Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-08-31
HER CAREER ENDING.
Josie Mansfield, Once Brilliant and
Notorious, Now a Helpless Par
alytic.


alytic.
A little while ago all London went
| to benefit to Lydia Thompson, on
! whose stage Josie Mansfield's charms
shcae in this country,
! Now Josie Mansfield is at her sisters
house in Philadelphia, theI probably
to end her lifea life that rs known
both poverlyt and the brilliance Of
doubtful prospeEdty
Miss Mansfield VINO has lived in Bos
ton for three years under the name OF
Mrs. Josie Welton, has been an invalid
nearly all the time. suffering her first
stroke shortly after her arrival,
Strangely enough, paralysis has not
dimmed the intensely keen and sensi-
tive brain. Her eyes are as observant
and sympathetic as of old. She under
stands what is said just as readily as
she ever did. Mental disturbance is
evidenced, however, in her tendency
toward maudlin laughter or half
childish exultaIion over trivial things.
Hour after hour she huns over
snatches of the operas or the songs of
Paris. Today she presents one of the
most affecting spectacles one could look
upon.
Josie Mansfield's pedigree appears to
be hidden in a veil of mystery. Bos-
ton is credited with her birth, and she
was won't to declare chat her name was
Helen Josephine Mansfield, although
others eL.imed that Warren was her
family name and her folks were very
| decent people This was denied some
years ago by Frank Lawiey, the actor.
who claimed that she appealed to him
to save her from being used by her par
ents for purposes of blackmail.
She was just 16, possessed of a
strange, 4 ark beauty, and Lawler
married her in San Francisco in 1859.
This union lasted for one year. The
actor did his meager best to reform
her, but this modern Mana, having seen
Lawler ego broke" over her extrava-
gance, disappeared out of his life.
From 1860 to 1867 her location has
never been satisfactorily explained.
Ignorant and unpublished as LAWYERS
wife she appeared again before the call
cium of public gaze and was seen in the
company of Annie Woods, an actress
who knew good lions and men who
went the pace" Among the latter
was Col "Jim" Fisk, Jr.
Josie Mansfield she had dropped the
Lawler through the medium of an easy
divorce-soon had Fisk under her
Circe-like enchantment.
The beautiful, uncut, unpublished gem
of 1859 was now, by attrition, bril-
liant. flashing. polished woman of the
world When she met Fisk her last
dollar was gone and she was arrayed
in her last gown.
She occupied whole house in 1868,
had servants, jewels, and equipages,
and Fisk was credited with paying the
bills.
At this time those who basked under
her smiles described her as of fair
skin, lustrous as an Easter lily, with
broad white brows covered by masses
of silky black hair. hair, Hike clusters OF
rich grapes, fruit OF the vine from the
garden Of Bacchus. Long gold hoops,
gypsy like, hung from her tiny, pink
tinted, shell-like ears Small, plump
hands, with absolutely faultless nails.
and figure of ravishing curves.
finished by a tiny foot, completed her
ensemble, and with the exception of
her eyes. Gray eyes they were, full OF
sorcery, fitful as tropical sea, with
| phosphorescent CLEANS.
This was the queen that reigned IN
the sbrownstone front" at 1923 West
Twenty-third street. New York city,
where Jim Fisk and his friends HAD
feasts fit for Lucullus, and poker games
filed in the nights.
1t was at one of these feasts that
Fisk, boasting of his power, his con-
troll of the city or state, declared:
Il have this city or state in the hol-
low of Try hand think I'll have an
act of the legislature passed changing
the name of the city to Fiskville.''
| With carmine lips close to his ear,
and with softly sweet voice, Josie
Mansfield-Lawler whispered:
WY nv hdhic NCN yin dlbeT
me?"
"By -" he exclaimed, you're beau
| tiful enough to have this town wear
your name But what should It be?
Josie is not quite dignified enough, is
it? Oh, to be sure, Helen! You're as
fair as Helen Of Troy. I'll bet rail-
road ! might have New York called
Helena"
Sitting at the table at the time was
young man, dark-haired, with the ex-
] ton of snow-white lock, like feath-
er, with dark eyes, classic features,
fierce mouth. and sinewy build. He
was Edward S. Stokes.
At this time the ladies' wore the
Mansfield bonnet, the Mansfield wrap
or had their hair braided in the Mans
| field couture. AT the zenith of her
fame, Fisk supplied with information
from detectives. threw aside the wo-
man he had raised to this eminence.
Her gray eyes flashed. She had let
ters from him, and prepared to split
him before the public. Fisk secured
an injunction against their publication.
and in this year. 1871, legal battles
l "a gpd barWnQu he two