New-York tribune., 1891-05-24
MADAME DE BEAUMONT.
FUNERAL OF A WOMAN WHO WAS USEFUL
TO GAMBETTA.

FUNERAL OF A WOMAN WHO WAS USEFUL
TO GAMBETTA.
The death of the Countess Of Beaumont. sister
n Marshal MacMahon and good many years
his Junior. stirred the male side of the fash-
ionable world Few ladies went to her funeral
But il was attended by the honest old Marsha,
her brother-in-law. and his two Patrick ana
Eugene; the heads of the Royalists party. namely
the Due de Doudeauville, Count dHaussohVhie'
its poitical leader in the room Of NJ. Boomer :
the MARQUIS de Beauvor and General Rochepouet'
who was prevented making coup petat LII
1877 by the stout opposition of major IN COM
mand of battalion at Limoges Indeed, reactlon
of every form was represented General du EaIaii
the chairman of Prince Victors comInittee'
Vicomte de Deux Breze, the friend and conhdeh-
tial socretarv of the late Comte de Chambord; the
Marouis do Pennes. an ex-equerry of the Emperor
Napoleon III: NJ Charles Ephruss whom NJ.
Theirs government prosecuted for seditlous
administration at Frouville Vicomte de Kervegain,
Comte de Boisgerin and Arthur Meyer OF the
"Gaulois"; the Marquis de Nadailiac Madame
de Beaumont in one respect like those
Grand ladies of Arsene Houssayes novels. She
was in love with herself. with matter IN It's
beautiful forms. and had passion for material
enioyments, though woman Of q good deal OF
intellect She broke loose from social restraints
toward the end of the Empire. when her husband,
General de Beaumont had to fight three duels in
the same week on her account. One
Of her lovers was Prince Metternch. The Beau
mont -Metternich duel was fought just before the
war of 1870 was declared and the Prince was
severely wounded. He was nursed affectionately
nv his wife and niece, and recovered in time to
ret away from Strasburg before the Prussians
were upon it.
Madame de Beaumont sank into the gilded
bohemia after the three duels. Her husband said
he would fight no more, and took steps to obtain
judicial separation, which was eventually granted
him. with the exclusive guardianship of three
children. The repudiated wife went in for sculpt-
ure music and politics She had really an artists
sensibilities though devoid of ideallsm, and was
one of the most accomplished musicians of her
time Her restless vanity prevented her attaining
greatness in any line. She was in too great q
fever to shine 10 be steady worker, and she had
no conscience
Madame de Beaumont was very like the pictures
of the Duchess d'Ivry, in the early London edi-
tions of The Newcomes" She was small, beauti-
| fully formed was fair, and had the most ac-
centuated aquiline profile of a refined and mini
ature kind that / ever saw on feminine head.
Il showed will of Steel indefatigabe energy, and
some Of the instincts of bird of prey.
She loved money and she loved power and
| was INSCRIPTIONS as to means when she
wanted one or the other. Money flowed
in to her. and she thought she was about to become
political parsonage when Gambetta died.
She aimed at being the Delilah of
that statesman. 1 believe she sometimes
thought of getting him to pass q divorce
law and inducing him TO marry her, and when
she saw that he did not care enough for her for
that. of merely twisting him round her fingers to
deliver him over to the Royalists. She got up
Jolly dinners and artistic soirees at which he was
the grand lion Her friendship with him was
close during an extremely critical time Through
common friends of herself and her sister she was
able to tell Gambetta everything that went for
ward at the Elysee. The information was valu-
able.
| The last time they met was at the first revival
| of Victor Hugo's tragedy LIE Roy s'Amuse." The
| circumstances under which the meeting happened
gave rise to the story that Gambetta's death
| wound was due to a quarrel with his mistress.
lie had agreed to take her to his grated pit-box
10 sec the drama, about which Paris was going
wild She was at the country place at Vile
| d'Avray. On the afternoon Of November 81. 1882,
she received O telegram from Gambetta's secretary
not to come. as arranged to the Theatre Francois.
This excited her curiosity and jealous fears. and
so she went to town, entered the theatre. as was
her habit by the artists door. went to Gambetta s
| box and found him there with Madame de Beau-
mont She gave way to her angry feeling. ahd
when she returned to Vile d'Avray he did not
! accompany her. He went back few DAYS later.
because he had made an appointment with mill
| H. boJ od nd ~ tol
which he wanted Gambetta to try. They shot at
a target in the grounds and the General left one
of his pistols loaded.
| One version of how he came by his death is
that he was handling the pistol, and that it went
off and shot him through the hand. The other
is that the lady ran in to continue the scene which
| had taken place in Paris, and then seizing the
weapon. turned it against herself, when Gambetta
wrested it from her. In the struggle the wound
was inflicted which caused his death.
Madame de Beaumont was KIND Of wandering
! .Jewess She had beautiful house Of her own,
| but lived chiefly in grand hotels The home was
/ used for dinner parties, and sometimes for draw
| ing-room concerts, at which Nine. Krauss used
TO sing. She had latterly a literary following
She spoke English, French, German and Italian
| as.though only brought up to speak each of these
| languages, had q charming voice, and neat and
pointed diction. The last time | saw her was
! In the reading-room of the Grand Hotel, where
she had gone to dine She looked at the, table
when she was turning over newspapers as though
living in watt and had an absurd head of FURNISHED
| fair hair which made her seem ten years older
than she really It's absurity lay in ite
volume, youthful vigor of curl and FURNISHED
| brightness OF tone.
The Wrong BONA vicar, who Is not accustomed