The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-23
THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND DEAD.
He Treated His Wife Outrageous1y, but
Cruelty Runs i'm the Family.

He Treated His Wife Outrageously, but
Cruelty Runs I'm the Family.
LONDON. Sept. 2z-Tbe Duke of Suther-
land died tonight.
1.-THE third Duke OF Sutherland was born in
1923. and was enormously wealthy, owning, be-
side vast estates ia Great Britain, $4,000 acres
of land in the United States. He wss famous
for his disreputsble life. His first wife was the
Countess OF Cromarty; when she died he
married his mistress, Mrs. Blair. disgraceful
scene took place between the first duchess ana
Mrs Blair a few years ago at Trentham hall,
Staffordshire The duke was lying dangerously
i'll at the time at Trentham, and ir was be-
lieved for a time that his recovery was i'm
possible. Accordingly his wife, the late
duchess. accompanied by her daughter-in-law,
the Marchoness OF Stafford. and by her daughter.
the late Lady Alexandra L,veson-Gower, were
summoned to Trentnam for the purpose OF
taking what they believed TO be final farewell.
On their arrival at the hall they found Mrs.
Blair, who afterward became the dukes second
wife. ruling supreme as mistress OF the house.
Far from showing any disposition to withdraw
and to make way for the duchess course
which. in view OF the dagrant character of her
intimacy with the duke would only have been
proper and decent-she appeared determined to
brazen the matter out and to act the role of
hostess to the duchess and her daughters In
their own home. She would not even permit
them to see tho duke alone, and an
almost incredible scene took place by the
sick mans bedside, the duke being called
upon to decide as to which OF the two,
his vile or his belle annie, should give way
to the other and vacats the premises. The
duke, although he believed himself to be dying
at the time, decided in favor of Mrs Blair, and
the duchess and her two daughters were literal
ly driven, not only out Of the room, but also out
OF the house by the shameless creature who was
afterward addressed as cher grace the Duchess
OF sutherland" The wretched wife died q few
months after this scene, and Mrs. Blair was
promptly installed in her place. The landed
possessions Of the Duke OF Sutherland covered
1,2oa666 acres. The estate was almost entirely
acquired by legal robbery and taken possession
OF by high-handed cruelty. The grandmother
OF the late duke married the Marquis OF Stat.
ford, the head of the Loveson- Covers. At that
time the whole OF Sutherland belonged to the
men Of Sutherland. The chief gave the vari.
Gus tracts OF land to HE officers, or took them
away, according as they showed themselves more
or less powerful In war. But he could not
diminish in the least the property OF the clan.
The Marchioness of sutherland, chief of the
clan, determined to convert the land OF the clan
into sheep farms. and to attain that object the
population were driven to the seacoast to sub.
sist by fishing. These poor peasant farmers or
their fathers had built houses and broke up
fields from the waste, bus they were all driven
out, their houses burned, and the $4,000 acres
divided into twenty.nins sheep farms. Since
ls2o the wretched people have lived By catching
herring and digging shellfish on the coast
Even there they must pay rent to the Duke Of
Sutherland. Fifteen thousand persons were
driven from the farms to make room for the
sheep. Many Of the evieted died of hunger
Their descendants live wretchedly today, but
the fat sheep eat the grass upon the hills