The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-12
LIVELY LUCY BRADBURY.
Career of the Young MatrOn Who
EIOped from Los Angeles Recently,
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Mrs. John Bradbury whose elopement
with the Englshman Ward has been the
talk of the Pacific coast is not more than
just returned from two years residence
in Los Angeles and yet she is probably
the beSt-knOwn woman on the Pacific
coast. Her beauty and toilets, her horses
and her entertainments and her romantic
adventures have made her the subject or
newspaper notoriety for years. she was
the youngest child Of John Banning, of Los
Angeles, a California pioneer, who made a
fortune in railroad building and lumber
shipping in the days when southern Cali
fornia was just beginning to boom. She
is unquestionably one of the most beau
figure is tall and full, with beautifully
rounded shoulders and neck. Her skin
is pink with riotous good health. She has
large blue eyes dark lashes and look
of childlike innocence. Her hair which is
wonderfully abundant and silky, is natur-
ally brown but Mrs. Bradbury, who has a
passion for trying toilet preparations, usu-
ally has it dyed or bleached some shade of
red, which is always becoming to her,
though the sudden changes are sometimes
startling. Such Is the generous climate OF
California that when Lucy Banning came
back from Paris, where she had finished
her education, at sixteen, she was a grown
woman in every respect. At this time she
was engaged to the son of q Wall-street
banker, whom she had met in Paris, but
that did not prevent her from becoming the
belle of Los Angeles immediately Even
then her beauty and toilets We're the talk
island, which is the property of the Ban
nings and the fayorite seaside resort of
Los Angeles, she was 1.-The queen OF every
entertainment Conspicuous among her ad-
mirers was John Bradbury, the richest
catch of California. His father was a Yer
mont Yankee who had married half
breed Indian woman in Mexico, whose
great ranches and silver mines had made
him enormously rich. John Bradbury, who
is now about tWenty-eight, is small and
swarthy and has Indian features and
straight black hair, but is very courteous
and unassuming in manner:
There was some talk of marriage soon
after the two met, but parental objections
on the score of short acquaintance and
extreme youth postponed an engagement
for a year. Lucy Banning went to visit
friends in San Francisco, and John fol-
lowed A certain restaurant in San Fran
cisco is noted for it's private supper rooms,
delicate cooking and an air of fascinating
wickedness. Miss Banning had heard many
stories about this resort and persuaded
John to take her to quiet little lunch at
the place. She slipped away from her
hostess on plea of visiting Johns sisters
in Oakland and met him clandestlnely.
After the lunch they both sat at the table
in silence. Finally each urged the other to
tell what he or she was thinking of. and
after some hesitation they exchanged notes
across the table Both notes read: Let
us run off and get married 1t was then
about o'clock, but by a liberal use or the
telegraph and cab hire a license was Sc
cured minister found and Mr.. and Mrs.
John Bradbury returned to his rooms in
I'm the morning Mrs. Bradbury lacked
even the necessary articles to make her
toilet John stepped across the way to the
Tiffany of the Pacific coast and returned,
followed by two men with a silver toilet set
big enough to fill trunk. This is the way
he did everything for her. He anticipated
her every wish with a lavishness that has
made even the Californians gasp. After
they came home ana were forgiven ne
bought a small, but elegant, house, engaged
a highly bred old Spanish lady as duenna
and hOusekeeper, settled down and gave
up many of his old acquaintance.
al RI f,i1rsx that
did not intend going to social functions at
private houses, but would entertain at her
home. She was beautiful, clever in super
| fetal way, and very rich. and 1t was not
long before her invitations were regarded
social prizes by the best people IN Los An
''The couples next public appearance was
with a four-in-hand coach, which John
Bradbury with his wife and four guests,
tinned over a high cliff near Santa Barbara.
All were badly shaken up, and John was
UNCONSCIOUS for hours. The coachman, who
damages, intimating that the company had
been drinking. but he lost his case Next
came a trip to the Mexican mines, where
Mrs. Bradbury's blonde beauty dazzled the
natives and put the dark-eyed senoritas
completely in the shade. Some time later
Mr. Bradbury visited his mines alone and
his wife went up to meet him at San Fran
either cholera or yellow fever on board and
it was kept at Quarantine. Mrs Bradbury
went down the bay to meet her John on
a tug but was not allowed to board the
but in vain. Then she went back to San
Francisco and got authority from the Gov
ernor She returned in triumph. boarded
the plague ship and remained with her hus-
band while the local press published sensa-
tional stories about Beauty DefeS Death
etc. Then followed Il flying trip around the
world in less than eighty days on a So 900
wager which John lost because he fingered
in Paris to purchase a few diamonds and
furs for his wife.
For the last year and half the couple
had remained at their home in Los Angeles,
entertaining lavishly. They had box at
the theater by the year and were to be
seen at every first night. Both were fond
of the stage and entertained many stage
celebrities among them Sandow. Mrs.
Bradbury was fond of display, excitement
and high living, and some queer stories
have been told about big times at the Brad
bury cottage, but nothing indicating that
Lucy and her husband were not united in
every respect had been even whispered up
to the time / left Los Angeles Mrs Brad
bury inherited about 100000 some time ago,
and must have considerable jewelry from
her husband but Ward has nothing and as
she is extravag giant and foolish she viii soon
be penniless unless ner brothers provide for
her..
Better than a Monument