Evening journal., 1897-04-12
THE NEW MRS. SHEPARD
Commodore Vanderbilt's Grand
son Surprises Society.
Els BRIDE A BEAUTIFUL WIDOW.

the Metropolis Ter Romantic Career.
The Youthful Groom l. ia Son Of the
Late ColoaeI Elliott f. Saepard.
New York April l2-That portion OF
New York society which clusters about
Murray Hill was unGucsionably amazed
when it awoke 10 learn yesterday morn
ing that Elliott Fitch Shepard The only
son of the Widowed sister of Cornelius
Vanderbilt, had taken unto himself a
bride. Members OF the Vanderbilt FAM
lily have given society some matrimon i
surprises IN The past. but nothing su--
as young Mr. Shepard save IL by his
marriage to Mrs. Esther Potter on Sat
urday evening.
M. Shepard is 20 years Old his bride
q. That is. of course interesting, bat
what society more particularly wants to
know is who she is and what his family
thinks about it.
The Shepard family refers all in
quirers to Lawyer William Irwin. lie is
a stepson of the Rev. John Hail, who
performed the ceremony. Mir. Irwin is
a deacon in the Fifth Avenue Presby-
terian church. and was the only male
witness of the marriage. But Deacon
Irwin is dslncllned 10 say anythns
about this interesting matrimonial al
lance.
AS to who she is-the inquiry, of
course, referring to the family and an
tecedents of the bride-it may be said
that she was until her first marriage,
Miss Esther Virgins Of Greenport, n.
Y, and that she was a particularly
beautiful young woman.
Her father kept a general store at
Greenport. where he sold such things
as keepers OF general stores always
sell. incidentally he kept ice, and the
ice was a very important article in
Virgins store for il brought him into
contact with hundreds Of yachtsmen
who put into Greenport every season
for supplies. Esther Virgins. in her
girlhood, was a great favorite not only
with the yachtsmen, but with the
young men Of the village as well. AZ
ter school hours she would help her
father now and then, in serving sugar
and tea to anxious customers.
WoOed and Won by Alonzo Potter.
FINALLY she was wooed and won. and
the lucky man was Alphonso Potter.
His widowed mother had country
place at Orient Point, Greenport, and
his father had been a sea captain. The
fact that AlphonsO was 20 and Esther
but 16 made no difference, and so they
We're married. They lived together but
two years. and then came separation
by mutual consent.
This happened nearly nine years ago.
After the separation Mrs. Potter went
back to her fathers house. She no
longer sold sugar and tea. but she had
many opportunities of meeting the gold
braided men of the New York, Atlantic
and LarchmOnt Yacht clubs ana she
made many conquests. She remained
there until seven years ago, when she
came to this city. From that time un-
til the present she has always been
conspicuous for her beauty.
Five years ago, when she was p year.
old. her name, Mrs. L. Potter, appeared
Oh the bell in the vestibule Of the fiat
house at 225 West Forty-third street
That was in the fall, and she remained
there until the following June, wheT
she gave up her apartments and went
TO Greenport to visit her mother, who
was then a widow. At about this time
she also became a widow, for AlphoqlsC
Potter died in California.
Last summer Mrs Potter spent the
season at Narragansett Pier anc
among her admirers there was Mr.
Vyndham-Q Quin, well known as a cous
in of Lord Dunraven, the yachtsman.
1t was through Mr.. Wyndham- OUR
that Mrs. Potter met the young mar
who was destined to become her hus
band. That was shortly after her re-
turn from the Pier. in last September
taking up her residence at 244 Wes
Forty-second street
How She Met Young Shepard.
When Mrs. Potter met young Shep
ard. he had just returned from Europ
and was then taking a special cours
at Harvard. so was not IN the city 70
very long at any time. But after he lef
Harvard he was a frequent visitor a
the fat on Forty-second street. Hi
sleighs and, later IN the season. hi
carriages were frequently before he
door. although, to be sure, Mrs. Potte
had very swagger turnout of her owr
But the Shepard equipages were eve
finer. and frequently the young coupl
could be seen starting in the directio
Of the park or Riverside drive.
often, too, Mrs Potter and Mr.. Shep
ard We're accompanied by Miss Bran
and young Mr.. Hay. the son OF tn
new American ambassador to the coui
Of st. James. who in his younger day.
was Familiarity known as "Littl
BreecheS.' OF more recent date thes
four young people have been ofte
seen at the different theaters. Alnos
nightly until a week ago. Mrs. Potte
and Mr.. Shepard dined, either before G
after the theater, at the Palm Garde
of the Imperial Hotel.
on March q Mrs. Potter suddenl
left the Fifty-second street home an
registered at the Hotel Savoy with ht
maid She occupied the handsome su
known as 1929" but only RENAME
there three days.
tt was week ago Friday that sh
suddenly disappeared from the plac
No one appeared 10 know where she ha
gone. and Mr.. Shepard did not tell eve
his closest friends. 1t seems, howeve
that she went to Greenport to visit hs
mother and her brother, Augustus, WI
IS a clerk in grocery store at ths
place Mrs. Potter returned to Ne
York last Thursday evening. and II
following day the town heard a rumC
that Mrs Potter was to marry NJ
Shepard. This rumor was strenuousl