The San Francisco call., 1897-03-03
THE Gagged LADY
At THE PALACE
She Keeps Herself Strictly
Within Her Royal
Apartments.
John Oakley, a Rich Pittsbarg
Broker, Who Is Masquerad-
ing as a Courier.
His Family Thought He Had Con
South-Doctors c. lied to His
Aid Yesterday.


Princess Elvira, the eloping daughter of
Don Carlos, or if not that romantic lady
then the daughter of the Queen of Spain,
and her courier John M. Oakley of Pitts
burg, Pa. maintained the strictest seclu.
sion within their luxurious corner suite at
the Palace yesterday. When the gentle
men of the press called to ask after their
health the response vouchsafed was in the
shape of bellboy's slip with the mum ber
of the room inscribed opposite the laconic
and inhospltable legend ''out."
OF course this was scarcely meant to be
accepted literally. Both the Countess. or
the Princess, ard her vigilant courier were
really in their rooms. but not wishing to
hurt the feelings of the fourth estate by
anything so brutal as blank refusal to
grant an audience, they resorted to this
delicate expedient in order to convey an
irrevocable resolution of invisib bility.
No doubt Mr.. Oakley is obeying the
instructions of the Countess, or the Prin-
cess, as the case may be, and is repenting
at leisure the indiscreet avowals he made
| 10 The CALL the other day when the wine
that is yellow had stolen away his ability
to forecast consequences.
However, Mr.. Oakley now realizes, no
doubt, that champagne dinners are hardly
consistent with the assumption of royal
dignity, and that courier of the sister of
| the Spanish Queen should do his spIriting
more gently, or at least in such wise that
cold -biooded republican press may not
know of it. he prefers not to incur the
risk OF revealing state secrets after dinner,
or before, for that matter, and all the
clerks at the Palace are under strict in
functions not to admit reporters into the
royal presence.
The statement published yesterday
evening to the effect that Mr.. Oakley
visited San Francisco some time q o from
to Paymaster Skelding OF the navy from
the latter's son could not be verified in
the absens Sc of the paymaSter. who is now
In the East. 1t may be true that Mr..
Oakley was we'll received in amy circles.
but it is none the less true that his name
and his dignity are not even local ira
dition.
Colonel Smed berg, for exam pie, was
asked if he rememb bered any such person
as John Oakley. "Ah," said he, 'you
refer to the champagne gentleman. No.
sir. Never heard of nor saw him in my
life that / know Of"
Mr.. Oakley was seen several times in the
Palace bar yesterday, and seemed then as
determined as ever to create champagne
drought. Toward evening he sought the
privacy of his apartment, and not long
afterward, telling indisposed, sent for
medical assistance.
Three or four doctors promptly re-
sponded to the call and found their dis
tinguished patient in state of nervous
collapse, due possibly to the overwhelm-
ing responsibility of concealing important
State secrets, or else, as an unromantic
hotel guest chose to put it, to stomach
trouble, promoted by champagne pota-
TONS
1t was also whispered that the skin in
the corner OF Mr.. Oakley's left optic
showed a slight discoloratlon and abra-
sion, or as the aforesaid unromantic hotel
guest chose 10 express it, Mr.. Oakley had
black eye.
Experts gave it as their opinion that this
discoloration and abrasion were caused by
the sudden and forcble impact of
champagne bottle. However, this is
merely speculation. and inductive reason
ing IN isolated cases is not always con-
elusive.
1t was learned yesterday that this in
teresting and romantic couple had secured
passage for the Orient by the steamer
China which sails tomorrow, and unless
either the courier or the Countess other
wise the Princess, takes pity on the
curiosity OF the public, the mystery of the
lady's identity bids fair to remain a
mystery.
From the fact that Oakley had letter
of credit for e1O00 among his possessions.
it was at first supposed that his base of
supplies was in Great Britain, but this
has been proved incorrect. His home is
in Pittsturg, and tae letter OF credit was
evidently obtained with the view of being
well fortified while on long trip abroad.
He appears not to have informed his
family as to where he proposed to journey,
and they seem only to have known that
he left recently on a trip to the South.
Mr.. Oakley has evidently grown gay since
he lett.
Instead of being courier, as he repre-
sented, he is rich broker of the Smoky
City. Evidently the gentleman delights
in masquerading and in going forth at
odd times and places like Haroun AL
Raschid.
The lady in the case. too, appears to be
known somewhat in and about Pittsburg.
If she is the Princess Elvira or the Arch
duchess of Austria and sister of the Span
ish Queen, she has happy knack OF get
ting acquainted quickly.
The following dispatch was received
from the truant brokers' home town last
night:
John NJ. Oakley Is a well-known broker here
and is reputed 10 be very wealthy. tele-
phone message to his home brings the response
that he left for the South two weeks ago, but
informant declined to give destination or say
more.
Jessie Taylor of this city is rather TALL young,
good-looking, dark hair and gay. Oakley Is
thick brown beard clipped close; he is of me-
d1nm bujld WEIGHING ah0ut 1k0 pounds