The Atlanta constitution., 1894-02-27
COUNTESS PERCELE.
THE NOTORIOUS IN. 5rNTURES OF Il
SOUTH CAROLINE BEAUTf.
She Begins Her Notorious Career Dy ff"Si"e
Traitress to tie southern Cnuse-Hef
Adventures and Tragic Death.

I ..rbe Countess Percele has Il sher head"
Such is the news that comes from far-off
sJapan The countess often before happened
with this misfortune. figuratively speaknS'
and notably, at the great court ol the
white of all the Russias, put at lhe
I eurt of the willy little Mikado, she lell Il
/ Ntm, like Mary, the beautiful but unfortu-
L ate Scottish queen, to malice and jeal-
Gusy and losr her head at the hands OF the
axman. her marvellous beauty and mdi9-
,cretion being the author OF her rum.
4 And who was the Countess Percele! W no
fthis distant princess that we OF the south
should be interested in her sad ending! AT
jone time the whole state of South Carolina
would have listened with bated breath 70
llcatch one word of this famous beauty. She
twas ce the south, ard a O0uth
,Carolinian She was born in Newberry dis
itrict in 1913. and was ranked by common
consent the most beautiful and accom-
,plished lady in the state. Her father was
a Mr.. Burton, who died while Mary. the
subject of this sketch. was yet child. her
mother married a Mr. Boozer, who adopted
her. and gave her his name and fortune.
For some cause, gossip has it domestic
trouble. BooZer committed suicide. The wild
f then married a Mr. FeaSten and took up
their abode in the aristocratic city of CO.
lumbia.
Feasten being a man of wealth and hav-
/ ing children of his own, lavished his
money upon the stepdaughter, giving her
all the education and accomplishments that
wealth could beStoW. She grew in grace
and lovenass. as she merged into woman
hood and became of the most beautiful
fand fascinating young ladies in the whole
state. and her personal charms were sur
passed, If such was possible, by her bril-
liancy, her wit and charming manners. In
fact she said to be a perfect model
of grace, beauty and loveliness. Her rare
accomplishments and dazzling beauty, to
say nothing of her wealth and social stand
ing, made her without dispute the social
queen of Columbia, and her hand
B often sought in marriage by sons of the
wealthy pl2uters of upper tendon.
But to all such overtures she turned a
{ deaf ear. and remained "unfettered and
fancy free" The war came on and the
young SWANS deserted the ballroom and
scenes of poetic gayety for the more real
and prosaic battlefield. With war came
ruin, devastation and upheavals in society
ParadoXical as it may seem, this light
hearted, brilliant blue booded southern
bell and her mother took sides with the
Finion. batch of yankee prisoners was
imprisoned in Columbia during the progress
Of the war and her interest in their well
fare and her zeal for the cause she had
espoused caused her 10 be socially ostra-
cised and kept continually under military
surveillance. She effected the escape of a
young officer from Ohio and kept him con-
cealed in her own house till the city was
: evacuated by the confaderates
When General ORC, commander of the in.
famous Ninth corps entered CoIun-
bia, the officer emerged from the
place of his long concealment, ana
lost no time in r,ocla ir,- mo ~ "a
he army the name OF his fair benefactor
oNeral Ord FASTENED to The presence Of
beautiful and bew itching little south.
.traltress, and hearng from her own
he story of her nla ny acts of kindness
he declared frie, ishp for the urior
during their Incarceration in Co
nd the danger that bpSpt jT
e. prevailed upon her to accom-
c1romising to aid her II :
at could be founc
mag rtficent span o
ON TIE rightful owne
IN thi<x surrounded b,
.ry, as M escort. this er
autiful. once idolized bu
iema. left the land of he
of friends and kindred anC
and triumphal march in tn,
.rmy, the despoilers of the coun
oes of her people. 1T in tn,
luty of the writer. as commando,
mpany of scouts for General John
often be near her and witness tn
ovation given her by the officers an,
# Shermans army ,and he can truthfuIl
her equpage and retinue was of orien
II splendor. and she gracefully performed
the roll of a veritable Cleopatra, such wa:
the magnifcence of her display, the tribute
N and homage paid to her beauty and the ro
! nance of her career.
On reaching Washington a bill was rush
ed through congress giving her $4,000 f0
the service rendered union prisoners and tn,
losses she sustained in so doing At tn
. capital she soon became the social lion an,
! the best and most exclusive society fell
! honOred in admitting this wealthy and aris
tocratic southern beauty to their homes
Here she formed the acquaintance of an,
married James Reecher, a wealthy New
Yorker with far more mon-y than brains
who became SO infatuated with her charm!
that he made her a bridal present of &
check for 100000 Now she was fully launch
| ed in the social swim and did honor to he.
position in The NttrlV,iA :. l,.t .s.t 4..,-
Beecher grew jealous of her notoriety o
she of her commonplace husband, and
| divorce was the result. Being now free
| young, rich and beautiful, she entered
fields green and pastures new" She tool
a companion the notorious wa Pearl
and away these cOngenial spirits winged
their flight to the gay cities of Europe t
bring to their feet. counts. lords anC
princes of the blood.
Armed with letters of credit for vas
sums. and endorsements from Stanton an(
Seward
Armed with letters of credit fo
Stanton and Seward, they founc
no difficulty in gaining recognition
to the best OF society, and admiutance j.
royal favor. Courtesies ana priceless gift.
ShoWered upon them. AT St. Petersburg
the archduke, a cousin of the reigning czur
fell a victim to her Wiles and slave to he
enchanting beauty, and in a moment o.
blind infatuatiOn. made her a present O
his grandmother's jewels said to be wortF
a princes ransome. At grand court bal
at the winter palace, to which she ha(
been invited at the instance of this noble
man, she had the audacity and imprUdenct
to adorn herself with these heirlooms Of tn,
royal family. She could not however. es
cape the eagle eye of old Alexander. anC
this escapade came near costing her he
life and the archduke his estates. AS so0l
as the truth known the Czar ordered
her out of his dOminiOns with impera
tive order never to return on pain of dealt
an order which it was best to obey. Th
archduke bapished from his court ant
remained under royal displeasure until In
death of the car.
The beautiful young adventurerS now mad
their way to Paris and 10y their very bold
ness gained admission 10 the palace of Ma
an. was the ext victim to fall under tn
| spell of her daring They We're married il
the church of the royal family in Pari
with great ceremony and splendor. recelv
ing magnificent gifts, some from the hand
of the Empress Eugenee herself.
She shortly afterwards sailed with he
husband to the land of the little Japs
Here she created the same excitement AM
stir as elsewhere. For a time things wen