The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-03
E FAD is AN EARL
BELLE Ito RETURNS TO THE
STAGE TO SUPPORT A HUSBAND.
She Kicked Herself Into the British
Peernge. and Is sHer Majesty's
Right Well-Bcloved Cousin"

ruptCy court by ner KICKS ana CapefS.
This is the of the gay world
on the latest move of Gunner Billions
daughter in 1891, who defended her
leave and pearls almost as many as
belong to the coronet of the Warehouses
Of Lorne. a daughter of the Queen) in
the most sensational breach of promise
suit that London had enjoyed for years.
The Countess's plans are kept a secret
for the present, but / have it on first
class authority that she will appear in
one of the ~pantomimes, probably under
the management of Augustus Harris. In
the summer she may go to America. 1t
is also reported on the quiet that the
Marchioness of Aylesbury, Dollie Tes-
ter. may become partner of Lady Clan
carty's enterprise. What a team they
would make. Think of the billboards
on Broadway plastered over with the
crests and coronets of two of the Oldest
and best families of Great Britain.
Ever since her retirement from the
stage. announced by that characteristic
telegram referring to the birth of twin
sons to her sister Flo. Double bill to-
night-no encore, please" Belle Clam
carly has lived at Garbaldy Park,
county Galway, Ireland, or at Roscom-
mon Castle, her husbands estates. and
it must be said to her credit that her
conduct has been exemplary. h led a
wild life previous to becoming a peeress
of the realm. and owned up to it brave
ly in the suit brought by that can
tankerous old man." her father-in-law,
since dead; but love for her husband
and children and respect for the posi-
ton she had acquired made her break
entirely with her old associates and
habits. Old Clancarty was a good hater
and left to his son not a penny's worth
that, by hook or crook. could be di-
verified to his wife and children. In adj
dition he mortgaged the estates, about
80, 200 acres of land. with a revenue of
$65, 900 per year, until the money lenders
refused to let him have another shill-
inc.
SHE WAS AN FEARLESS"
What were they to do. the new earl
and his lady, which latter. it is alleged.
first insisted that she was an e~arless?
She had not fought for her place tooth
and nail to starve and freeze after
worsting those who refused to accept
her into the family. So the Countess
put every penny at her command into
her husbands establishment, succeed
ing in making it homelike for a time;
but soon enough, with trouble in the
courts caused by her fond mother-in-
law and the debts contracted by the
former Viscount Dunlo. recourse had to
be taken to money lenders, as it WAS
practically impossible to run the
estates without working capital.
The CounteSS's sister, Flo Bilton, tells
me that Belle had foreseen the present
roubles and kept up practice for the
stage all along, buying songs, taking
music and dancing lessons and occa-
sionally running over to Paris to study
the novelties. So she may be expected
to be fully up in the business when we
next see her pirouetting across the foot
lights.
HAS she her diamonds yet?" I asked.
Every one of the sparklers," re-
sponded Flo. with great spirit, and a
brand new coronet in addition. 1 am
sure her jeweled cap of crimson, ermine,
gold and diamonds will make a sensa-
ton every time when she does her
turn And she will be advertised. con-
tinued. Flo, "as her Majesty's right
trusty and right well beloved cousin
for thus her title reads, n we will
have he whole string of them on the
billboard"
The dancer went to a drawer and
from it took a little note book 'to re-
1iCSh AiOA oo oiiN ooto. ~
assuming a heroic attitude. such as the
heralds strike in the Drury Lane panto-
mines. she declaimed:
Hear We! Hear we!
First appearance tonight of
Her Majesty's right trusty and right
well beloved cousin,
The Countess Clancarty,
V~iscountess Dunlo, Baroness Kilconne!,
Baroness Trench, Marchioness Of Heus-
den. nee Belle Billion"
BELLE BILLIONS SIRE.
Bellies father, Mr.. Billion, is an artil-
leryman at Woolwich to this day, re-
ceiving a salary of about So a week and
rations. His daughter, Isabelle Maud
Penrice, was born about thirty-four
years ago, and the old man, it must be
conceded, gave her a good education.
considering all. The name Penrice, by
the way, sounds not at all bad in Eng
land. There is an Hon. Penrice some
where, owning an estate in Wales-Kil-
verough Castle, if 1 am not very much
mistaken. AT quite an early age the
Misses Billion, Belle and Flo. started
out on their own account to edify Lon
don music hall habitues. They were
pretty and %sprightly and their figures
We're superb. Belle from the start
claimed the ions share of popular at
tention and soon acquired fame and
y OAAJ III LACC1-
ing on to a modest house, as the
phrase has it, in Mortimer Crescent
Post, st. Johns Wood.
The couple. Belle being her husbands
senior by more than nine years, lived
together only nine lays. After that
Dunlo bolted to the continent, after in
forming the music hall singer that his
father had promised to recognize the
marriage when he (Dunlo) celebrated his
twenty-irst birthday. Meanwhile the
noble Irish earl allowed Belle to support
his son. placing at the same time de-
t~ectives at her heels to spy out, if posi-
BILE, grounds for divorce.
A year later he offered her an annuity
of $500 for life to plead guilty in the
''~perjurer's playground" the divorce
court, and when she refused his money
he forced Dunlo to m suit
against his wife. Up to that time old
Clancarty had been cordially hated by
all who knew him, but when the mills
of justice commenced work at his insti-
cation the public almost began to love
him for the fine sport he offered to
scandal The trial lasted for
a month or longer and was SO cleverly
managed by Lady Dunlo's lawyers that
it turned public sympathy entirely in
her favor. Belle made it a point to
hold up to ridicule the "-cantankerous
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