Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14

Gypsy race, and by their sRgacity, ad
dress and physical prowess were able fo
nearly 200 years to exercise royal supremacy
The Blythe line was extinct in Scotland, and NJ
one could be found to dispute the royal line re-
verting 70 one or the other of the two Faa prin
cesses. Helen. the younger, urged her claim:
on the ground of the well known and often ex-
pressed wish of the dead king, that she should
eventually succeed him. Esther. the elder,
e!altn9a tne succession on the GROUNDS OF senio!
lty. For months the liveliest imaginable pollti-
cal canvass Was waged throughout the Gypsy
camps OF Scot and: the sisters often taking Sc
cret and rapid journeys of hundre IS OF miles to
further their respec i've interests. At last the
contest waged bitter that these sisters OF roy
a! blood came to blows, the first and last breach
IN Yetholm. They were both women OF
powerful build, over six feet in height,
and the encounter has been de'cri bed to ne by
an eye witness now living here as OF the most
savage and ferocious character. Esther was
victorious, and Helen, or black-bearded Nell
as she IS called By the villagers, got herself
weel fcSit.' This ARRAY apparently decided
the contest; for when testing day - or Shrove
Tuesday, on which the famous Bowmont games
are sti notably celebrated. Princess Helen and
her followers offered no objection TO Princess
Esther election and coronation.
The browning OF Queen Esther-whose full
name was Esther Faa Blythe Rutherford, the
Blythe and Rutherford addenda coming from
marriages with worthless men of her race-was
an affair OF great note at Yetholm. Her majesty
was attended by royal brother, several princes
and princesses of the blood, Prince Henry,
her son. now worthless vagabond, many
grandchildren and great retinue of over
800 Gypsles, with as many toWnspeople and
gentry OF the surrounding country. The caval-
cafe prodeeded to the Yetholm Cross. A jolly
old blacksmith named George Gladstone, who
had performed Ike office for Charles Blythe.
and thus assumed tine title of archbishop of
Yetholm, wrought n Respondent coronet of
tin, sustaining a tremendous Scotch thistle.
In the presence of the great mu titude he made
proclamation OF his right to exercise the high
Office, and having in the most solemn fashion set
the emblem OF royalty upon her head, proclaimed
the swarth heroine her royal majesty, Esther
taa Blythe Rutherford, sovereign anu
QUEEN OF ALL THE GIPsIES
in the kingdom of Scotland-challenge who
dare!'' Addresses of congratulation were read
from loyal subjects in the different shlres, from
the citizens of keiso and other near cities and
villages, and from Yetholm townsfolk after
which leyee was held at the roy al pal
ace matched cottage with hard
clay floor, and the night was passed in all ma
ner OF rustic revelries. At her death in July,
1855, Gypsy royalty in Scotland came TO end.
No one ever aspired to the enjoyment of her
Gypsy honors, and even old Princes Helen, with
wlom am quite favorite, tells me that she
was so ',weel aud iairly Ticket, that she com
p!e.ely lost all her ambition for royal life.
Queen Esther died at Kelso Her cortege from
kelso to Kirk YeTholm, where she buried
beside hundreds of her race, was memorable
one. Thousands Of people came TO Yetholm.
Upon the coffin lay the ROYAL red cloak OF the
queen. a Id an enormous white wreath of roses,
mounted this. Both were inferred with
the body of the queen. The Rev. Mr.. David
son, for twenty nine years minister of the par
ish church here. tells me he never witnessed
q more remarkable scene than this burial. The
services were held at kelso; but such vast
crowds massed about the grave at Hetholm that
though Mr.. Davidson made effort to reach i; to
say few words over the body, the grief of the
Gipsies and The density of the crowd prevented.
He also tells me other things gained from his
ministry among these strange people which may
interest many who believe Gipsies are no bet
ter than wolves. Among these the state
ments hat no more honorable folk in all their
business dealings ever rived in Scotland. They
never would pay their rent at fixed time, but
thev always paid it. Their word in all matters
could be absolutely depended upon. For over
seventy-h five years no Yetholm Gypsy has been
accused of crime. Their home and family rela-
tons have always been singularly free from I'M
faithfulness and unhappiness AMI in short,
he believes that in all things upon which esti-
mates of character may be based they have ever
excelled the non-gipsy townspeople about them.
Notwithstanding this, Gpsydom has so de-
clined here that il is but wrath of its former
self. When here year since l found but four
teen families comprising more than eighty
souls. At that time predicted that should yet
my own beloved land. Three of those families
are already with the roadside pilgrims in Amer
lea. Those remaining are held to the spot by
the old, old folk, who beg 20 be allowed the last
privilege OF laying their bones alongside Of those
of their kin in the little cburchyard beside the
manse. When that is done, Gipsydom at Yet,
holm Will be no more. 1t will have been trans
planted to that grand and wondrous land across
the seattle Gipsy's haven and heaven OF OPP
portunity and delight.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.