The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-27
BRIEF Welded BLISS.
IT Is Ended for Blanche Bates
BY . Divorce Suit.
CASE or LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
The Clever Actress and Her Soldier
Husband Could Not Agree and He
Seeks the Laws Release.

Blsurs,e Bates. who IS known of the
stage a. the vile of Lieut. Milton +. Davis.
Of the United states cavalry, stationed at
ire Preside, has been made the defendant
IA an action for divorce begun az san
Francisco last week. The ground OF the
action h . charge OF abandonment. and
n Is understood that Miss Bates viii adj
nit the charge and join IN the prayer for
a sepaf alton
Cnly a. little more than a year ago Lieut..
Davis was married TO the pretty actress
and the Leading san Francisco papers de-
voted columns TO elaborate reports OF the
affair. The courtship had been short. the
attachment having sprung up at first
sight; but the honeymoon was shorter.
and after I4iesTf. Davis had returned from
a brief detail to the South about three
weeks after the marriage he found to his
a mazement that his wife cared more for
the stage than for her husband. He
sought solace in trip 10 Alaska, and
since that tine the couple have lived apart.
Blanche Bates was born in Portland
twenty-five years ago. and almost since
the day she was ushcred into the world
has been upon the stage. Her father and
her mother Mr.. and Mrs. +. VI. Bates, in
lsSs. PLAYED at The Old ORC Elmo hasl in
Portland. on the west side of First streeg,
near stark, and shortly after the engage
meut closed Blanche was born. Some
years later Mr.. Bates was murdered in
brisbane. and the widow afterward mar
ried Charles Lord, a theatrical manager.
now dead.
Lieut.. Davis home is at Mccoy. Or. and
in 1855 no abandoned his studies at the
state university at Eugene TO take the ex-
animation for admission to the military
academy at West Point. He was most
amsab,e young man. a bright student, and
his friends did not wonder when the report
of the examiners showed that he had OUT
stripped all his competitors. For the firs-
two years at West Point he stood at the
head OF his class. but then succumhed 10 a
spell OF sickness brought on by excessive
study. and fell back. At the close of the
fourth year. nevertheless, ne was well up
toward the front. He often declared that
the military school taxed to the utmost
the resources of the American youth. He
chose TO enter the cavalry, and was first
assigned to Walla Wa.la, and later TO tho
Preside. He'is tall, athletic. handsome
young man, with commanding hgure
and an imperious face.
When Lieut.. Davis married Miss Bates.
the Young mans mother remained on the
farm near Mccoy, and she did not see the
daugter-in-law until long after the couple
had discovered the utter impoSSibiiity or
living happy married life. 1t happened
when Blanche Bates was playing In this
city with the Frawley Company a short
time ago, that the mother was visiting
here. She went TO the Seattle theater for
the purpose of seeing the face that had
won her boys heart. and during matinee
performance caught her first view of her
sons wife What the mothers feelings
were can only be imagined. She was 10Th
10 speak OF Miss Bates after that day.
Since the Frawley company returned 10
San Francisco there has been much SAID
in the newspapers about Miss Bates. Al
one time Mr.. Frawley refused TO appear at
an actors benefit performance because %
do so would have forced him upon the
stage at the same time with another actor
who. II was said, had made remarks de-
rogafory TO Miss Bates. Enough has been
written about Miss Bates and her asso-
ciates to fill a volume, and Lieut.. DAVIS
has brought the affair to elimination
by bringing divorce proceedings.
The saying Happy the bride whom the
sun shines on" has its antfthesis IN the
Bates-Davis 'nuptials, for as the handsome
lieutenant and his wife of few moments
descended the church steps In San Fran
cisco they passed out into one OF the heav-
lest transforms of the year.