The San Francisco call., 1896-04-27
He Had a Secret Method for the
Production of Pure Tones
in Others.
THE HERO OF A LOVE ROMANCE.
Broke His Leg in Santa Cruz, and
Made Miserable Failure in an
Amateur Enter tainment.

Falentlne Gadesden, the singing teacher
who has attained worldwide celebrity by
figuring as the CO. respondent in the
divorce case between the Hon. Mrs. Lellah
Yarde-Buller and her husband, the Hon.
Walter Y arde- Butler, is we'll known in San
Francisco. The Hon. Walter is the eldest
brother of Lord Churchston, head of the
Devonshire family.
Gadesden came to San Francisco ten
years ago and blossomed forth as teacher
OF music, he being a tenor robusto and
well verSed in his art. He was then about
Is or % years old-a tall, dark handsome
Engilshman OF elegant manners. Being
graduate of an English university, an ac-
complished linguist and a scholar, and
belonging to very respectable family in
England, he had no difficulty in gain
ing admission into the best society in
San Francisco ana in obtaining all the
pupils he wanted at high rates.
Like a good many other professional
men, he had an idea that he was born to
be financier, although his own financial
affairs were in deploraoly tangled con-
dition. Creditors used to sing to him from
early morn until dewy eve, to the accom-
paniment of futtering bills. but poor Gades-
den had no money. He could never get
enough of it together at one time, nor
could he keep it long enough to settle all
claims as fast as presented. Money was
made to spend, and he spent it, thereby
keeping it in circulation.
He became indebted recently to Duncan
& Co. of London to the extent of $4100
which fact shows that his credit was re-
markably good In England. Several let
ters from Mrs. Yarde-BulIer's boy were
forwarded to Gadesden's care at Duncan
& Co.'s office, but the Duncans refused to
deliver her the letters unless she paid
Gadesden's debt.
After consultation with her attorney she
gave Duncan & Co. her check for $4100 and
got her letters. Then she sued for the re-
covery of the money on the ground that
Duncan & Co. had extorted the check from
her by holding her sons letters. The case
was tried a few days ago, and she recov-
cred Judgment for the whole amount.
Under cross-examination she said that
Gadesden had been staying with her at
Churchston court and had continually
been in her company since he became her
agent.
While living in San Francisco Gadesden
pAOAOooCA ~ hofO AAoNONCIC0 q SSCiSk pIO-
cess for developing the pure tones of the
voice, and so jealousy guarded was this
secret that he would never sing in public,
lest the public might discover it. He had
the key of a piano wareroom in the His
tory building on Market street, and often
at IL O'Clock at night he unlocked the
door. then locked himself in and sat for
three or four hours at the piano practicing
those divine tones which nobody, not even
the ianitor, ever heard.
Only once did he consent to sing in pub
lie, and that was in an amateur operate
performance gotten up for charity by
Signor Rosewald, and sung by society peo-
pie. Gadesden was so well known among
the upper ten, and curiosity to hear those
divine tones cultivated in the piano-room
at night was so great, that jam of fash
ionable people attended.
He proved a fiat failure. His singing
was horrible, and his acting would have
disgraeed an amateur supernumerary.
He was worse than a stick" said a
young lady yesterday. "His singing was
wretched, and his acting was vile. He had
to make love to the heroine of the opera,
and he seemed to be so much afraid of her
that the audience laughed at him through
out the performance. When they sat on
the sofa together he was as stiff as a hyp-
noticed poker. and the heroine was obliged
to shift her position so that she could get
up close to him, and remind him of the
role he was playing. That was The only
time he ever sang here in public, and the
public was thankful he never sang again. !"
SO far as known the English tenor LED
pretty exemplary life while here. He
never drank Intoxicating liquors and was
never mixed up in any love affair, al
though there is no doubt that he could
have been had he desired, for he was a
handsome fellow, brilliant conversation
alist and first-class athlete and football
player.
The only occasion in which his name
was coupled in gossip with that of a
woman was when he began paying marked
attentions to Mrs. Yarde- Butler. About
year ago Mrs. Butler occupied luxuriousIy
furnished fats on Sacramento street. be-
tween Hyde and Larkin, in this City, and
Mr.. Gadesden was so frequent visitor
that the Deighbors remarked that he all
but lived there. Many of his friends
placed a charitable construction on his
liking for tt Sacramento-street fats and
said that no doubt the tenor was there in
his capacity as Mrs. Yarde-BuIler's busi-
ness agent.
When the lady left for England Mr..
Gadesden went with her, presumably to
look after her business affairs. He was
also interested in some kind of lumber
speculation, and that was probably the
basis of the debt he owed Duncan e. Co.
Mrs. Yarde-Buller has two sons by her
former husband, IA to 16 years old, the
younger OF whom was taken sick, and she
left him at DIR. Rosenstirn's hospital The
other was left here to att end school.
The tenor was an intimate friend of
Lawyer ]. r. Jarboe and family, Mr.. jar
Doe finding much to admire in Gadesden's
ability and knowledge of
books. He accompanied the family on a
summer vacation TO Santa Cruz, and while
there met with an accident which re-
suited in the breaking OF one of his legs.
He was nursed down there by the family,
and a similar episode is treated of in
aovel written short time ago by Mrs. J.