Sunday morning globe., 1901-12-15

An echo of the vividly adventurous career
of Nine. Marie Vespucci, the Tuscan
beauty" famous throughout the New World
three-quarters Of a century ago, has just
been sounded by the discovery in the attic
of the old brick hotel at Evans Mills, Jeffer.
son'county, New York. Of an antique ma
hogany table, scared, stained and dust
covered.
over this very table there was played on
a wild winters night in ISlI game of cards
iu which the Tuscan beauty was herself the
stake, and which resulted in turn Of her
fortunes that imprisoned herin this obscure
region for nearly all the rest Of her life.
Curiousy, the table, battered as tits, has
lasted longer than Nine. Vespuccis fame.
The career of beautiful and INSCRIPTIONS
Nine Marie Nespucc the interest which
President Martin Van Buren openly dis
played in her, her subsequent social down
fall, and finally the singular contest be-
tween Prince John Van Buren, aud George
Parish later Baron Leftonburg, as rivals
for her alfectious-all this might have re.
mained forgotten except for the recollec-
tion excited by the table ON which game
of cards was played that changed her fate
10 was TO press her claim to the grant of
land by the nation in consideration for its
debt to her distinguished ancestor, the
Florentine astronomer and navigator that
Nine Marie Helen Amerigo Vespuoci came
in 1890 to the Washington of Van Buren,
Clay Webster and Calhoun These and
their contemporaries appear to have been
impressionable gentlemen, for the seusa-
tion which the fair Italian" made was
quite disproportionate to the importance Of
her position at the Capital.
She was young extremely beautiful with
all the charms of birth, breeding and the
glamour Of association with foreign courts.
She was accorded private interview with
Van Buren the bachelor President, and in
a short time gossip was busy arranging a
wedding between the President and the
fair Florentine, % while, by her witchiug
freedoms" it was said, she made Clay
dizzy and Webster silly She was courted,
feted, admired and houored until certain Of
her unconventionalites aroused the sus-
piciou Of one of the graver matrons at
Washington.
Then returning visitors from the French
capital reported that she had borne an un-
envable.reputation both there and in Flor
ence, and had been induced for a consider
alton by the royal family Of France to break
of an intimacy with the Duke Of Orleans,
the eldest son Of Louis Philippe, and leave
the country.
At this juncture the Dukes younger
brother, the Prince de Joinville, came to
Washington and refused to recognize Nine.
Vespucci. which virtually excluded her
from society Her numerous and magnid-
cent Jewels and many of her costly and ex-
quisite gowns went to the pawnbroker, and
in New York, whittier she shortly fed from
Washington, she came TO the verge of
actual want.
In these straits, tradition says, she ac-
cepted the protection of Prince" John Van
Buren, of Albany, and for a while created
something of a sensation on the streets of
the state capital, where she drove the
lawyers spanking team Of bays.
The romantic story Of the manner in
which she came to transfer her companion
ship from Prince" John Van Buren, to
the heir of the title of Baron Won Lefton-
burg has been handed down from father TO
son in the hamlet of Evans Mills as fol-
lows:
Just at nightiall of stormy January
day, in ISlr the great sleigh of George
up at the old stone hostelry at Evans Mills,
kept by Landlord John Hoover
The host announced that he expected
Lawyer John Van Buren, of Albany, to ar
rive and transact business with him. Soon
the famous Albany attorney arrived, accom-
Jauied by a handsome and stately woman,
who was clad from head to foot in the rich
est furs and who wore a profusion of jew
D.. T.
as Nine Vespucci, and it was noticeable,
even to the bartender who served the hot
toddy and Zip, that George Parish, gentle
man. was more interested in the fair COM
panion of the Albany attorney than in the
legal business, and that the interest was
mutual
All the next day the Ogdensburg land
owner and his agent were busy with the
signing of legal papers which Van Buren
drew up.
AS night came on the mahogany table
which was last week discovered In the attic
was brought out to play its part in this
strange story. A game OF cards had been
proposed Parish, who was alert and
shrewd, played we'll Van Buren, dulled by
a long day of drink, lost steadily. Before
10 O'Clock in the evening he had, however,
no spite OF MS Qulleu vision, seen TWO Things
clearly. First, $1,000 Of his gold had been
passed over the table to Parish, and second
gances of disturbing significance had been
exchanged between Parish and his fair
companion.
As. 10 O'Clock sounded Van Buren threw
down his cards and declared bitterly
1--WE had enough of gaming My luck
has turned against me both in cards and
iu love. You observe, Marie, my last gold
piece has gone into yonder shrewd fellows
hands You if you like may follow it,"
But madame was rather shamed by this.
No, John, " she protested quietly you
have been good to me when / needed 1t.
So, in spite of this gentleman's adroit
Aattery, I viii not leave you, now that your
gold Is spent. That is, she added, unless
you bid me-"
Since the lady is so gentle, interrupted
Parish, 1T remains for us TO settle the
matter between ourselves. Take this 5000
! have just won from you. win put up
as much more against &c. We will play
until one Of US has won all win madame
abide by the outcome of the play }'
Madame agreed, the coins were deposited
in her lap, and the two meu with a woman