The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-17
M
Career of Eme1ie Charlotte Langtry
OF and On the Stage.

Of and On the Stage.
Mrs. Langtry, who secured a divorce in
a California court last week, has not often
been a subject of gossip since her serious
illness in 1898, when, for a few days, it was
feared she would die. The death or the
English sportingman, Squire Abingdon
Baird. owner of many crack race horses
and hacker" of prizeflghters, occurred
that year, and the report was quickly cir
culated that Mrs. Langtry, whose intimate
acquaintance with Baird had been a matter
of common talk, would receive a large
slice of his estate, estimated at $5,0W,OOo.
She may have received a small legacy or
nothing. The facts III such cases are not
generally made public. Mrs. Langtry had
been separated from her husband fourteen
years, and the divorce now granted to her
she had long been seeking, though it is
not exactly known what use she intends
to make of her liberty.
Edward Langtry is about tifty-two years
old, and was the son of a shipping mer-
chant of Belfast, a Quaker, and a man Of
large wealth. Mr.. Langtry first met the
woman and who became his wife and made
his family name ilIustrious the world over,
in the seventies when he was yachting
in the channel, and was entertained at st.
Heliers by the dean of the Island of Jer-
sey, the Rev. Mr.. LIE Breton. The deans
elder daughter, Emelie Charlotte, was then
something more than eighteen years of
age, and reputed in her small circle to be
very beautiful, though extant portraits of
her at that age represent merely a sweet
faced girl, to whom the prevailing ungaln-
ly style of couture was not becoming.
Langtry fell in love with her at first
sight. They were soon married, and after
q honeymoon trip, settled comfortably in q
smart cottage on the Thames, where the
country girl found the little gayeties of
or so. Langtry then lived on his income,
read all the sporting papers and enjoyed
life, too, in his quiet, unambltlouS way,
until, under the guidance of Sir George
Chetwynd, it is said, the young wife got
q peep or two at fashionable society. Then,
after a spring visit to Grendon Hall, War
wickshire, the Langtrys took a big house
near Belgrave Square, and began to ENTER
tain The simple country girl developed
into q woman of fashion. MillaiS painted
her portrait, which was hung on the line
in the Royal Academy and ca~talogued "A
Jersey Lily Then the Prince of Wales
sought an introduction, and MIR. and Mrs.
Langtry were even more brilliantly con-
spicuous in London society than Colonel
and Mrs. Rawdon Crawley were after the
ladies of Gaunt house had left their cards
for Rebecca. The crash came suddenly, as
it always does.
are told of this period of the life of the
young Belfast Quaker and his Jersey bride.
Most of them are probably untrue. Nobody
ever really believed that the whole Marlbor-
Ough House set suddenly cut Mrs. Langtry
because she slipped a bit of ice under the
Princes collar at a late supper. But, GER
tainly, she went out of fashion in so
ciety" as quickly as she had gone in. Lang
try had been spending his capital and ruin
seemed inevitable.
Then the pluck and commercial sagacity
of Mrs. Langrty came to the rescue. She
went on the stage, After Il tentative first
ar tho NrT1 FKaf Tha1tar and then made
the inevitable American tour, which had
been well worked up by her friend, La
bouchere, and her manager, Henry r. ABB
hey, and was splendldly advertised. too, by
the burning of the theater. the Park,
Broadway and Twenty-second street, in
which she was TO have made her New York
debut. a few hours before the time set for
her appearance, Oct. 30, 1882. She came out
at Wallacks instead, Nov. {, and as an
years and accumulated money. She grew
in artistic skill, too, and always had per-
sonal authority, which counts for so much
on the stage. and she has been a much bet
ter actress than the ordinary chronieler of
things theatrical has cared to admit or
Known enough to say. But further refer
ence to her stage career is not called for at
this time. In her first American engage
ment, in 1882. Mrs. I-angtry was introduced
to Frederick Gerhard, and because she
went riding with him one moonlight night
after the play her chaperon, Mrs. Labou-
chere, went home in anger. Ice and snow
seemed to have u good deal to do with Mrs
Langtry's troubles.
Much of Gebhard's success on the turf
was said to be due TO Mrs. Langtry's ad-
vice. Later the same thing was said in
England Of Baird. Blu there are some I'M
pleasant stories told of Baird's treatment
Of her.
In 1856 Mrs. Langtry leased the Beach
Grant house, on West Twenty-third street,
near Mint avenue, one of the finest old
mansions in Chelsea. and made it her home
for some years. She owns or owned a
ranch in southern California, many mort
cages on New York city and Brokolyn real
estate and a great deal of jewelry.
A Upton Musician Abroad.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
TIRTQN Ind NV la-Christian DOL