Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-10

a sensation in society circles here on
! this visit as she did when she came to
this country in 1882, although her per-
sonal beauty in some respects has i'm
proved During the seventeen years
I, that have elapsed since Mrs Langtry
first came to New York. there have
not occurred such changes in her per-
sonal appearance as happen to most
women in such period.
The Lily Langtry who landed from
the Cunarder Lucania on Saturday last
was very like the Lily Langtry who
was brought here in the fall of 1882
by Henry E. Abbey and Mrs. Henry
Laibouchere. She is thinner than when
she came here the last time, and that
makes her look less coarse. The loss
of flesh, however, has not taken from
her a certain hardness of feature and
coldness that would frighten off all but
the very brave or the very foolish from
falling desperately in love with her
beauty.
Mrs. Hugo de Battle, as she is now
entitled to be called, is staying at the
Hotel Manhattan, on Forty-second
street. She is not the recipient of
much social attention now When she
first landed here she received almost as
many favors as might have been show
cred upon her sponsor.
The Prince of Wales,
Society raved about her. Every one"
had seats for her first appearance at
the Park Theater in this city on Oc-
tober 80, 1882. A few hours before the
curtain was to rise upon as brilliant
an audience as could be gathered, the
theater burned down.
Society had to wait another week
ere it could feast it's eyes upon the face
that had been so enthusiastically APP
proved of by the gentleman who hopes
to sit upon the English throne. She
played first at Wallack's on November
1882. Then followed a tour of the
| country, which was combination of
huge box Office receipts and scandal.
She was accompanied from town to
town by a youth with 100000 a year.
Mrs. Labourchere had to drop her on
account of the gossip, saying that a
duenna had no value unless she were
obeyed, or seemed to be obeyed.
In those days Mrs. Langtry had no
pretensions as an actress. Her style
was wooden, stilted and affected.
Avowedly she did not rely upon her
ability, but upon her value as a cur
iosity. The American people, always
quick to appreciate any one who can
get their dollars without making re-
turn, shrugged their shoulders and ad-
mired her nerve"
Then followed more scandals. Sir
George Chetwyn, who discovered
her first when she was girl on the
Channel Island of Jersey, had a fight
with Lord Lonsdale about her. The
callow Lord Rosslyn also figured as a
sutton for her, Squire" Abingdon
Baird, rich, illiterate pumpkin, with
a string of horses, spent 100000 on
her.
And Backed Her Eyes.
1t was said, when she disobeyed him.
Sir Robert Peel also paid attentions to
her. So did Prince Esterhazy, of Ga
lantha. Announcement was made from
Howe G Hummel's branch Office in Cal
ifornia, which had secured Mrs. Lang
try a more or less valid divorce from
Edward Langtry, that the prince and
she were going to the Pacific to be mar
ried at her ranch. This was indignant
ly denied.
Then some one dug up the fact that
when she+married her first husband the
ceremony was performed at o'clock
in the morning by her father. Some
one else asked Mr.. Langtry why this
hour was selected, and he replied that
it was because he had to catch the )
a. m. boat for Southampton.
Her second husband, Hugo. de Battle
who married her shortly after the
death in a lunatic asylum of Edward
Langtry, soon after their marriage
started fer South Africa, and should
have reached Cape Town a few days
ago. He is % years old-1S years
younger than Mrs. Langtry. who is 46
New York society still has some curl
osity to see Mrs. Langtry, whose play
'The Degenerates," it was rumored, is
composed Of the various characters who
have been her courtiers. Mrs. Langtry
declares that it is not so composed, and
that there is nothing at all personal
about the play. 1t is not claimed, how
ever that the young string of admirers
some of whom have been mentioned in
| this article, are men Of any great
breadth of intellect or refinement OF
| fibre. Several figured in police courts
and in all sorts of escapades.
A LOVERS TRAGEDY.
| After Shooting Her Companion a
Noung Woman Committed Suicide.
(rIIJCAGn Tarn,or- a-norolar