The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-09
THE PRINCESS sALM SALM.
ROMANTIC CAREER OF THE FORM
Err CIRCUS RIDER.

working Tor MaN1nlilan-hoW She
Kissed Lincoln.
Of the eventful career of Princess Salm
Salm of Bonn, Germany, now on visit
to relatives in this country, the Phila-
delphia North American says:
a circus acrobat and rider, widow of
titled foreigner who fought on the union
side in the,civil war, and herself the al
legged holder of a commission in our army,
the Princess crowded into her life many
stirring events, which will be recalled
by scores of persons in New York, Wash
ington and other cities
Little is known of the early history of
the Princess, but she was for time
circus rider. appearing under the name
of Agnes Leclerc. AS a circus rider she
was not success and she turned her at
tentiOn to tight-rope walking. In the
| spring OF 1858, while performing in Chi
cago, she met with an accident, and her
escape from death was almost miraculous.
The circus of which she was member.
had announced that the most daring feat
of the performance would be the ascent
| of a rope by Agnes Leclerc. Such mar
Vicious rope-walking as is seen now was
| unknown in those days, and the an
| nouncement that this young woman would
| ascend a rope extending from the ground
10 the top of the highest tent pole, nat
urally attracted an immense crowd.
The performance took place in the art
ernoon, when there was a very high wind,
| and the intrepid rope-walker, clad in the
fimsiest tulle and tights, began to ascend
| the rope fearlessly, while thousands OF
! eyes We're centered upon her. The WIND
was so strong that even under the canvas
| the rope swayed to and fro, and the re-
suit was that when little more than half
| way 10 the top of the pole the young
woman lost her balance and fell headlong
to the ground. The great crowd was awe
| struck, and many hid their faces, expect
| ing TO see her dashed to pieces before
| their very eyes. This was not TO be, how
| ever, for a young and powerful acrobat
caught her I'm his outstretched arms. she
! fell against him with such force that he
was knocked nearly senseless, but her life
was saved and she escaped without any
! injury.
| With hardly a moments hesitation, and
before the crowd had recovered from its
| shock, the daring woman began a second
| ascent, and this time reached the top sue
cessfully, where she stood for moment,
while the great throng below cheered her
/ to the echo.
|
that Agnes Leolere made her first APP
pearance in Washington. There were many
beautiful women there at that exciting
| period, but none who attracted more at
tention than she She had handsome
face and fine figure, and she possessed the
art of fascinating all who came in con-
tact with her.
Her name was soon on everybodys lips.
| Before she had been in Washington a
month she was well known in official cir
cles, from the highest to the lowest, and
| the political influence which she eXerted
| was equal to that of any other woman.
! Her first escapade, and one which set the
whole town by the ears, was her appear
ance one morning riding down the avenue
clad in a riding habit, adorned with the
shoulder straps and buttons of a captain
in the regular army. The story went that
| she had received a captains commission,
| but this was never verified.
The curiosity of the people became so
acute that every one was asking who she
was and where she came from. One re-
| port was that she was the daughter of
wealthy American family, who had adopt
ed her while travelling in Europe. Her
| appearance suggested italian origin, while
| her vivaciouJ manners seemed to betoken
a French descent. She vouchsafed very
| little information about herself but always
insisted that she was of American parent
| age. On the authority of some who had
| been her close friends II was said that she
had been reared in luxury, but to satisfy
her love of notoriety and excitement had
run away from home and joined a travel
| ling circus.
| Among her many admirers in Washing
ton was Prince Salm Salm, a dashing
| young German, who, firing of garrison life
| in his own country, had sought and re-
| ceived a commission i'm the American
/ I,rfa l. H.
married. She went with him 20 the war
in which he took part as colonel of the
| Eighth New York Volunteers, and was a
| conspicuous figure in the life of the regi-
| ment. She also rendered excellent services
| as a hospital nurse.
In this connection 1t Is well to say that
the regiment of which Prince Salm Salm
was colonel was not the predecessor of
| the present Eighth Regiment of the New
| York National Guard, but was an indie
pendent regiment of volunteers, made ND
| of separate companies, ralsd in various
! parts of this state, most of the members
| being COMMUNICATIONS
| After the war the couple returned n
| Washington, where the Princess continued
to be greatly admired, not only on ac-
/ count of her personal beauty but also
| because of her patriotic demeanor al 4ba
| front. She electrified ciubdom and OH
| cial circles about this time by WAGERING n
basket of champagne with an officer tbat
she would publicly kiss President Lin
coin within month, and only a few even
| ingS later she won her bet
She attended banquet at which the
President was the chief guest. ana a.
favorable moment glded noiselesslv to bie
chair and before her purpose could he A.
| vined implanted kiss upon his Inns ,1,bis
commendable action, the first instance ~
'Hobsonizing" on record, was quickly fol-
| lowed by several other women. The Pres
ident withstood the ordeal good-naturealv,
but Mrs Lincoln was indignant, and never
! afterwards referred to the Princess bv her
title, but always spoke OF her as thai
| Mrs. Salm."
This was the last escapade in which the
Princess Salm Salm figured In Washing
| ton. The civil war being at an end and
the Princess longing for further excite
ment, she induced her husband to cast his
fortunes with Macmillan, who was then
-