Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-06-03

gipsiegin Yetholm.
They were both women of powerful
frame, and the encounter had been de-
scribed to me by an eye witness now living
a. having been of the moA savage and fe
rocious character. Esthef was Victorious,
and Helen, or black-bearded Nell, as the
villagers called her, ''got hsrsel wesl
the contest; for when Testing day" or
Shrove Tuesday, on which the famous
Bowmont games are still notably oelebra-
ted, Princess Helen and her followers
urged no objection to Princess Esther,s
election and coronation.
The crowning of Queen Esther-whose
full name was Esther Faa Blyth Ruther-
ford-the Blythe and Rutherford aidaads
coming from marriages with worthless
note at Yetholm. Her majesty was at
tended by q royal brother, several princes
and princesses of the blood, Prince Robert,
her SON, to whom have previously re-
ferred, and q great retinue of over three
hundred gipsies and as many towns-peo-
pie and gentry of the surrounding coun-
try. The cavalcsde proceeded to the Yet
holm Gross. A jolly old blacksmith
named George Gladstone, who had per
formed q like offce for Charles Blythe,
and thus secured the title of Archbishop
VA tOsAoA4p N&obkah Acrp4c1ucuk COEO-
net of tin, sustaining tremendous Scotch
thistle. In presence of the great multi
tude he made proclamation of bis right to
exercise the high Office, and, having in the
most solemn fashion set the emblem of
royalty upon her head, proclaimed the
swarth heroine ''Her Royal Majesty, Es-
ther Fas Blythe Rutherford, Sovereign and
Queen of all the Gipsies In the Kingdom
of Scotlsnd-Chsllenge who dsrel" Ad-
dresses of congrstulstion were read from
loyal subjects in the different shires, from
the citizens of kelso and other near cities
and villages, and from Yetholm towns
folk; after which a levee was held at the
''roysl palace" a thstched cottage with 8
hard clay floor, and the night was passed
in all manner of rustic revelries.
Queen Esther, whose life sized portrait
in oil Is one of my most prizsd of gipsy
relics, died at Kelso, dozen miles to the
north of Yetholm, in July, 1888 Her
cortege from Kelso to Kirk Yetholm, where
she was buried beside hundreds of her
race, was q memorable one. Thousands of
people came to Yetholm Upon the coEn
lay the royal red cloak of the queen, and
An enormous white wreath of roses, sent
by Lady John Scott, of Spottiswood, sur
mounted this. Both were inferred with
the body of the queen. The Rsv- Mr.. DA-
wilson, for thirty, two years minister of
the Kirk Yetholm church, tells me he
never witnessed q more remarkable scene
than at this burial. The services were
held at Kelso; but such vast crowds
massed about the grave at Yetholm that
though Mr. Davidson made effort to reach
ii to cay few words over the body, the
grief of the gipsies and the density of the
crowd prevented.
At the death of Queen Esther. British
gypsy royalty, in its large, old time sense,
came to an end. No one ever sspired to
her regal honors. Prince Robert, her son,
had become q worthless vsgsbond; and
even old Princess Helen, with whom / was
| once quite fsvorite, told nae that she was
| 80 "weel and fairly Ticket" in the origina,
/ contest for succession that she he'd COM
| pletely lost all ambition for royal life.
Four years ago tn present summer q
| study in oil of Queen Esther's face, done
| by some vagrsnt artist, was hanging In Q
| tobacconist's shop In Leirh Walk, Edin-
1 burgh. Attracted by the picture, 1 en-
i tered, secured permission to examine Is,
/ and, just as / was turning to depart, / en-
countered about as forbidding q looking
| tramp ss / ever set eyes upon In Scotland.
| Some similarity between his pox-pitted
face and that of the dead queens caused
me to regard him intsutly. Leering at me
as he followed me into the street, he
II
and with the thumb of the other proddins
backwards towards the shop, asked me
with royal familiarity:
| "D'ye ken me moor
| told him astly that did not wish tC
"ken" him at all.
"Then yer nae gorgio chsl (sipsy't
friepd) that y'r'e famed" he replied a
bluntly. "Dinns be Ill to thole!" difficult
TO get along with) he continued whiningly
Httla afarraI hr kEc m lr
persistence; but he hri given me a gypsy
challenge surely, and told him to Jaw
the drom for a Romany Choir" which ir
plain English meant he should "Get out
for q sipsy thiefl'
"Mon, mon" he exclaimed as If expect
inS instant arrest, I'm nae chor; I'm
Prince Robert-kupg o. a. Nokkums (pre
vincial Yetholm R-nany for gipsies) If
had my sinl'
1t was Prince Robert surely. TenderlI
enough now | took him with me down
among the fishermen of New Haven; ten
derly still heard his msudlin tale of q beg
carly trsmp's lie and the eArthEide ostra
oism of his own people; of his countless
adventures on the borderlsnd of Law; o
his familiarity With the staripen or prison
loaf of every parish jail in ScotlAnd-nev
er for cline, but for endless peccadillos Il
which he held a hopeless pride; tenderl
still filed his psunch with bitter ale, hi
tab jacket with sAussges and his trouser
pocksts with huge English pennies; an,
left him sleeping s-eesly on the murmur
J ing beach, as his wits and the tide wen
out together
Perhaps In the whole world this is tn
only instance where gipsy royalty is Q
sadly enthroned in witless wAntonness
The name of Prince Robert of Scotland
by word of contemp. in every giPs.
camp or community In every land. Al
other gypsy rulers of royal blood or thos
chostn TO power that / ever knew held sb
solute sway. Their power Is absolute be
cause IL is never exercised save In essen
tials. They are beloved bscsuse, sirGng
as II may seem to those who know moi
! their lives, from the standpoint of sIps
ethics are loftly good and true