said Fisk; "Oh. bother, you
know it's the first water and worth five thousand
dollars
'Bah!v said Morlacchi with shrug, II can
earn that with one of my toes"
The confused Mikado went to the front Of the
house, and running against Cliff Tayleure, he
remarked when he had got his breath There's
good woman that bad man can fight for
OF course he meant bad man who had the
courage to fight This was before he was col.
onel.
When the Devils Auction" was produced
here she was the chief attraction. In 1869 she
made 1.-THE Midsummer Nights Dream at
Selwyn's, in Boston. Then, against her own
wishes. she played the French Spy" and in
1871 was with the Majiltons.
It was In Chicago that she first met Texas
Jack and fell in love with him. This strange
alliance appears to have been the result of gen.
uine affection, and the premiere who had en-
thralled Turin, Genoa, Lisbon, and held the
gilded youth of London at bay, fell into the
arms of the American scout They were mar
ried, and on her part at least the relationship is
said to have been one of unwavering devotion
and fidelity. The eccentricity and irregularity
of her husband cost her many pang, but she
chung to him. When he died, in 1921 In Lead
vile, she was there. She put up with every dis
comfort, left comfortable home, roughed it,
and stood by him all through the troubles which
ended In his sickness and DEATH and hers were
the hands that closed his eyes
After that she retired to a little New England
town and lived out her widowhood in a quiet and
unobserved way
Some of the stories of her independent charae-
ter are both refreshing and curious. On one
occasion, when playing in spectacular niece,
she saw the property man carelessiy break ono
of the baliet-girls' helmets for which she was
charged So, and the management deducted it
from the girls salary, in spite Of her protests.
Indignant Mile. Morlacchi sent for the manager
and told him she had seen the property man
break the helmet. She insisted that the girls
money should be refunded. When the maRager
refused, she threw up her engagement and,
leaving the theater. took the girl with her.
During the Fisk regime at the Grand Opera
house all the efforts to entrap her into the Bohe-
milan orgies utterly failed TO all the polite in
vitations to supper she invariably sent polite
declination. She saved her mouey, invested iG
carefully, and when her hurband died she retired
on competence of her own, with clean record.
Mr.. John Burke, who was for long time her
manager, went to Billerica to attend the funeral
on last Monday.
He tells US that the entire town turned out.
In the church where the services were held were
the Methodist. Baptist and Catholic clergymen.
Some of the stores were closed. All denomina-
tions mourned her. The community honored
her memory.
That is pretty good for ballet dancer in
New England town, ehl
It seems that she managed somehow to live the
prejudice to pieces She must have done it, /
suppose with her character instead of her abil-
ity. It's remarkable. I've tried in clumsy
way to make it monumental