The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-08
DEAD AND TURNED 7OCLAY
These Great Men Might Stop Hole
and Keep the Wind
Away.
Two Dukes and Two Earls, Each
with a Grim History, Pass
Away.

Detested Maxnnte, a stInxy Duke, a
Ruined Earl and Pauper Peer
An Arcldnchess.
Especial Correspondence Of The INDEPENDENT
LONDON, Jan. M.-The grim specter has
played terrible havoc in the ranks of Eng
lish society the last seven days. Two
dukes. Bedford and Somerset, and two earls,
Devon and Caithness, succumbed after a
few days illness in each case. Half the
leading families are in mourning. Each of
the four dead noblemen represented an
ancient and proud family in the annals of
history, the two earls in particular: the
earl of Devon as a Courtenay tracing his
descent from the Greek emperors, the
Plantagenets, and by marriage with
dozen English king; the earl of Caithness
as Sinclair. with the Oldest chiefs and
royal rulers of Scotland. The two dukes
are more medieval in their ancestral
claims. the fortune of the Russells Bed
ford) having been made by Henry VII. and
those of the Seymours (Somerset) by an
other of the Tudor ,nonarchs.
The public interest, however, in the four
peers lies more in their individual lives
and doings than in their ancestry. Fancy
duke committing such vulgar thing us
suicide, and such rich and powerful duke
as he of Bedford. But he blew out his
brains, nevertheless, and his successor, his
son, till now known as the Marquis of
Tavistock, is likely to end his days in just
such an eccentric manner. For instance,
take the new duchess, daughter of a for
mer Lord Somers. She is a wife ana yet
not wife, although lady of beauty and
of conduct as irreproachnble as her fathers
rank. Yet it is an open secret that her
husband. although married to her for sew
eral years and in public on apparently most
tender terms. is only husband to her to the
extent of the VOWS he made at the altar,
no more. They actually resided in differ
ent wings of their family seat during their
honeymoon. But then, all the Russells are
as eccentric as they are clever and schol-
arly. The brother of the late duke was
Lord Odo Russell, the brilliant statesman,
created shortly before his death in 1884, a
peer by the title of Lord Ampthill. He
had a most fervent belief in spiritualism,
His son, the present Lord Ampthill, was
one of the Oxford eight at the last univer-
sity boat race.
Another brother of the duke is one of the
most profound Chinese students outside
the bounds of Tartardom. A near kins-
man, another great English statesman,
Earl Russell, brought up his family with
great strictness and the result was his eldest
son, Lord Amberley, who predeceased his
father, was as notorious free thinker and
free lover as he was profound in the attain
ment of every possible ism" ana "oloRy."
Lord Amberley's son, the present John
Stanley RUSSELL second Earl RUSSELL
young man of 25 who has travelled all over
America, was married few months ago,
and his wife, beautiful young girl, is seek
ing for judicial separation on the ground,
SO it is whispered, of cruelty-not blows,
but unnatural neglect. =,
To return to the late duke whose remains
were cremated last week and who undoubt-
edly died, in moment of delirium, by his
own hand. He was man of great learn
ing and enormous fortune and at the same
time one of the most unpopular men in
England. Hastings Russell, as he was
known before the coronet of strawberry
leaves came to him., was never popular.
He was the most tyrannical and parsimoni-
GUS of landlords and as his property was
hated him. No man did less for charity or
more to make his order detestable to liberal
ideas. He was, it is said, the original of
Anthony Trollope's Plantagenet Palliser,
but then Hastings Russell never had the
warm heart beating beneath the cold exte-
rior-at least he never showed it even to
his most intimate friends-which distin-
puished "Plantv Pael"
The death of an old man like the duke
of Somerset is only worth chronicling for
the sake of his noble ancestry. for it may
truly be said of him that ducal coronet
sat very uneasily on his brow, and his whole
life is distinguishable for its barrenness
This great noble, who could boast of four
country seats and town mansion. did not
live as common folks would imagine, in
the gorgeous splendor usually appertaining
to those who rank next to the princes of
royal blood; for Archibald, fourteenth duke
of Somerset, spent large portion of his ex-
lstence III half empty house in Berk eley
square, the drawlng-room serving him for
pedestrian exercise. while the number of
his dependents might be counted on the
fingers of one hand.
This noble duke did not even keep his
own carriage, but whenever this gracious
person was wishful to be carried. q four
wheeler sufficed and it used to be the
funniest Of spectacles to see this plain old |
gel tleman, in a wideawake, standing at |
the corner of the square trying to catch |
cabby's eye on the rank in Davies street, |
while cabby was usually MS blind as bat to |
the ducal signals; but when the jehu was
really Obliged to see he usually left the rank
amid the jeers of his brethren of the
whipcord.
The cabman's relucta nee to carry the
duke may be we'll understood when it is
stated that the latter usually INDUCED in
shilling fares, and always insisted upon
having close on n mile drive for this fabu-
ous sum. The late duke, it may be- added,
,ook little interest in politics, not even
having taken the trouble to sign the roll of
parliament since he succeeded to the title
ak years ago. His grace was fond of
pictures and has left valuable collection.
which are mostly located at his late resl-
1ence near Totnes.
The death of the twelfth earl of Devon.
setter known MS Lord Courtenuy, must lead
one TO reflect upon the vanity of human
life. Clever, agreeable, popular, and the
,ldest son of one of the most noble families
not only OF England, but of all Europe.
Edward Courtenay began life with a very
arge silver spoon in his mouth and "A ball
hat rolled OF its own accord before his
Ieet. At first everything went we'll. His
ordship was the most correct and admir-
able OF titled members of the lower house,
but suddenly the young nobleman took the
bit in his month and dashed OIL down the
road to ruin sat lightning speed, eventually
lpsetting into the bankruptcy court for Il
figure. His father, n most re-