Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-10-20
NOTHING LEFT HER BUT TO
THINK.
[ From the N. Y. Herald.

twenty.eight. Her hair is streaket
with gray, her eyes are sunken ant
lustreless, and her baggard feature.
are furrowed with deep wrinkles
Never again, it is said, will she have
the use of her limbs. Never again will
she court the adulation which carried
her from the highest to the lowest
sphere in life. She has quaffed the nee
tar of pleasure; she has drained the
dregs of her own despair. Nothing i;
left to her but to think.
This is Bettina Ordway, who has beer
variously known by the names of Pad
elford, Girard, Rafael, Wolf, Beach
and Schuyler. 1t was under the name
of 'Bettie Schuyler" that she was ad
mitted to Bellevue. Partial par, ! ysi:
had already set in, and she is gradual
ly growing worse. None of the ole
friends of Bettina Ordway, who knew
her as the belle of Washington society
re cognizs her in the Betty Schuyler
who has passed in rapid stages of cay
ETY. and dissipation to her present pit
liable plight.
The history of this strange woman is
familiar to those who read the traee
dies and comedies of daily life. Hel
friends-for even in her maddest mo.
ments she had the faculty of making
frends-marvelled at her meteoriC
career. Psychologists have puzzled
their brains over the eccentricities o.
her mental, moral and physical ten
dencies.
She took no heed of time. Day OF
night was all the same to her. When
she drifted to the stage as means ol
gratifying her innate craving for new
sensations she took no note of the
wrecks s,rewn about her on the rocks
against which she was steering. Lower
and lower she sank, until the bubbles
of approaching disaster sounded in hel
ears. Then she would change hel
course, but only to drift back into the
current of her own desire.
Her romance, however, begins long
before she thought of the stage. The
daughter of General Albert Ordway, 8
man respected in national affairs as he
is in his social life, the derk-eyed Bet.
tina received every advantage OF
wealth and culture. Even as young
girl she liked to shock persons. She
wanted 10 he different" and she
was.
The episode of the gallant young at
tache of the French Legation, who
drank wine from her slipper, caused a
seven days sensation. Her marriage
to young Arthur Padelford was brill
liant affair. Then came the divorce,
three months later.
After that it was easy enough for the
fair divorcee to drift to the stage. She
was young, handsome, could sing, and
had figured in sensational divorce
suit.
Jack Rafael succeeded Mr.. adelford.
Then came John Harrison Wolf, who
was leading man in the company with
which she was connected, playing "In
Old Kentucky" William Beach, OF
Nat Goodwin's company, next found
favor in her eyes.
Betty's family had long ago ceased to
recognize her. Last year her father, as
a last resort, supplied her with money
to leave the country. She went to
London, and so did Philip Schuyler.
There she plunged deeper than ever
into the maelstrom of dissipation. She
missed her Tenderloin admirers.
American actors and actresses in Lon
don avoided her.
George B. Mcclellan, of the Casino,
told me Monday that one day she had
stumbled up against him on the Strand.
cat first l didn't recognize her," he
said. "She presented pitiable sight.
Her face was bloated, and she was mis-
erably clothed"
She came back to New York during
the GUNNER and made an effort to
straighten up. She haunted the theat.
rical exchanges, looking for an engage.
ment, and occasionally small subscrip.
tions would be taken up for her. She
finally obtained an engagement to ap-
pear at Proctor's, but the anticipation
of returned prosperity was too much
for her. She meyer appeared.
had talk with a physician Mon.
day evening who knew Betty Gerard
when she was in the heyday of her
glory.
'sIt takes about seven years for q
woman of that type to run her course,
he said. II mean a woman who places
no restraint upon her passions, and
who goes the PACE unchecked"
With this random remark as source
of unique philosophy, talked to George
w. Lederer.
"It depends on the woman said Mr.. Led.
erer. Il don't see how any standard can be
established. There may be lots Of actresst
who simply drop out of sgnt, and because
there is nothing to keep their names before
the public, their downfall excitcs no com.
m,nt.
"Betty Gerard was naturally erratic.
dare say it was born in her saw her when
arc made her first appearance. 1t was at the
Columbia Theater in Chicago, in comic
onara called The Kings Fool i think her
last appearance in New York Wa under my
directiou, in The Twentieth Century Girl, al
tho Biiou. After that she opened in Poston
In "A Black Sheep but broke down.
"a wear ago last February engag hei
for The Lady Slavey,' 10 pay the part alter
wsrd played by Mario Dressler, but her mem.
orv seemed entirely gone, and alter a ,U; le"
rehesrsals saw that She wouldn't do Inc
last time saw her was about month ago
when she came into my Office, a complete
wreck"