The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-18
MADAME soHLKe,s HYsTgalA.
The Misfortuncs OF n Ballet Dancer Who
Used 10 Play Cards with Gambetta-
New York Herald,


Now York herald.
The public who were delighted with the
artistic dancing OF Nine Augusta kohlko In the
principal theatres In this city not many years
ago have since heard something OF her mislor
tunes rs well ~ Of her trumphs. None Of the
former, however, cqualled the disgrace OF being
dragged into police court on n vulgar charge
OF assault, which was her unhappy lot on Wed.
nosdny. She has lattcrly kept n school Of bal.
let dancing at no. i07 Third.aye., aud two girls
among her pupils were Elizabeth and Mary
Was, She promised them, ~ they declare
positions on The stage, and when they thought
that they had been long enough In tutelagC
and wanted her 10 keep her word she declared
that Elizabeth was too stupid for anything
and struck her on the nose. II bled, that pool
little nose did, and madame was arrested. Jus
uce Murray wanted security for her subsequent
appearance, and she was about 10 be led away
60 dungeon cell, but some gentleman who had
known her in her days of glory CALAMITY inter.
cedcd, aud she was released on parole. She
tainted before she left the court room.
The last decade Of Nine Sohlke's career ha,
contained some pretty notorious episodes. She
Is n Hungarian by birth, and IL now about forty
five years old. She has travelled much IN
Europe aud America. In 1877 che returned
from Paris 10 New York as n member of the
Bonfanh "Back Crook" company, and In the
autumn Of that year was premiere danseusc
aud had charge of the ballet in life" nj the
Fifth.avc. theatre. She also was engaged in
THE White Fawn" and other spectacular pieces
But by that time her star of beauty and youth
md gruce was on the wane, and in 1873 she was
reduced 10 the keeping OF lodging house for
theatrical people. On the moring OF July %
1878, she startled the police by informing them
that she had been atrociously assaulted in her
room while servants and dodgers were absent
from the house By two sallow-faced, ragged
aud filthy tramps, and that after hogging her,
half drowning her In bathtub and nearly
I.s n
her neck they had robbed her OF her jewels and
fed. One OF the rings which they had taken,
she said, was given her by Gambctta.
Nine Sohlke's story was not generally be-
levcd. The police declared IL 10 be q delusion.
Her manner and appearance were such as 10
suggest arrangement of mind. Her ey, 5 had a
CLASSY look, her face was flushed, her speech was
incohcrcnt, and il was quite evident that she
had taken something pretty strong in the way
OF slimulnnis, No one doubted, however, that
she believed all she had told, aud she tainted
after she went 10 the door and had called 10 an
iceman 20 70 and inform the police.
The police surgeon who examined her pro.
nounced her affection hysterical mania.
In 1883 Nine Sohlke again produced sensa-
ton. She wrote a letter 20 the Herald doclar-
ing that her poverty and the neglect in which
she found herself were too great for her 10 bear
and that she was fully determined upon
suicide. The method she had chosen was the
slow and lingering one of starvation. Up to
that time she had gone without food Tor FOUR
teen days, although she had drank abundantly
of strong liquors. She remarked that she
thought that they might help 10 finish her.
She was living then in fiat at no. 50
Fourth-aye. and had with her her little son
Hans, about seven years old, who was already
educated as a dancer and could have earned n
salary but for the objections of Commodore
Geny's society. As she was talking 10 a
Herald reporter the little fellow begged his
mother rather piteously not 20 die. She
declared that she had spent all of her money
was in debt and had failed In the design OF
starting dancing school. In the midst of her
recital she burst into tears.
The publication Of the story the next day
brought her abundant pecunary relief, and she
took more cheerful view Of life, resolving not
10 quit il quite yet To reporter she said (:
III made me mad, you see, To think OF old
times, of the days when Gambetta played cards
with me at my own house in Paris; when Ma
poleon never passed me by without q compli'
ment; when he old king Of Bavaria said 10 me,
'Sohlke, don't ever 60 10 America; you'll surely
starVe there, like Lola Montcz.' Then the
serenades and the flowers and the jewels and
the love-makingl Ahl Il Is bitter 10 recall
those pleasant times, now that am so poor and
miserable"