Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-27
THE SPELLBROKEN.
AT LAST THE FAMOUS OLAFLIN SISTERS
SEPARATE.
Lady Cook 10 Devote the Rest Of Her Life 10 Home
and Literary Work The End Of Joint War
fare Ina! Began Twenty Years Ago.

New York, October 26.-The joint
warfare for wowen's rights which Vic
toria Woodruff and TennIe c. Clahln
have been carrying on for twenty years
is ended. Victoria must now lead the
battle alone. Her sister has chosen the
home and abandoned the standard OF
female suffrage to other hands.
Both women are rich. Victoria is
now Mrs. John Biddulph Martin, wife
of a wealthy London banker, and Ten
ME G. Clafin is Lady Cook, her hus-
band being one of the wealthest
men ia England. For more than
two decades the Claflin sisters have
been inseparable in lectures in America,
in reform work in Europe and in their
journeys about the world. So their
friends were surprised when Mrs. Mar
tin walked down the gang plank of the
steamship Elba, at her dock In Hoboken,
attended only by Mr.. Martin and her
daughter, Miss Zulu Woodruff. They
looked In vain for the elegant figure OF
Lady Cook. After the baggage had
been examined and the carriage
called more mystery was de-
veloped by Mr.. Martins orders TO
drive to the st. James Hotel.
Hitherto Mrs. Martin has always
stopped at the residence of her sister,
Mrs. d. w. O'Haloran, in this city.
Mr.. aud Mrs. O'Halloran have been ard
ent champions of Victoria WoodhulPs
character and cause during her resi-
dence abroad. 81 am tired of the scan
dal and notoriety Mrs. Martin has
brought upon our family" said Mrs.
OHaloran when asked about her sis
ter, land l don't want to have her any
more in my house. 1t is nothing bnt
worry and fret from the moment she
lands here. 1 don't propose TO turn my
house into a political club for my sister,
and she can go to a hotel now to do all
that" Mrs. O'Halloran's attention
was called TO the absence Of
Lady Cook from Mrs. Martins
party. Poor thing" she said with a
sigh, cher eyes have been opened at
last, as mine have been. Here for years
she has been the brains OF the whole so
called Woodruff movement, while Vic
toria has got the credit for everything.
The fact Is that my sister, Lady Cook,
has been under a sort Of spell all these
years and has let her elder sister rule
her. It's over now. Tennie is tired Of
having her brains used for another.
She is going to let Victoria 60 on as she
chooses, while she will pursue quiet
home and literary life. Lady Cook
never had any sympathy with Victoria's
woman suffrage schemes, but lent her
self TO them through the influence OF
her sisters stronger will"
The falling out Of the two sisters
marks the close Of remarkable joint
career of matrimonial and business ven
lures, crowned at the end with the wor-
Shipping love Of two rich and powerful
husbands. The Claflln sisters were the
daughters OF Roxana and Buckner Olaf
lin, a plain Ohio couple. Besides Vic
toria and Tennessee, there were two
other daughters-Mary, now Mrs. Paar,
OF st. James Place. Brooklyn, and Mrs.
O'Halloran. The first two had tenn
pestuouS life in the West. Tennessee
played the role of fortune teller md
travelled over the West and South with
her parents, accommodating quite for
tune. She married a man named George
Collins IN St. Louis, aud, separating
from him and coming East, married
John A. Green. After several years
they, too, separated.
Meanwhile Victoria had not been idle
in the matrimonial field. She first mar
ried DR.. Woodruff, who is the father OF
Miss Zula. On his death she married
Col. Blood. He died few years later.
The two sisters, early in the seventies,
began to lecture on woman's rights.
They opened brokerage offices in New
York and began publication called
Woodruff and Cld6tin'S Weekly, devoted
to the exposition Of their views on free
love. About IA years ago they went TO
England. In 1855 Tennie was married
to Sir Francis Cook. Several years
later her sister made an equally lucky
catch IN Mr.. Martin.