Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-27
THE DUKE WILL NOT GO HOME.
BY His Physician's Advice He will Con.
tinue His Tour to Florida.

A4AS
From the New York World
The duke Of Sutherland was greatly sur
prised on his arrival in New York Sunday to
| receive q cable dispatch announcing the serious
illness of the duchess, who was in comparatively
good health on the day Of his departure. The
duke Immediately arranged to return by To-
days steamer. A little later in the day he was
shocked by the announcement Of her sudden
death. He was ordered here from London by
his physician to escape the evil effects Of the
season. On medical advice, therefore, he will
not now return to London, but spend. the win
ter in Florida.
The duchess of Sutherland was Miss Anna
Mckenzie, only child of A. Mckenzie, Of Gro
martie, Scotland. Her ancestor, the earl Of
Cromartie, espoused the cause Of Prince
Charles in the rising Of 1745. The title was at
tainted and the estates sequestered. About the
year 1860 the title and estates were restored by
Queen Victoria and the duchess came into pos
session with the title Of countess of Cromartie.
She was married to the duke Of Sutherland In
1850. Five children have been the issue-Lord
Cover, who died in early youth; the marquis OF
Stafford, Lord Tarbat, Lady Florence, who be-
came the wife of the Hon. Henry Chaplin. NJ.
p, and who died in 1881, and the Lady Alexan-
dra, still unmarried. The duchess Of Suther-
land was lady of the purest and highest
Christian character, cultured, charitable, and
greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was
deeply interested in the ragged schools of Lon
don, and gave great deal of her time and
largely OF her means to relieve suffering and
poverty, not only in the great metropolis, but
elsewhere in England and Scotland. She was
o warm personal friend Of the queen, and for
two years was mistress Of the robes, All who
came within the circle of her influence were
the winning courtesy of her presence, as well
as by her superior beauty. No member Of the
nobility will be more sincerely mourned than
the duchess Of Sutherland.
THE DUKES NFAruATroN.
The duchess Of Sutherland's name became
familiar to American newspaper readers last
December through the cabled accounts Of the
sensational scandal caused by the dukes iniat-
uation for Mrs. Arthur Blair, who resided at
his magnificent Staffordshire country seat at
Trentham. Mrs. Blair is the widow of an En-
glish officer, and the duke has said, in defense
Of her position in his family, that he had prom
ised the officer on his death-bed to care for his
widow. She is not a handsome woman by any
means, but she was admitted into London So
ciety before the scandal; Her name has been
connected with that of the duke several years.
In 1885, the duke, while on a visit to this coun-
try, was accompanied by Mrs. Blair, and they
we're the subject Of good deal of adverse
comment. While they were received in few
families, the greater part Of society drew the
unaccompanied by her, however, and he visited
a very few prominent society people. In De-
cember, 1887 the duke became very seriously
ill at Trentham. The London daily press
and society papers published frequent medical
bulletins of his condition. Considerable COM
ment was caused. however, by the fact that,
Notwithstanding the dukes dangerous illness,
the duchess and her daughter persisted in re-
naming quietly at Torquay, and even his sons,
the marquis Of Stafford and Lord Tarbat, kept
away from their fathers sick-bed. The cause
OF this peculiar conduct on the part Of the
ducal family was the presence at the dukes
bedside of Mrs. Blair, who had been quartered
at the country seat for some time previous to
his illness. She absolutely refused to leave
the dukes residence during his illness. and in
this determination she was fully supported b.
his grace. and when once she wavered in her
determination he even entreated her to remain
with him.
TERRIBLE SCENE.
At length the doctors bulletins announced
that the dukes illness had taken so critical
turn that it was very doubtful if he you'd be
able to live through the following twenty-four
hours, and the physicians considered it to be
their duty to inform the family of the danger,
and to make q final appeal to the duchess to
visit her husband on what they considered his
death-bed. The duchess, who is one of the
proudest ladies Of England, finally gave way to
their entreaties and journeyed down to Trent
ham, accompanied by her two sons and her
daughter, Lady Alexandra, and her daughter
in.law, Lady Stafford. Within a few hours
after the arrival of the family, however. the
duke improved so rapidly that all immediate
danger was past. A terrible scene then took
place between the injured wife and her chill
dren on the one side and the intruding lady on
the other. A vigorous attempt was made to
drive Mrs. Blair from the house and put an end
to the scandal, which was by that time the one
subject Of gossip all over the united kingdom.
The duke, however, gave his favorite his
strongest support, and she refused to leave the
mansion under any circumstances. This was
the last straw, and the proud duchess. accom-
panied by her children, left never to return.
THE QUEEN WAS ExcEEDINaLY INDIGNANT
over the insult to which her favorite had been
subjected, and she at once telegraphed to Tor
quay to her proud 'Annie," as she affectionately
calls her former mistress Of the robes ex-
pressing the deepest sympathy and coincidence
at the painful and distressing shock which she
had suffered at the dukes hands. The queen
has frequently visited the duchess Of Suther-
Land a. neI Lon mo- residence and on one OF
grace, with reference to the magnifcence Of
Stafford House:
.I am coming from my house buckingham
palace, to visit your palace.'"
Trentham the duke, although scarcely recov-
yacht, accompanied by Mrs. Blair, and left
England on Q prolonged ocean voyage, visit
ing Java and other islands in Ausfrslssian
waters. The dukes questionable proceedines
were very much regretted by the titled gentry
Of England, and herculean efforts were made
to suppress the story Of the scandal. Happen
ing, e IL did, only few months after the sent
uagenarian Duke Of Beaufort had forced kis
charming and popular wife to receive and
submit to the presence at Badmintou Of PIE
notorious opera-bou6e actress Connie Gil
christ, who vas also present with the late Lorl
Lonsdale ct the time Of his peculiar death. r
nads the scandal particularly obnoxious to
The duke and Mrs. Blair were recently ssp.
areted for few weeks, during which time t6e
duke resided with the duchess e Dunrobin
castle and entertained large numbsr Of euects
there. Il was reported Ct the time t6st ia
had discarded Mrs. Blair, and IL certainly a.
psared = q complete rsconciliation had besn
Effected between tho ducal couple. II. Blsir.
however, seems 70 have reeainsd har GA M,
tery over the dukes affections, and re lsiv
seeompsnies The duke on his present NIT g
tais country. = hs says, for tke recuperaficS
q her Wasted energies. She q reaigfore6 ~
tne 1revooyt House and aeeompaniSs - 6nho.
wno = getting pretty well along 8 ven. =
pyeen ct annssmsnk and kaveb vi1h fin
uhwevog ~ 60