The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-08
APOTHEOSlS
OF VICE.
RigO and Princess de Chimay
Parade Their Shame
And Are Conspicuous at Paris
ian Theaters.
CONTEMPTUOUS LOOKS
Fall on Them But They Are In.
vulnerable.
Gypsy Musician Compared to
Orang-Outang With Paresis.

lar dIudH-OnlInay, Onc6-tO the ever
lasting shame of American womanhood
Miss Clara Ward of Detroit, has
brought her Hungarian ensIaver, janet
Rigo, to Paris, and esta bIished him at
the Hotel Terminus, where the two are
living together as M. and Nine. Riquet,
billing and cooling like pair of mud
turtle doves and doing the town for all
it is worth; incidentally making them
selves as conspicuous as possible in the
most fashionable restaurants and at
! the opera and theaters. The shame
lessneSs of this perVert passes all belief.
She is as proud of the notoriety she has
achieved as a normal woman might be
| of the conquest of a CTichton.
People who read descriptions of the
gypsy lover are inclined to believe that
he is not fairly treated as to his per
sonal appearance by reason of the pref
udlce that any writer of decent instinct
would naturally have against him. I
thought so until I saw him at Paillard' S
restaurant, with his protectress, the
evening of their arrival in Paris.
| found that I was mistaken. No descrip
ton can do an injustice to him. Rigo
has three of the physical Characters
tics that LOmbrOSO attributes to the
degenerate-the prognathus jaw, the
outstanding ears and the eyebrows
grown together. In a musicians uni
form, sufficiently upholstered, and sur
rounded by others of his type similarly
clothed, he might not be absolutely Of
fensive to the eye. In the dress of
! gentleman, as his mistress had logged
him out, he was spectacle calculated
to aggraVate all the five senses at once.
He looked as much out of place in his
black coat and white shirt front, among
ladies and gentlemen, as if he had
worn a Workingman'S blouse.
1t was a romantic sentiment that
prompted Mime. RiQuet' to bring the
gypsy to Paillard's the night of their
ARRIVAL together in Paris; for it was at
Paillard's that they had first seen 9th
er, when he, the leader of the orches-
ira, played to her as she sat at the ia
| bic with her princely husband. Anoth-
er Tzigane musician was leading the
orchestra now and Rigo knew that the
leader and all others were enjoying him
sitting there before them with the most
beaut1fu1 woman in the room, drinking
champagne regardless of expense. He
could no more conceal his gratificatio
than any other lout of the same breed
| ing, and when, in his efforts to appear
at ease, he occasionally leaned across
the table to address his mistress his
grotesque cOuntenance was distorted
into a grin that made him resemble an
orang-outang with paresis.
The beautiful woman with him, for
she is wonderfully beautiful was as
self-satisf1ed as her companion. So
complete was her infatuation that she
did not see the sneers nor feel the con-
tempt of the others of her sex, nor the
pity of the men.
1t was only by a piece of luck for the
1ll-aSsorted pair that they were enabled
to appear together at Paillard's that
evening. A crowd of a hundred peas
ants got together at the station on the
Belgian frontier, through which the
train that carried IN. and Nine. Ri
quet was to pass, with the intention
of avenging the insult they had put
upon a Belgian prince. These high
minded rufhanS were unable to appre-
ciate the circumstance that Caraman-
Chimay's acceptance of money as a
slave for his wounded honor had put
him on the same level as the gypsy
and they had made proper ARRANGEMENTS
to duck the ex-princess in pond and
hit her lover out with a suit of tar and
feathers. Some buSybody however
telegraphed them information concern
ing the reception that awaited them.
and they came on to Paris by another
route.
Rigo reached the pinnacle of his glory
Saturday evening. At La Scala there
is being given a variety show that is
not calculated to remind an American
who has undergone Presbyterian train
ing of the performance at a church So
ciable. One of the events of this en-
terUa1nment is based upon the Chimav-
R1go romance. In the scene on the
stage a pseudo princess is ogIed by the
leader of the orchestra and advances
to the footIfghtS, Wriggling with affect
ed passion, whereupon the leader, got
up to represent Rigo, climbs over the
footHghts, embraces her francticaIIy
and finally carries her faintine from
the stage over his shoulder, with her
feet in the air.
DesiriOus of indicating her apprecia-
ton of this delicate tribute on the part
OF the management of La Scala the ex-
princess took Rigo around there Satl1r-
day evening, purchased the most prom
inent box in the theater, close to the
stage, and ensconced herself with him
conspicuously in the forefront thereof
They were at once recognized bv the
audience and in very few moments
every eye was turned upon the box
where the two lovers sat- smiling bland
consciousness of the romantic position
they occupied. Then cry for ''Rigo!''
went up. It was repeated persistentIv
until he rose and bowed his thanks
Never since the first audience gath
cred in the first thea ter saws Figaro
was such delight evinced as by the
spectators at La Scala. RICO was ao-
claimed again and again, and the more
and more strenuOusly as he continued
to bow and smirk his acknowIedg-
mentS."
He was verify sight for gods and
men With his unblushing honors thick
upon himl
It was later, however. that the com
pletenesS of his triumph was ascTra5
As the actor cast for the role of Rigo
lights, when the travestv began the
audience shouted that it desired to
nave the real Rigo plav the mart
whereupon RigO clambered from the
boX TO the stage and kissed the Nine.
R1go de theater in the presentce of the
actual Nine. Rigo, who smiled gracious
ENCOURAGEMENT upon the scene
me path of notOriety leads of course,
TO the stage, and thither Mime. Riauet''
IS bound She has signed a contract to
appear in Berlin in a series of living
pictures, which are to be accompanied
by M Riquet' with appropriate music
OF his own composition. According to
their contract, the two are to receive
cess says that she would prefer to
make her debut in Paris but the Paris