The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
ONCE BELLE OF THE BALL.
TRAITS AND EVENTS II THE LIFE
OF DELLA TUDOR STEWART
PARNELL.

Nihteus ouu ana ROOr-fnmtiy Char
acteristics-"OId IronSide."
Bordentown. n. j.. Cor New York Times
Mrs Della T. 5. Parnen has been Of
sympathetic interest TO the people of two
continents during the last ten days, and
there are new and interesting facts in
connection with the woman and the muir
derous assault.
''She comes from tough stouch." said
Edward Tudor Of Boston, who is her cous-
in, standing on the wide porch of historl-
cal odd Ironsfde." the other night, when
the household of strangers were rejoic-
ing over the possibility of her recover
ing. she is a woman with charmed
life,' was the observation of DR.. W. II.
Ships, her physician. who was among
the last to admit that she was on the
mend.
Here is a woman Of eighty. who had
lived IN contempt of routine and cOnven-
tOnalities, either enjoying a feast or eN-
perienclng famine, who survives a blow
that would have killed an ordinary wO-
man. The bulldog tenacity of her distin-
guished father, Rear Admiral Stewart,
shows itself in his remarkable daughter.
She survives the blow, but II is doubtful
whether she will ever tell the story of
the crime. IL is believed that her speech
will be impaired and her memory defec-
tive.
No Jersey woman, and, in fact, few
women in this country, has had so many
events crowded into their lives as Mrs.
Parnell She has lived eighty years OF
tension and excitement, and was until a
few hours before the assault as bright as
at any time in the days when she was
called in Washington and Boston charm
ing Della Tudor Stewart of New Jersey.
1t was sad to see the belle of the inaugu-
raj bali of William Henry Harrison and
the mother of the "uncrowned King of
Ireland" stretched on cot In humble
farmers cottage, unconscious; with scar
red face and battered head. The woman
had of herself the evidence of poverty, and
her immediate environments were dis
tressing.
improved in the "Old Ironsides" mansion
itself with its wide halls and twenty-five
spacious chambers. 1t was in days gone
by the finest residence in New Jersey, and
was good enough for the residence during
two summers of Iturbide the Emperor OF
Mexico, who, after leaving here, was shot
on the steps of the imperial palace. There
is harsh blending or the OLD ana the
new in the decorations and furniture OF
the house. The bric-a-brac, paintings, and
interesting bits of furniture were sold or
given away. The farm has 200 acres in
it. 1t is fast going to decay. 1t is now
being farmed by local canning establish
ment.
state of New Jersey, was brought to old
Ironsides," when two years old. Her faith
er, Commodore Stewart took possession
of the estate in 1916, and died in 1863. Here
Mrs. Parnell passed her girlhoOd. She
was given an education of greater breadth
and character than that of young women
in that day and generation. She had mas
tered languages and sciences, ana was
well read in literature. She was an essay
list and a poet. She wrote much that was
published and during her lonely and dark
hours at "Old 1rOnsides" she continued to
write verses and dissertations. She has
several trunks full of her own manu-
scripts.
Mrs. Parnell was we'll known in society
in Philadelphia and New York, but it was
in Washington and Boston, where her
gifts were most appreciated and where she
shone with unusual brilliancy. Her
mother was Tudor, and they were of
good New England stock. She had rela-
tiVes in Washington also, and she was
central figure at every state function. She
came back to Bordentown at the close of
each season to rest. She met John HenrX
Parnell in 1912. He was an attache of the
English legation They were introduced
to each other at the Harrison inaugural
ball, and a courtship Of a year transplant
ed the Jersey flower TO Irish soil.
They lived on the Parnell estate, at
AvOndale, County Wicklow, Ireland, for
six years. This place was made famous
by Tom Moore's poem, sweet Vale of
Avoca" In 1S47, during the famine in
ireland, she did much to relieve the dis
tress among the, poor, It was not until
Her father died in that year The day
of the commodore's funeral was a general
holiday. After the commodores death,
Mrs. Parnell. who was a widow and
her daughter, Fanny, became the sole
occupants of the estate. Fanny ParneH
was a poet as we'll as lecturer and de-
voted to the interests of her brother
She spent much time in this country
organizing land leagues and preparing
literature in the interest of Irish home
rule. After the death of Fanny, Mrs.
Parnell took up the Irish league work
and left "Old Ironsides" to the weeds and
the tramps.
has been land poor. Whenever she did
obtain money, instead of improving her
land, she invested 1T. She. and Fanny
both had mania for Wall street, and
they frequently went without the neceS-
stiles of life to indulge themselves.
Those who know the Parnells declare
that their chief trait is to wander and
live abroad. They never knew or even
cared for a family tree, and "Old Iron
sides seems to bear witness to this pc
culiarity. When Annie and Fanny Par
nell came over to America to work up the
land league sentiment, Mrs. Parnell chose
to remain entirely at her home. No soon
er had Annie returned to Ireland and
Fanny to "Old Ironsides" than Mrs. Par
nell found ii comfortable to be in New
York. After Fanny died her mother be-
came a wanderer, accepting the hospital
ity of any home that was opened to her.
John Parnell, who is now in Ireland
lived for some years on a small plantation
in the southwestern part of Georgia. He
was a bachelor who cared more for chess
and mathematics than for money Mrs
Parnell'S daughter Annie is now Mrs. Nc
Dermott. and lives in County Wicklow
Ireland. Frederick Tudor is her first cous-
in. There are many Tudors in Boston
and vicinity who are related to her, but
there has been little or no exchange of
relationship between them Edward Stew
art, the half brother. is a Newark bust
ness man. He has been in litigation at
times with is sister over property in Phil
adelphia and at Bordentown, but relations
are friendly now. Mrs. Parnell preferred
to live among strangers. Those called to
her bedside when she was first injured
were Mrs. Knaud of New York, an irish
league worker, and Mrs. William Stu1l of
Trenton, who was the associate of Fanny
Parnel Her relatives know little or moth
ing about her affairs. Her condolences
were always given to strangers.
Mrs Parnell has many eccentricfties she
inherited from her father At regular
intervals she imagined that she was going
to die of starvation, and would not mes
itate to throw herself on public charity.
She was almost penniless just before the
assault was made. In answer to Mrs.
Knaud's invitation to go to New York, she
wrote that she had but 10 cents and was
living on bread and cofree. The next day
she received the check for $40, for part
of which she was assaulted. Her relatives
are no,V in control, and are looking after
her wants The kindly offer of assistance
from Land leagues and Irish associations
all over the United States are appreciated,
no NODDED