Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-06
MRS. FRANK LESLIE.
THE FAMOUS AUTHORIZES AND PUB
Usher WEEDS WILLIE WILDE.
A Ouiet Sunday Evening Marriage Which
Few People Expected-A Brother Oh
Oscar WiIde-Thcir Plans.
Nav York IIerald.l

Oi Oscar. were uiiIttb in "
night by the Rev. DR.. Charles +. peeni''
Of the Church OF the Strangers. -,
The announcement OF the marriagc WIN
be great surprise to the many acqua,n.-
apces and friends of Mrs. Leslie IN ,niS
city. "a no engagement had been an
nonnced and no preparations hau oco"
made for the ceremony. .:.. 90, .ho
Mr. Wilde arrived in this city on the
steamship Havre on Wednesday, anu ,oon
anartmor,ts az the brunswick. lie at once
called upon Mrs. Leslie, ana mas sinc9
dined with her regularly. but TINS EXETER
little or no comment, as they were hno"A
to te old friends ..o .or,;,,
ceremony YVES when Marshall !. Wider
ceileJ M the Gerlach where Mrs. Leslie
resides last night. The bride TO be theh
hroached the subject and asked DIR. Wider
# he would be willing to give her away
Whom she should be married. He laugh
inoly essented. and to his surprise the laay
told him TO prepare to do his duty, as sue
was TO be married that very evening.
Later in the evening Mr.. Wilue caileu'
and together the party drove to the Oro,sic'
in Iwentv-sixth street, where Mr. and Mrs.
= u Gamer were notified of the coming
event and asked to attend as witnesses.
This made NJ the wedding party that
drove up TO the Church oil the oiransers
inst "a the evening services were Closing;
Dr, Deems. who for years conducted
Frank Ltsle's Sunday Ma9aztne, was cai,eu
mon. and escorting the party INTO ms
studv spoke the words Of the service whlch
made the couple one for lie.
THE NEWS GETS OUT.
Mrs Leslie was dressed for her wedding
IN nearl gray cashmere dress, EN-,
broidered in the same color ana trimmer
ollietly with creaIn-colOreu satih; iiei
bonnet was 20 match the dress ana necke9
with pearl and cream ostrich tips ana
steel beads. AT her meek she wore Pear.s
and diamonds and IN her ears soiltairc
PEARLS. .ho cor
vontjongl black frOch-coat and trousers,
with white tie. A.,
In spite Of the secrecy with which al the
nreuaration for the event were niane IL
leaked ont that Mrs. Leslie VAS being mar
Rod She had been recognized wheh sne
passed mo the church. and wheh thc
bridal party passed ont to the caIriaic
unite a little crowd had gathered to watch
and see and hear what they could Oh 'ne
unexpected event.
drove - DelmouicO's. where supper was
errved and a few friends were nOtihcd
and informally received 10y the BRIDE ana
Mr. and Mrs. Wilde Will leave for weeks
,,oBJ,np trlp 70 Niagara to-day. On their
return they will be Mt the Geriach for some
little time. Later l. Wilde expects 10
make an extended tour through the States
with a view TO writing impressions ana
correspondence for English papers ana
II i not vet decided whether Mr.. and
Mrs Wilde will make tneir home III Ing
land or America.
Mrs. Frank Leslie was born in New Or
leans some years ago. Tho exact date -
shrouded III considerable mystery, al
though columns have been written con-
corning her, and although she has twice
that she has seen thirtv-elght
III 1855 and second time
in 1890. Her maiden name was Marian
Florence Follin. and her family IL OF
Hucuenot descent. At the commencement
of the war she went to Cincinnati and sub
seouentiy removed TO this city, where she
BEGAN her career "a writer.
MRS. LESLIE IN NEW YORK.
While working tor various weekly pub.
lications in this city she met and married
Mr.. T.. G.. Squier. at that time edltor-in-
chief for Mr.. Leslie but who was subse-
auently Minister to Peru and later TO
several Central American States.
For reasons which were never ma 10 pup
lie. Mrs. Leslie separated from MIR. Squier
and returned TO literary work. Several
wears later she married Mr.. Leslie; The
latter's affairs were II complicated con-
dition at the time of his death. but Mrs.
Leslie. who had aided him considerably
during the last years Of his life III his busii-
ness affairs. assumed charge of the busi-
ness and within two years had 1t upon a
paying basis.
MRS. LESLIE IN LONDON.
Mrs. Leslie became well known in Lon
don four years AGO OWING To the unpiea-
santness which took place near Hyde Park
corner between two OF her devoted al
mirers. the Marquis de Leuville and the
Prince Es!pofi. The contest was terrible
while it lasted, and wa- written up IN ho-
merle style by the London press. DE Leu
vile, who writes bad poetry and spends
his money in having 1t set TO execrable mu-
sic. had worshipped Mrs. Lesl re tor many
vaer. On seeing her almost daily
IA The Row with Esipof his manly
heart burst the bonds Of cOnven-
tionality and he smacked Eslpoh ON the
cheek with his glove. Esipoh replied by
shifting the French Marquis across the
forehead with MIS-. LeslIe's celebrated
mother-of-pearl parasol, breaking 1t IN
halves. The titled gentlemen were com
PEELED to appear o. the Police Court the
next morning. and in the cold. clear light
of the court IL was shown that the Mar
ouis de Leuville" was not Il frenchlnan.
but the son of London tailor, and that
the alleged Prince Esipo1 WAS no other
than a celebrated Russian forger, who had
spent seven years ~ Russian prison.
Mrs. Leslie was very angry over the
scandal that the encounter between her
suitors gave rise 10, and never received or
smoke to one or the other Of them again.
Ii was while visiting friend, the Lady
Duffield Hardy. at the latter's house. on
west Forty-third street. in 1854. that Mrs.
Leslie was introduced to DE Leuvllie.
The latter apparently learned OF Mrs.
Ieslie's wealth, for he lesan an ardent
courtship. which he pressed ON both sides
of the Atlantic. following Mrs. Leslie from
one side to the other. Finally their en-
cagement was announced while they were
living III London, and when friends were
looking forward 20 the marriage the row
occurred and she broke of the match. she
did not take that action, however. until a
license had been obtained.
WHO Mr.. WILDE Is.
willy Wilde. the bridegroom. Is O
well-knOwn man about town IN London.
He Is younger brother of the Poet OF un-
kissed Kisses. and ~ often charged with
being concealed poet" himself. The
Wilde brothers came to London tOgeth II
from Trinity College, Dublin. but their
paths soon dlverged. They are the tai.
cnted children of Sir William Wilde, the
celebrated occulist, and Lady Wilde. the
authOress of "Speranza," and other poems,
willy" Wilde was called to the Irish
bar. but his gay and genial nature craved
moro convivial circuit. which he found
III London literary and Bohemian circles.
For several years no was connected with
the Dd.iy Telegraph rs descriptive writer,
In London he was connected with the
World under Edmund Yates, and was q
contributor to Punch.
lie went on to the Telegraph under Sill
Edwin Arnold, G.. :. l., and for the last
four years has been an editorial writer and
dramatic and art critic, besides dong
special correspondence OF political Ia.
ture IN France and Germany.
when Mr.. Wilde arrived Wednesday
from Bremen he proceeded Immediately
from the steamer TO the "Gerlach," or
Twenty-seyenth street, where Mrs. Lesli,
has resided for several winters. While hi'
luggage awaited without the ardent Lover
had long conversation with Mrs. Leslie
and then went Immediately to the Bruins
wick Hotel. Since then Mrs. Leslie ant