The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-04
srANLEY's FIRST LOVE AFFAIR.
Els Passion for an Actress When He
Was an Omaha Reporter.

Els Passion for an Actress When He
Was an Omaha Reporter.
Stanley Is to be married in Westminster
Abbey July II, says the New York Times.
What would Annie Ward say could she
read this announcement of the prospective
nuptIals of the great explorer. Ia the days
when these two people met, toward the close
Of the sixties StaIle, was noted for nothing
save poverty and persisteuce-the latter a
characteristic bred in his bone and that has
been of incalcIlable benefit 10 him all these
later years Of uncertainty and privation.
Annie was a variety actress VINO was
then gladdening the hearts Of that wonder
fully large floating population streaming
into the great plains region through the
then new city of Omaha. She was bright,
vivacious, of very attractive figure, and
knew how TO entertain.
Stanley, who had been about the city a
few weeks, had, like many others, fallen
under her spell. Young and unreasonable,
he became enrolled as her devoted friend.
Finding means to gain admission to the
theater in which she was playng-it might
have been old Jack Langrishe's-he found
seat close to the stage night after night
watching the coy Annie with all the eager
ness of an infatuated lover. Stanlev's
existence seemed conferred upon her. But
Annie was HCkIe. Nne ulSnJ, IL Is Teldueus
a scene was precipitated by the lovesick
young man, who had begun to realize that
the object of his affections was PLAYING fast
and loose with him and was soliciting at
tentiOn from other gentlemen of larger
wealth
On the night in question, as the story goes,
he was in his accustomed seat in the theater,
ami when Miss Ward came on, in scanty
costume, to do her little act" Stanley was
observed to be in a condition of excitement
quite foreign to his nature. Miss Annie
was too palpably engaged in imDressing her
perso nality upon rather bOisterous young
man, who had the reputation of having
cleaned out numerous barrooms, and was
not on the most intimate terms of good fell
lowship with the law-loving element of the
community. Stanley is said TO have stepped
into the aisle in a most demonstr alive man
ner, and scene of excitement followed
that terminated only when be was
summary and safely elected through
the front door. There were many
stories related as to what really
happened-an angry colloquy with the
actress, the pubic declaration that both he
and she would be better off out of this
world of heartaches and unrequited love,
and the final exhibition of a very large and
dangerous revolver. Through The prompt
interpostion of muscular spectators (who
didn't SO much object to blood letting as to
the disruption of the programme and the
possible unsatisfactory termination of the
evenings ENTERTAINMENT Annie Ward was
enabled to get out of the range of Stanley's
weapon, and Stanley was elected. Annie
was saved to die of alcoholic excuses and
Stanley to discover Livingstone and make
known the secrets of the dark continent.
Stanley's life at that time was peculiar
one He had knocked about the west
good deal, and had done some fair news
paper work on a military expedition.
| Dropping into Omaha, he was for time out
of employment, and developed into a
splendid specimen of poverty and general
hard luck. His pant lloons were "out" at
| the heels, his shoes mere apologies for foot
| gear, his linen even Chinaman would have
| scorned, and his stock of flannel shirts re-
| duced to one. He would get job now and
| then on one of the Omaha dailles-a days
| work, no more at a time. AS for lodgings,
| he had none, and one of the city editors of
that period relates how Stanley would
| appear nightly in the editorial rooms of
| the Republican and solicit the privilege
| of sleeping there, for the reason that he had
| no money to pay for a bed elsewhere. 1t
was invariably accorded him, and he
| made his couch by scraplng together a lot
| of old newspapers AMI softening no the die
| tionary for pillow with few Chicago and
| New York exchanges. There he spent his
| nights in refreshing sleep, with no covering
save papers; and making his toilet on arls
ing as best he could in the composing room,
he would start out every afternoon to Skin
mish for food and a job.
Soon afterward Stanley come to New
| York, and later he was in AbySsinia, Spain
and then Africa Now in less than month
he will be married where Engand's kings
| and queens have been crowned aud buried
and where he himself may some day find
place of his sepulcher, should not some mys-
FERROUS corner of thai almost unknown re-
gion of Central Africa claim him as its
| victim