The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
MILE. TAN zANDr IN PARIS.
Tho OLD Oemonstrntionh AGainat Her said to
Have Had u Political Purpose.

aAO ~tA AbSthNt Hh'A "SAN ~
Have Had u Political Purpose.
Now that Marie Van Zandt has gone back to
Paris and made her peace with tho public there.
somebody has unearthed a story about her
troubles OF twelve years ago, showing that tho
riots which forced her to leave Paris were
tho result Of political mau9uvring, and
not in reality q demonstration against
the singer. Mile. Van Zandt appeared at
the Opera Comiaue one night in the spring
Of 1885, and her condition was such that
she was not able to proceed with her part.
1t was said that she was intoxicated. although
Mile. Van Zandt explained that the state of her
health combined with a dose of choral taken
for toothache was responsible for her con.
dition. When she tried to reappear, the stu.
dents Of the Latin Quarter Kissed her off the
stage. Subsequent attempts to sing renewed
tho riots, and she finally disappeared from Paris.
1t was only last spring, after twelve years sue.
cess in other countries, that she returned to the
stage in Paris. Her temperance took place at
the Opera Comique and Paris welcomed her
back cordially.
Nobody ever quito understood why q great
favorite such as Marie Van Zandt was at that
time should have been made the victim Of the
display of virtue SO unusual for the Students,
and that phase of the incident attracted atten-
ton at the time: Now NJ: Goron, who was a
time Of the riots, says the demonstration against
the American WIS planned in order TO- divert at.
Just after Mile. Van Zandt's unfortunate ex.
son in Tonkin. This news reached the Opposi:.
and students of the. Latin Quarter, ever
ready to agitate aEainst snnything. to make
T d9 arS%s %aTe 70 ss", msst M al t the Place ss'r a.
e s,as r. :" F !'Ss4ES. ! sii + SHE s5sH u Sco aTssSy;
Ferry" and other sentiments which. in view Of
the political situation in Paris at that moment,
was plain that something would have to be done
to prevent the demonstration and the Project Of
Police was appealed to. This was the Protects
II have a notion: Mile: Van zandt is a
d Ga'sahy iinse ri oHeF t P%s5sSS na2 2asa h Latin l wSsstS heT
she drinks brandy or choral. suppose we get
Win be % at It's height when the antf.TonEin mani:
festants are marching along the houievards.
They are spFs to stop to cry 'Vive' or "A Sas'
This plan was adopted. Mile; Van Zsndt was
to make her reappearanee that night. The
clRQues from all the subsidized theatres, all the
friends as they could gather went to the Opera
rest gathered around the building. The young
singer. nervous, but not anticipating such a
but hopeful. The manner of her reception Il
historical. She, was driven from the stage; In.
SIDE the crowd Missed ana yelled. OutSiue IL
increased rapidly. and the interest was kept uI
by tho detectives. Whenever the excitement
showed signs of tagging the detectives cried
out. Mile. Van Zandt Is coming out now!' oil
some man coming from the stage entrance
would call out: "She Is going out now by the
way, BY such means tho crowd was kepI
together until midnight and tho excitement
kept up. Then II was too late to march to the
Foreign Office. The trick was a complete sue
cess. The newspapers had been made to pre-
pare the way for the riot by printing outbreaks
of virtuous Indignation against the primf
donna. To persons who were not aware tina
they had been victimized by the Government
their astonishing moral attitude was incompre
hensible.. The articles almost directly incitet
the people to riot.
But M. Ferry and his intimate friend. tn
Project of Police, M. Camoscasse. who deyisoS
the riot, are dead now, and there, Is nobody u
deny the trI}h OF the story Just told OF the Val
Zandt riots. These demonstrations wcre 30 nm
usual that Paris accepts this explanation to.da!
as the first truthful account of the occurrences
They made Mile. Van Zandt a nervous wrecl
for two years. She said only last spring tina
she could never hear to day tho air from 81
Burbiere di Seviglia," which she was singin
that night, without it making her Ill. Las
year, when she sang again in Paris, the Govern
Of tho French Academy. This fact has bee
mentioned as having some bearing. on the trut
of the revelations Just made in Paris.