Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-01-31
RIJRICE knew ALADY
~ EllS MENEEN was her FULL
NAME
7,,ir,d Fer Wonderful Horse Mszsppa-Shs
V,riS an AetOr-LOyed Fighter.
Al Earls Son Loved Hsr-No
Go-But an Emperor,
h1waS Different

5s,ssrf and daughter as best she could.
l',s fbus that in early girlheOd Adah,
81. driven to seek employment which
NJ, f,und in a more cOngenial way than
~, srgviSh capacity of q seamStress
IN lower grade OF servile drudgery.
sLe WAS anxious 70 accompany the
ms company up the river, and
I-,ryh its summer campaign, but the
.Lts,riop OF her mother was enough for
~. and 20 a proposal that she would
"a away from home and join the
.tov. ] returned a decisive negative,
L~t cave her an engagement in my New
orleans Museum.
mon the return OF the circus COM
,,Tv 20 New Orleans, she left the Mu-
mem. bid adleu to her native city and
.ts-tsi for Cincinnati.
soon after her arrival in the Queen
cav she fell in with a family named
Nrankel, consisting Of a mother and
,Srs. between one Of whom and Adah
rFars sprung up an intimacy which was,
mon her part, mistaken for love and
marriage followed.
The MenkenS entertained great idea
oftbe hiStrionic ability Of Adah in the
higher walk OF the drama, and she was
rsred under the tuition of an elOcu-
ZIONIST. and after an arduous course an
engagement was sought and obtained at
+ra National Theatre In Cincinnati,
then under the management Of John
Rates. Her first appearance as Blanca,
I'm the tragedy OF "FaSiO" was only
martial success; subsequently she es-
saved o round Of characters in the legit-
mate drama, out il became evident that
she never could shine as a star in the
profession.
This was not in accord with the ambi-
ton Of Adah and after a trial in several
cities, as an exponent Of the classic
drama, she concluded 70 abandon 1t for
less lofty but more money-makiug
phase Of the profession.
She studied "MaZeppa" In the dra-
matte version Of Byron'S romantic poem
and she was the first female that ever
assumed the character. Il broke and
trained the Fiery, untamed steed" upon
which she was won't 70 ascend and de-
sceud 10 and from the flies OF the thea
ire. But prior TO this, and before she
had entirely abandoned the legitimate
drama, she formed the acquaintance OF
John c. Heenan, the celebrated pugilist.
She had become tired OF her husband,
Nenken, and had separated from him
without going 10 the fOrmality Of dis
solution OF the marriage by the courts.
Whether she contracted a second with
Heenan is a matter Of doubt.
10 was after this that she commenced
her career in the equestrian drama. 1t
was not so much the excellence OF her
fpo mo
personality. Her face and features
we're perfect, her glossy dark hair
iringed her forehead in short crisp
curls, while her form, although cast in
the mould Of womanly perfection, when
seen In the "MaZeppa" ClOSe-ftting cos
tune, was a study for painter. She cre-
ated a Juror wherever she appeared. Her
hacked audiences, However, were al
most entirely Of the masculine gender,
iur she was almost totally ignored by
the Rentlet sex Who esteemed the eXht-
bltion vulgar aud disgusting. II made
no difference, theatrical managers were
after drawing attractions, and Adah
Isaacs Menken was the best drawing
card of the period.
In 1865 she purchased handsome up
town residence in New York and rested
awhile from her labors. Atapublic en-
rsrtainment one evening she was seen
bv Hon. Mr.. Stanley, the son OF Lord
Stanley and grandson OF the Earl or
Derby. He fell I'm love with her at trSt
SIGHT and lost no time In obtaining an
Introduction. He laviShed presents
without stint upon his newborn flame,
but 10 his supplicatiOn for q return OF
his love Adams reply was, only as
Mrs. Stanley. An ambitious vision OF
Countess of Derby was In her mlnd
eve. but as much as he was In love ne
could not entertain such. an IDEA, ana 50
after spending several weeks In vain
pursuit and expanding as many thou-
sands OF dollars upon the object, ne set
He'd his bill at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
and with an English party started upon
q hunting expedition. Notnlng was
heard of him or his companions Tor a
wear. and there were apprehensiohS
mat thew had been captured by the In
dians but at the expiration OF that time
ne returned TO New York safe ana
souDd and entirely cured OF his lll-au-
yised passion. - t,-
In the meantime Adah, who had Tor
soma time contemplated visit TO Eu-
rome. finally put in practice ana win
her sNlazeDpa.' she embarked IN one OF
tbe Cpnard steamers. Her fame had
Drecaded her. and she found no dimcuity
In procuring a lucrative engagemeni'-
AT Astley's Amphiteatre, LONDON ths
Juror surpassed anything exPerleh'oeu
In the limited States, and night aIter
rfgbt the Mace was crowded 70 repie-
ton She was the rage OF the mare
ronrIation OF the metropolis. she hau
yoI1, landings dangling at her Tram
g,t stanley. the infatuated Stanley
ever sgaip made his appearance. HIS
mos bad been scorched, but they were
not burned, and he had the Ioi'''uUe ~
avoid the dangerous lame III,
Perfectly satisfied with the oTat S!i
she had received in England she 'lsleeu
the Continent. Her debut In the gay
caDftal of France wSs even more % a
success than it was In England. hei
svbibition of feminine form was a caro-
m attraction 10 the mascultneS, kept
Isrge class OF the American aud Eng
Hgb sfsterhood away, but Ia Paris Ihey
were not so particular, and her auu,
iences numbered an equal aDOun' VI
men and women.
Among the former there was no less
personage than Louis Napoleon the
Emperor, the identical parsonage "no
was beaten at poker by my manipulation
of the cards. This was a period W sn,l
Louis Napoleon was in the heydSy OF ms ~,
power. and was almost deemed the arp
ter Of Europe. 1t is we'll known that ne
was promlscuous in his amours, ana al
ter witnessing the performance OF Aosh'