The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-09
MISS BILLINGS WEEDS AGAIN.
Freed From Count Zacharoff She ia
Now Happy Bride.
From the Ne,c York Star.

From the Neig York Star.
quiet and transformations wedding cere-
mony took place at No. 2T2 Madison avenue
on Tuesday. The contracting parties were
Julius H. Seymour, a lawyer of No. Is
Broad street, and Miss JEANNE T. Billings,
daughter Of Mrs. James H. Billings. Rev
Charles II. Parkhurst of No. 1873 East
Thirty fifth street was the officiating clergy
man. After the nuptial knot was tied the
bride and groom departed on a tour, going
first to Boston.
a few years ago Miss Billings figured
quite prominently in the public prints. On
Aug. %, 1881, Miss Billings, now Mrs Sey-
mour, was secretly married to the noted adj
venturer Count Zacharof The count"
claimed to be a Russian nobleman, VINO had
been compelled for political reasons, by or
der of the car, TO leave his country. His
card bore the following inscription:
LIEUTENANT Count ZAcHARoFF,
Garde lmperiale, Ad-de-Camp de sa Majestic,
L'Empereur.
His general bearing, which was distin-
GulShed, bis style of dress, which was &c
centric, and his pretentious card, coupled
with very plausible accounts of his lineage
and achievements, all sufficed to obtain for
him an entry into the very best society
When he first came 10 this city he was very
poor, and was Obliged to put his wits to
work to earn a living. He was employed
for time on morning newspaper under
tho name of Zarah-el-Zahan. He was an
accomplished linguist, and through the in
strumentaltY of an opera singer to whom
he had taught italian he secured an intro
duction to a rich widow This was the
means Of featherng his nest for some time
In 1855 "Zacharotf' obtained employment
as an agent of the Mann boudoir car COM
pany His conduct of the business, how
ever, became such as to cause his dismissal
Meanwhile ne lived luxuriously and main
tanned expensive apartments at the Ross
more hotel.
Taking advantage of his high social
standing, he managed to ingratiate himself
into the favor of Miss Billings, whom he
met at Summit, n. j., while she was stop
ping with a relative, Irwin II. Brown. The
false Count knew that the young lady was
an heireSs to a considerable fortune, and he
determined to win both. The girl sue
cumbed to his fascinating manners and his
exalted rank, and they were married. Tho
ceremony was not blazoned abroad, but was
quietly performed in the private apart
ments of an obiging newspaper friend of
the counts.
Meanwhile Miss Billings family had no
suspicion of what was going on, but sup
posed that the young lady was still enjoying
the season in quiet secluSiou at Summit.
Unfortunately, however, for the count, the
matter leaked out and an account of the
wedding was published the next morning.
This led to the allegation that the count
had left another wife in Europe. Mrs.
Billings thereupon induced her daughter to
return home, until il was definitely ascer-
tanned whether she could justly lay claim
to being wife No. /.
The count, however, did not propose to
lay down his hand at this stage of the game.
By dint Of his persuasive powers, brought
to bear on her family, he induced his wife
to return to him. This stroke accom- lished,
he determined to flee the country with his
young bride. He concluded to make the
Netherlands his destination, as being the
spot where wife No. l would be the least
likely to disturb the blissful honeymoon.
Accordingly, thlther they went, and so
cleverly had the count managed their flight
that there were several hundred miles of
deep blue sea between them and No 272
Madison avenue before the girls family
knew that they had even left town.
As soon as the facts became known a de
tective took passage on a faster steamer
and arrived in Liverpool some three or
four days before the German vessel which
carried the unsuspecting couple. This med
dleSome officer, through the medium of the
English papers, discovered wife No. 1 in
Bristol, Eng. The climax in the drama
was reached when the count, with his
American bride on his arm, came face to
face with his English wife. Miss Billings
left him and returned to the paternal man
sion i'll this city.
Zacharoff was in reality Greek, and had
travelled all over the world Some years
before this escapade he had, under the as
sumed title of Prince Zacharias Basilus
Gortschakoff, wooed and won wife No. |,
who was the daughter of rich English
merchant. He afterward ran away from
her, and caused report to be circulated
that he had been shot in Persia. At present
the count Is sojourning at the Grand hotel
in Paris.
AS soon as Miss Billings had returned
home, an action was brought in the supreme
court to annul her marriage with the count
| and a decree was obtained from Judge
Donohue on Sept. 10, 1886 Since then Miss
Billings has led a very secluded life witt
her mother, seldom appearing at public
| affairs.
A Star reporter saw Mrs. Billings at her
residence on Madison avenue yesterday
afternoon. She was extremely reticent anC
| disinclined to furnish any particulars con.
corning this wedding. The bride and groom
will probably be absent from the city FOL
several weeks.