The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-21
To THE STAGE.
Mrs. John P. Cole Will Seek
HistriOnic Fame.
To Study Dramatic Art in New
York City.
History of a Topeka WOman's
Life Full of Romance.


Topeka's contribution to the stage is
to be increased, this time a matron in
stead of a maiden. Early in the spring
Mrs John P. Cole, wife of the once
prosperous wholesale merchant, will
enter an eastern dramatic school and
at the commencement of the theatrical
season next fall will take an engage
ment in drama.
In going upon the stage Mrs. Cole
is but fulfilling a desire OF early girl
hood. Years ago when she first gave
expression to it all progress WAS
promptly stopped by an over Jealous
guardian who from the standpoint or
an earnest church member looked upon
the stage as an abominat1on. NOW ar
ter 1G years of married life ana at the
age of Sc, she believes the opportunity
has arrived and intends to carry 1t out
AS a girl Mrs. Cole was well known
in Topeka. She was exceptionally
pretty and many of the old residents
remember at one of the early state
fairs in competition with Minnie Pelton
and Lila Holiday, now Mrs L J.
KeIlan. she was awarded the prize as
the most beautiful child Her life mas
been literally sprinkled with romance,
and the story is interesting.
Her father, William ROthschild, was
a distant connection of the ROthSchlld
branch of Paris, and was slave owner
in New Orleans. Her mother was
ETenCn Creole, DuL WIeIA MIS- COAC W HSb0
but a child of two years and her sister
an infant she died. Soon after her
father married again, and shortly after
the civil war broke out was killed in
the southern army. On ROthschild's
death the stepmOther with the two
daughters removed to Emporia, kas
Rothschild left an estate amounting
to about $4,000, and when the step
mother married second time after re-
moving to EmpOria, the estate was di-
vided. each of the girls receiving $4,000
and two guardians appointed BenJa-
min Myers, a banker of EmpOria, was
appointed one of the guardians and
John r. Swallow of this city, at that
time auditor of state, appointed the
other.
Soon after his appointment as guar
dian Swallow adopted the two Roth
schild girls as his own children, and as
such they were brought up. Ee was
especially fond of the older girl, Irene.
and very proud of her good looks At
ter serving as auditor of state eight
years he established the Topeka Ma
tiOnal bank, which atterWaTd became
the Bank of Topeka, and his fondness
for his older adopted daughter caused
him to have her photograph printed on
the checks of the bank. 1t is said these
checks We're used until one day the
banker discovered that several Of the
Topeka young men were wearing the
photographic prints in their watches.
and this discovery so enraged him that
he ordered all the checks destroyed
even before it was possible to have
others printed.
When but 10 years of age, Irene Swal-
low. as she was then known, married
W. O. King, a wealthy young man of
Cincinnati, and inherited her share of
her fathers fortune. In two years
time her husband had squandered this
money, in addition to 4 fortune Of
$65,000 of his own, on the stock ex-
change. Divorce proceedings soon fol-
lowed, a decree was granted, and King
left the United States for Australia
while his divorced wife came back to
Topeka to live.
Inside of a year after the divorce was
granted Mrs. w. o. King became Mrs.
John P. Cole. At this time John p.
Cole was doing the biggest wholesale
grocery business in the west, had busi-
ness and residence property OF great
value, and was reputed to be worth
over a quarter of a million dollars He
had but a short time before been dis
vorced from his first wife.
That was fourteen years go and Mrs
w O. King, Irene Swallow that was.
has remained Mrs. John p Cole
through all the vicissitudes that have
fallen to the lot of her husband. John
P. Coles fortune has gone, he is now a
commercial traveller, and Mrs. Cole is
keeping the accounts of Aunt Lucinda
Thompson, the healer of Pleasant VAL
OF her personal fortune and the two
fortunes into which she married moth
ing remains but an interest in a farm
in Missouri.
Mrs Cole will go on the stage with
an ideal. The ideal is no other than
Fanny Davenports Cleopatra" She
saw the actress in this piece some years
ago, and her desire to go on the stage
has since that time been stronger than
ever.
''Since I was a girl have always
wanted to go on the stage" said Mrs.
Cole today. 4 have felt that could
make a success of it as a profession,
and would have taken it up when
young only my guardian would not per-
NIT me- Now 1 am determined to take
it up, and will leave early in the spring
to study in one of the eastern dramatic
schools of recognized merit.
4 am not a. SpiritualiSt, but I have
considerable respect for some things in
Spiritualisn, and several mediums
have told me that 1 had up to this time
missed my calling and should have
been a dramatic artist. A lady in this
city who makes a study of such things.
also told me the same thing from an
astrological reading one day, and with
the desire I have had to go on the stage
since a girl 1 am sure 1 can make a
success. I intend to at least make the
trial, and expect to take an engage
ment for next season"
Mrs Cole still retains her early beau
ty, and with her active and energetic
temperament, may yet make a success
even with the obstacles she will have to
overcome.