The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-18


York, With an IncurabIe Disease
I'm the Days of Her Prosperity
She Was Patronized by Mrs. Ru tn
erfOrd b. Hayes and the Wife of
Senator DoIph.
Information comes from New York that
pretty, talented Jennie O'Neill Potter,
only few years ago one of the most
gifted elocutionists on the American plat
fe rm, the protege of the wife of former
president and the favorite at courts of
European royalty, is now victim Of
drugs and drink.
She is now in StLuke's hospital, with
cancer Of the stomach, and with only a
few more days to live. the physicians
say. Like Bettina Girard, she has gone
the pace that kills, and the bright Amerf-
can girl who charmed princes with her
wit calmly is awaiting her end
Two weeks ago Jennie O'Neill Potter
was taken to the insane pavilion of Belle
vue suffering from a mental malady
brought on by everindulgence in morphine
and whisky. She had been taken into
court on complaint Of her neighbors, who
said she had been acting queerly. and
made the night hideous with shrieks.
=, ONLY TEMPORARILY INSANE.
In the hospital the physicians found that
her insanity, which had been caused by
dissipation, was only temporary. But
dissipation had brought on disease, and it
was found that an incurable cancer of the
stomach was sapping her life swiftly.
Friends had her removed to St. Luke's
and while she there awaits the inevitable
end the physicians do their best to rail-
leviate her sufferings.
Eleven years ago Jennie O'Neill Potter
first appeared as a reader in Minneapolis.
Her parents opposed. her appearing in
public, but her talent had been recognized,
and Mrs Rutherford B. Hayes, the wife
of the former president, took her under
her protection. She won favor immediate
ly and it was not long until she attract
ed the attention Of Maj. j. B. Pond who
has managed more lecturers than any
man in America.
He took her on an Eastern tour, which
was highly successful, and in Washington
she charmed the women of the higher Of
fetal set. Mrs. Dolph, wife of Senator
DClph, introduced her to society there,
and for three months she remained in
the capital She was favored particularly
by being invited to appear before the
members of the cabinet at the home Of
the postmaster general.
GREAT SUCCESS ABROAD.
Then Maj Pond closed contract for a
European tour with her, and she sailed
for England with letters Of Introduction
from the postmaster general, the secre-
tary of state and other Washington off,
Gals. Mrs. Mackay and Mrs. Ronalds
ole for ND cha
abroad anxious, above all else, to appear
before, the Prince and the Princess Of
Wales.
She had no difficulty In obtaining en-
tree to continental courts, and with her
Rotations charmed the peers and
princes The poems of James Whtcomb
Riley were her favorites. With Little
| Orphant Annie,' 1.-THE Raggedy Man.
and '"When the World Bursts Through
| she taught the foreigners. to like the queer
| child dialect of Riley.
.'How Salvador Won" as told by Ella
| Wheeler Wilcox; Eugene Fields Little
! Boy Blue" Bret Harris poems Of Cali
fornia' life, and VIII Cartoons quaint
country verses also were favorites OF
| hers.
| In England they called her the "Queen
| of American Reciters," and she came
back to America with the plaudits still
4 ringing IN ner ears.
/ TOO MUCH. ADMIRATION.
/ But when one Is successful there al
4 ways are well meaning but unthinking
/ friends ever ready to show their admira-
i ton with feasting. Jennie O'Neill Pot
/ ter began to indulge In those late sup
I pers that upset the physical and disturb
/ the mental faculties. To induce sleep
i she began to use morphine, and soon 1t
-, ~, t-fO
/ Then one day admission to the hotel
| where she had been living was refused
| to her because of her condition. Had ii
| not been for a sympathetic patron she
1 would have been arrested and taken to
/ the police station. He took her to the
1 house of a physician and from there she
| was hurried to the hospital.
1 There she recuperated, and when she
/ was discharged she went back to her old
| home in Wisconsin to take long rest
| Her father, Thomas O'Nei1l, of Patch
| Grove. Grant county, Wisconsin, was
4 wealthy, and his only daughter was his
/ especial favorite She remained there
for several months, and then she went
i to fill engagements In Denver, San Fran
| cisco and other Western cities.
4 Soon she was back again in New York
4 and going the old pace. Several months
/ ago her father died, leaving large es-
4 tate to be divided between Miss Potter
and her brother, A. j. O'Neill. Then she
laid plans to go abroad to prepare her
! self for the stage. She expected to sail
/ for Paris last September A comedy
was to be written especially for her by
| foreign playwright, and she was to
4 gather the best company possible about
| her for an engagement in the Broadway
/ theater
4 FORTUNE MELTED AWAY.
But Jennie O'NeiII Potter's plans went
| sadly awry The pace became faster.