Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-08
BLOT ON A GREAT NAME.
Boucicau1t's Unmanly Treatment of Ag.
mes Robertson.

Boucicau1t's Unman1y Treatment of Ag-
mes Robertson.
NEW YORK, Sept. 30.-Agnes Robert
son, the first wife of Dion Boucicault,
| the dead actor and playwright, arrived
on the Servia, last evening, and will at
once institute suit to recover part of
the author-actor's fortune.
The actual separation of Dion Bouci-
cault and Agnes Robertson, which took
place in 1880, was only the elimination
of long series of troubles between
| them.
Originally Boucicault met Agnes while
he was engaged in translating and stag
| ing series of French plays for Charles
Kean at the Princess Theater. His en-
gagement was begun in 1913, and ternl-
mated in 1851, by his running away with
| Agnes Robertson, who was Mrs Charles
Kean's ward. For this offense Bouci-
cault begged for the forgiveness OF the
Keans, but was permanently discharged
from service by them, and made up his
mind to come to this country.
His first venture here of any serious
import was his running theater In
New Orleans. It did not pay, and be
then came to the conclusion that the
most profitable thing he could do was
to make ''star" of Agnes Robertson.
The first intimation given of Boucl-
cault's singular demeanor toward Agnes
| Robertson was during an engagement
she was PLAYING in Boston as early as
| 1858. Boucicault and she were living
as husband and wife in one of the
prominent hotels of the place, and one
| of the daily papers there naturally
spoke of Agnes Robertson as being Mrs.
hot Do, f0n IL
pains to come out in front of the cur
! ton to the young star.
The proprietor of the hotel where
they were stopping happened to be in
| the theater at the time, heard the
speech, went to his hotel, and by the
| time Boucicault and Agnes Robertson
reached there, had their trunks in the
hallway, with note saying that he had
heard the speech, and that under the
| circumstances he declined to house
them any longer.
| Boucicault afterward explained this
| incident by saying that he thought any
| public recognition of Agnes Robertson
as his wife would be injurious to her
| chances as a star actress. After that
| they continued in precisely the same
relation as before, both here and in
London, where Boucicault produced
many PLAYS between 1855 and 1870. No
one ever thought of doubling that they
were husband and wife during all this
| time.
About '63 Boucicault had an escapade
| in London, that caused Agnes Robert
son to begin divorce proceedings against
him. They subsequently made up, but
during the proceedings the famous
dramatist never thought of denying the
| LIZ, l., 70 + bic
try as ''stars" once more in 1870. Their
lives were far from being happy. They
then PLAYED in Booths Theater and
lived at the Clarendon Hotel. After
the performance each night; agnes
Robertson then complained) her hus-
band sent her home alone in the street
car, and she seldom saw him until next
day.
His name was prominently linked
with a weli-known actress who was
playing "Galatea" at the then Wal
lacks Theater. 1t was shortly after this
that they separated, Boucicault making
his wife an allowance, and never pre-
tending for moment that he was any
thing less than her husband.
1t was not until 1880 that, the allow
ance failing to come regularly, Mrs.
Agnes Boucicault, being in straits, sued
for the proper and definite allowance.
Then came the famous answer which
shocked the world, in which Boucicault
denied that he had ever been married
to Miss Robertson, thereby rendering
his several children illegitimate.
1t was an ill-advised step from every
point of view. Many men who had
stuck to Boucicault through all of his
their faces from him. He Immediately
lost popularity; his plays at the same
time ceased to be attractive, and, IN
fact, there was general and universal
protest against the dishonor that he had
brought upon little lady who had
been one of the greatest favorites before
the American public. The rest is of
modern history. Against the advice of
everybody, Boucicault proceeded in the
course he had adopted. The suit
against him here was dropped upon his
making proper provision tor his wife.
Then he started for Australia, where,
opinion by marrying Louise Thorndyke,
who, herself knowing of the existence
of another and a previous wife, deiber-
ately married Boucicault while even
some Of his own children by that previ
Gus marriage were playing in the same
company in Australia with her.
1t was Immediately after this marriage
that Agnes Boucicault applied to the
English courts for vindication of her
position before the world. She was up
held in her claim, and it will not be a
difficult matter to put that judgment on
record here.
Of the issue of the will contest be-
tween Louise Thorndyke on the one
hand and Agnes Robertson, with her
children, on the other, there can be no
serious doubt.
SHOT A BOY FOR A BURGLAR