The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11
ROMANCE OF TWO LIVES.
Played Upon the Same Stage
Without Discovering Their
Relationship.
FOR YEARS THEY WERE RIVALS.
Action VIII Be Brought Against
the Man Who Caused Their
Separation.

SEATTLE, WASH, Aug 10.-Llzzle Ada
Coats, pretty, young variety actress who
has appeared in nearly all OF the variety
theaters on the Pacific Coast, made the dis
covery to-day that a rival actress many
years her senior. was her own mother, from
whom she was abducted by her stepfather
while they were living IN LeadVllle, CoIo.,
just fifteen years ago.
The case is one of the most remarkable
on record. For six years, off and on, the
mother and daughter worked SIDE by side
on the stage. They have been good friends
at times and very often enemies, and it
was not until to-day that they found that
thev were mother and daughter. All the
while that they have known each other the
mother had been searching for her daugh-
ter and the daughter had been trying to
find her mother. The two knew great
many of each others secrets, but had never
mentioned anything OF their past lives.
Last night the two were in the rooms of
the elder actress, and grew more contden-
tjal than usual The girl was induced to
tell her past life. She did SO, and it was
then that the mother made the discovery
that the girl she had known for six years
was her abducted daughter.
The mothers name is Mrs. NJ. L. Cad
wood. Her first husband was Thomas
Coats. He died while they we're living at
Leadville in the latter part of 1879. They
had one daughter, a little, golden-haired
tot named Lizzie Ada. About two years
after her husbands death Mrs. Coats mar
ried James Fitzgerald, but it was not very
long after the marriage that the wife dis
covered that he had once served term in
the Penitentiary at Denver under an alias
for the crime of forgery. She left him.
Fitzgerald had taken a great liking for
Mrs. Fitzgerald's daughter Lizzie, and one
night stole her and conveyed her to
neighboring town. Mrs. Coats summoned
the police, and with the aid of Detective
Cudihee of this city, who was then City
Marshal of Leadville, traced him to the
town and the house where he had secreted
their child. The house was surrounded
and Fitzgerald was arrested.
Mrs. Coats, having secured possession of
the child, dismissed the action against
Fitzgerald. Two weeks later, while the
child was playing in the street in front of
her mothers home, Fitzgerald came along,
and by promises to buy her dolls and
candy, enticed her down the street. It
was a winters day, but notwithstanding
that fact, according TO the story Lizzie now
tells, he compelled her to walk in snow
nearly up to her hips from Leadville to
Denver He made her call HIM uncle, and
when she refused to do so slapped her in
the face. At Denver he put her on train
and took her to Salt Lake City. placing her
in charge of a Mormon family, while he
went to Ogden and married woman
named Belle Mortimere.
In a few months he went away, but
came back again without seeing the child.
She met him on the street, spoke to him,
but at first he refused to recognize her.
When she pleaded that the family with
whom she was living was very abusive to
her he accompanied her back to the house
and held heated conversation with the
woman in charge. Then he went away
than ever. One day she went out in the
yard, and when she returned had several
big willows in her hand, with which she
beat the child about the face.
Fitzgerald showed up a second time in
Salt Lake, and when the child met him
again she complained of the cruel treat
ment she was receiving Fitzgerald was
accompanied by his new wife, and went to
tie house with her and concluded to take
her away. They then took her to the
home of Fitzgerald's mother in Utah,
where they left her, and continued their
journey to San Francisco. They then
went into business, and some months later
sent for Mrs. Fitzgerald and her family
Later they all went to San Francisco to
live, where Lizzie had much trouble with
Fitzgerald's wife, who, she claims, abused
her untiIshe finally ran away from home.
She was brought back, but ran away q
second time Then she commenced earn
ing her living on the variety stage. She
SAYS. she often met her father on the
streets, but he would not have anything
to do with her, and did not even recognize
her.
Six years ago she left San Francisco and
came to the city and accepted place
in. Cort's variety theater. Her mother,
who is still young woman, was filling an
engagement as an actress in the theater at
the time, having in the meantime come
w est, uldTIICQ d IMAM 1id1llOA ~ -. SSfN-
wood, only to continue her life on the
stage. which she had entered into soon
after her daughter was abducted.
It is said that at one time, soon after
Ada's arrival at Cort's, she and her mother
formed an affection for the same man.
The mother won him and for long time
they were enemies. Later they made up,
but had many more quarrels concerning
the same man as well as other men. But
of late years they have been good friends
When the mother learned last night that
the young woman was her daughter she
was beside herself with JOY. Tonight she
announced her intention of going to San
Francisco and prosecuting her former hus-
band (Fitzgerald) for abduction. Her
ifichds have advised her against it, but
she says Fitzgerald must go to Jail for his
crime.