New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-30
FROM STAGE TO PEERAGE
BELLE hilton NOW COUNTESS OF CLAN.
CARTY.
,urnvx nr,rH OF HER HUSBANDS FATHER
o,,vpsp AT HER RAPID CAREER.

srnnrS DEATH OF HER HUSBANDS FATHER
GLIMPSE AT HER RAPID CAREER
-, Nav oe-Rchard Somerset Le-PoerTrench.
,.'..h Far, az Clancarty, died suddenly to-day. He
tc.a ,..'' t,e teud with his son, viscount Duno.
~ nsr,slly healed. He had been confined all win
ou' s,s house without seeing his son. week ago
'ei - had seizure Of govt and paralysis, bat he
m.a and seemed TO be recovering when he was again
...N.d Death finally unexpected that 1t came
-. y,seount Dunlo could reach HIS fathers bedside.
,,.oo,rt Dunlo was in Plymouth at the time. where
adv punlo has been playing the part Of Venus
The attitude Of the family toward the actress continues
hostile.
The Earl Of Clancarty was born on January ID.
1874 and was educated at Cheltenham College and ct
trinity Cellcee, Cambridge He a Justice of the
pace for Counties Galway and Roscommon Ireland
and was honorary colonel Of the 4th Battalion OF the
counaught Rangers He succeeded to the Earldem
IN 1872 In 1866 he married Lady Adelizs Georgiana
usrvey daughter of the second Marquis OF BRISTOL
His Countess two sons and a daughter survive
him The founder OF ne house OF Cancarty
was william Power Koating Trench. Member
Of Parliament for Galway from 17os TO lIe''
II. was made Baron Kilconnel In 1898. Wis
count Dunlo in 1901, and Earl Of ClancArty IN
1903. all in the Peerage of Ireland His son Richard,
the second Earl created Baron Trench IN Aoi'
and viscount Cancarty in 1929 both IN the feeraee
of the United Kingdom He was appointed Am
sasador TO the Hague in 1913 in 1918 the King OF the
..,ands conferred the title of Marquis Of Heusden
mn, him and In 1924 he received royal permission 10
,Iar the title IN Great Britain. His son, the third
rarl Il 1911 s72 married Lady Sarah Juiana buuer'
daughter of the third Earl OF Carrick he was sue
400 nv the Earl who has Just died. Since the time
n, the second Earl the head of the house has sat IN
the House of Lords viscount Clancarty
other members Of the family were prominent IN the
army the diplomatic service and the church, but lon
Dnnlo william Frederick Le-Poer-Trench), VINO now
sucoeds to the carbon known only for the scandals
with which his name is connected. he was porn OH
Deoember 90 1858. Before he had reached his ma
FORTY he began to lead fast LIE in LONDON, ana
IN july 1885, married Belle Billion, who with ner
sister aFYon was well known In the London music
halls Belle Billion now the Countess OF Clancarty
drew crowded houses in London because OIL her beauty
md the scandals with which her name was connecbea
md not because OF her talent as singer OF scoss
Her most noted appearance before the pubic was III
rulv 1890 when she was the defendant In suit Tor
.,rorc. ,ronght against her by her husband. The
casa was opened on July before Sir James Hannen
Civ Charles Russell appeared for Viscount Dunlo
Isadore wertheiner. wealthy West End dealer IN
b-c-a-brac was the correspondent LORD DUNNO WHO
WAS then described a weak-eyed weak-faceo beard
less boy with reddish hair, sought g divorce nom
his attractive wife the ground OF the latters
adultery with Werthdmer. In her answer Seiie
Billion sore she not guilty and that IL was
su Dunlos fault" because he left her soon after their
marriage and went of 30 the Continent without pro
viding for her support Mr.. lockwood, her counsel
efterward withdrew this portion Of her plea and
relied upon her unqualified denial OF the charge OF
adultery During the course Of the examination
viscount Dunlo said that he married Belle Billion In
July 1885, at a registry Office without the knowledge
of his father and that as IT was arranged previous to
the ceremony that he TO make tour OF the world
he did so soon after the ceremony had taken place
Letters which had passed between viscount Duno ana
his wife were read In court. to the great amusement
of all present They suggested great sftoctaon
on both sides m one letter the Visoount
thanked God that they were married, and
Belle in another wrote. wicked, wicked days,
why don't they fly faSter1" and assured Lord Dunno
that whatever naughty people" said about her ana
Wertheimer was "utter bosh." servant OF Lazy
Dunlo swore that she Werthemer come cut OF ner
mistresss bedroom before her marriage The trial
ended ON July 80 Lady Dunlo securing a verdict IN
Ter favor she left the court amid shower Of cheers
The court granted the costs Of the action against VIE
count Dunlo Sir James Hannen's charge was unique
IN the annals of British Jurisprudence in that II con-
tanned study of Bohemian life and the classes asso
cated with such an existence He warned the jurors
that pohemians" people whose life was quite
foreign to the ordinary urymans notions, and, there
fore IL must be judged from peculiar point OF Vle"
The late Earl of Clancary admitted on the wluuess
stand that he sent his abroad day or so after hs
marriage in order that he might lesve his wife WIFI
ont money or other Of support, in order that
neoessity might drive her back 20 her FORMER lie, ac
fins make easy for young Dunlo to obtain divorce
from her, This class Of testimony made Belle Billion
sort Of heroine, that when she won her suit she
became Immensely popular in certain circles She had
handsome Carriages and fast horses ard her dresses
and Jewels were the talk of London. She received
salary of $500 week though utterly devoid OF real
talent and played TO packed houses nightly. Every
evening Lady Dunlo would drive to the theatre where
she was playing the leading role of an absurd bur-
lesoue called Venus" in handsome bcougham, WITH
a coaehman and footman the box ATTENDED some
times by her husband but moro often by Werthemer'
and the general opinion formed was that the ialtef Was
supplying the funds for the Dunlo establishment as
the rich old Earl of Clancarty cut eff his sons allow
ance as soon as he patched up his differences with his
wife, which was in August 1890.
In septembcr, 1890, Lady Dunlo was again in
eOurt this time as a witness against AN American
adventurer Alden Carter Weston, who was sentenced
to seven years penal servltude with hard labor for
forging Wertheimers nametO checks which were cashed
By Lady Duno. The evidence given at this trial was
q a startling nature. Weston, who is the son Of a
formerly wellknown citizen Of Baltimore, met Lady
Duno at music hall and eventually deserted his wife
and family for her spent his entire fortune upon
her. When he came 10 the end OF his bank account
Weston resorted to criminal means in order to obtain
more money 10 lavish upon the musichall star, and
some time in 1888 he sentenced TO eighteen months
Imprisonment on a charge of conspiracy TO defraud
Upon the expiration of his sentence Weston continued
his intimacy with Belle Billion, who, while Weston was
In prison. had married Viscount Dunlo by whom she
had previously had a child 1t was asserted at the
tine Of Westons second trial that the charge against
him upon this occason-that Of forging the checks
which Lady DunlO cashed-was trumped up against
him by Viscouut DunlO and Lady DunIo and Werthemer
in order 10 get him out Of the way II also then
stated that Weston would surely kill Lady Dunlo, Wis
count Dunlo and Wertheimer when his term Of I'm
prs0nment eX PiIed.
The father Of the present Countess of Cancarty was
respected sergeant artillery, formerly stationed at
Woovch and She is said TO have begun fast life at
very early age among the soldiers OF the WoolWtoh
garrison After this preparation Belle and her sister
FO7 made their debut the stage Of the barracks
Where their mother PLAYED the Goddess Of Beauty:
halk and soon became the favOrtes Of the "bloods'
IL Ilnllli