The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
MISREPRESENTATION
LOLA MoNTEz's BRIEF CAREER OF
NOTORIETY HERR
Facts Known About Her Birth aud Parcntssc
HER BlEnmous Marriage In EnEtand and
the rnrntuntion OF King LudwiH or Ma
Narin = Her Mretched End In America.

Bnynrd Taylor's famous prize ode, sung by
Jenny Lind on her debut in this city as a saluta-
tlon TO tho United States, began with the apos-
tropho, oh. land o; tho exilci' That phrase
long ago became appropriate TO apply to Man
haitian Island. Here Louis Philippe, Louis Ma
poleon, Garibaldi. Kossuth, Thomas Francis
Mcaghor, and Clemenceau, among others, have
found welcome as exilcs from timo to time. To
tho list Of oxiles must be added the notorious
Lola MonteS. Driven from Bavaria by popular
Indignation lato in the ~forties, sho reached New
York early In tho nfties, and during a decade
was ono of the many meteors who have flashed
across the metropolitan armament. Known to
this generation only through tradition, che was
at ono time q cosmopolitan heroine.
Lola Montez was q nom dc theatre. She trav.
elled with n baptismal certificate dated 1920,
Limerick, Ireland. md naming her Maria
Dolores Porris Gilbert, but silent as to name OF
father or mother. But when she became notori-
Gus, newspaper inquiries revealed that her pa
rentoge was almost rs dubious as the true name
Of the mysterious Junius or tho Man in the Iron
Mask. The best attainable information implied
that her mother was q Spanish creole and her
father one of those dashing Irishinen with whom
the novels of Charles Lover and the dramas
OF Boucicault have made us acquainted.
Tho mother must have been a beauty,
for Miss Gilbert, or Lola, possessed that
personal quality in an eminent degree and
perhaps by maternal inheritance. And
the father must have possessed means. for
the daughter was brilliantly educated. Linn
erick traditions refer to her as having been In
her youth one of the bellies of that city, 30 IA
nous for n long procession OF beautiful women.
Whether she lost her parents, or whether. be-
slowing q precarious income upon her, they
deserted her on the Bohemian shore, is involved
in mystery, She attracted the notice OF q Cap
tain In the British Army whose name was James.
who was of Welsh descent, and, marrying
him, she accompanied him to his comman in
India. After q fow years OF married life she
abandoned him and returned to England, where.
concealing her status as n married woman. sho
contracted n ceremonial union with another
British oficer-Maior Heald. Soon her deceit
was exposed, and she fed to Paris to escape a
prosecution for bigamy. which was not then an
extraditable crime.
She is next heard of at Paris, putting to du.
bious uses her beauty and graces and her accom-
~plishmcnts in music and dancing. At the gay
capital OF Louis Philippe she danced herself
from the boards Of a theatre into the arms of
many lovers, and from that city she pirouetted
into Munich. the capital Of Bavaria, whore an
| other less staid Louis reiRned. That Louis, who
was nicknamod by his own subjects "the lover
Ludwig" she soon captured. He was then three
score and two years old. and had been a husband
for thirty-eight years and n King for eighteen
years. She essaycd to play with this monarch the
part that had been enacted by Montespan and
Maintonon with another King Louis-thc role of
politician and power behind the throne.
She was created Countess Of Lnndsfeldt,
and for u time exercised great power.
! Her interference in the business OF the State
was such that the Kings Ministers revolted or
resigned: and lS4S and 1910 being revolution,
airy years throughout Europe. 1t became a ques'
ton whether tho infatuated King should nbdi.
cato or the favorite be eHilei. Adventuresscs
understand better in real life than in dramas
when their camel is up: and Lola secretly quilted
Munich. The bigamy Indictment remained In
force against her In England, although both OF
her husbands were now dead, and soishevoyaged
to New York. She had saved money, but her
extravaganza soon exhausted her resources, and
| then she was open to offers from managers OF
theatres here. She had already been made the
heroine of a burlesque played in the previous
year at Mitchell's Olympic Theatre. entitled
Lola Montez." Tho title role in the burlesqus
was taken by Mary Cannon. then in the plen
itude Of her histrionic powers, and old George
Holland, father OF the present Holland boys
was the comic hero.
The Broadway Theatre. on the east side of the
street, near Pearl street. was then the leading
playhouse. and at it Lola was billed during the
Christmas week Of 1851 to appear in a Partisan
ballet entitled Betty. tho Tyrolean.'" Sh,
danced there for three wceks-a great run fol
tho period-and, made up with raro art for hel
role, she still looked beautiful and was emf
ncntly graceful. But New York had already
E SdIns,s dnd Ei Y .opn an do Au fs ! tSei 81 in }s%ss T 1RS
ballet was advertised through the contempora
neous presentation Of q drama written by a loca'
Montez in Bavaria" 1t was divided into Ave
parts. Scene !. Lola. the danseuse; 2. the Poll
King. Mrs. Abbott Lola. and in the cast wer,
Rs9e No. Morn nP Mr.. M Vernon CSnT @Es. JOINS teRn soi Mal'i nmt
Dayidge as low comedian. playing Herr roT
Lola next visited Boston and the moral Hub for
over her. This exiled mistress OF 2 king was nc
and there permitted TO address the pupils IL
French. She next visited Washington, wher'
f R"D Tss apafpS@ee "n on w sns n @rse oe 'n War rnps' b .
southern members, headed, by tho Speaker
that Howell Cobb who in later years aided II
making infamous the last year OF the buchanan
Administration. In each city she took q suite o
apartments in a hotel and was attended by
through the streets Of tho three cities II. an one!
barouche. richly dressoh and bniewelled, owl
IDENTIFY counting admiration. and, II not that. Ger
Managers OF theatres no longer angling 70
her notorlety, and 1t not heinz an era for tn
dime museum. n speculative French residen
engaged her as n lecturer, She knew how to us
the graceful gestures and Establishments tina
every ballet dancer learns. She had an %cnticinI
accent when speaking English. and know hov
to emphasize language with her brilliant eyes
with these advantages the Spectator calcu
lated that as n lecturer she could bring non
theatreRoers to whet their curiosity upon heI
A lecture was written for her on the subject O
"Galiantry in Ali Ages" a topic whicl
enabled her to Introduce "reminiscences Of tn
gallantry of the Bavarian kim toward hel
Hope Chapel in broadway, near ,Broome street
a building used for preaching on Sunday and 70
exhibitions Of Spiritualism and. legerdemaii
negro minstrclsy. concerts and public meetlngf
lies the programme; y l. q piece Of coarse prin'
INK paper n foot and "A half In length, sticky wit
ink Of q kind now long ago disused, and thu, cor
tents display rude attempts at "typOgraphica
millinery" The reading matter began with ar,
ful illusions TO the career Of the lecturer an
~ Gal antry cf the Ancients, or the Amo.oa
Aristotle and OF Alexander tho Great. How AsDasi
nirted with PercieB and Socrates. The Gallantry G
Kneas toward Dido: and OF Horace with Lesbii
(2) q allantry in the Chiv alric Age and or the Trol
badours: showing It's good effects upon. womanl
character. IA Gallantries In the DAYS Of Francis ]
Charles H., and Louis XIV. 80 italian and .spanis
GalInntry. (b) Modern 0allantry, with recollection
OF my life at tho Bavarian Court.