Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-09-28
CHAMBERS LIFE STORY.
Part Played by Amelie Rives In
His Career.
WHY HEwAs PLAoEDINA NAsYLun
Ardent woolnE of the Author. NJ
Sorceo Husband and Their stormy
Married Life - Characterf.tics of
the wealthy Clubman-some OF Hts
Alleged Eccentricftles.

Married Life -Characterintic. NJ
the Wealthy CIubman-some OF HI.
Alleged Eccentricttie..
John Armstrong ChanIer. the divorc-
ed husband of AmeIie Rives. now the
Princess Troubetzkoy, who ESCAPED
from Bloomingdale asylum at White
Plains in November 1860. and was re-
Gently found living quietly at Lynch
burg. Va, was confined in the asylum
in February. 1897. The members of his
family in committing him acted, of
course, on the advice of distinguished
alienists.
AIR. Chanler was committed not be
cause of any overt act, but because his
relatives feared his mental condition
might result at any moment in a yio-
lent outbreak, says the New York Jour
nal. His brothers, his intimates and
his physicians declared that Mr. Chan
Ter suffered many Authorizations, among
them that he was the reincarnation of
Napoleon and that he could make a
great fortune by a system of play at
the Monte Carlo gambling tables.
To those of his friends who had not
constantly observed him Mr. Chanler
seemed entirely rational. He seemed
himself, enthusiastic, visionary, but one
of the most attractive and pleasing of
ment, he appeared rather more excita-
ble-that was all--after he was placed
in the asylum.
DIR. Mcdonald, the well known alien
ist. said the patient believed his stom-
ach was Leyden jar and that he was
a silver box furnished by magnetism.
Yet this man since his escape has
lived quietly among his fellow men,
who have not suspected his sanity
John Armstrong Chanler is the eldest
of the eight children of the late Pro
fessor Chanler of Columbia university.
He is the great-great grandson of the
first John Jacob Astor, founder of the
Astor millions. He was born in New
York, educated at Rugby and Column
bia, has an income of $4,000 and be
longs to good clubs. where he was al
ways welcome.
man of splendid character, John
Armstrong Chanler has devoted much
of his life and much of his fortune to
helping struggling American art stu
dents. He has provided for many such
in Paris and successfully founded
fund that will permanently provide for
many more.
Amelie Rives. in the flush of the fee
BILE triumph of her first novel, The
Children of the SUM-" visited Newport
in 1887, and there she met John Arm
strong Chanler. tall and strong and
full of nervous fire. She was short,
fair of face and of temperament re-
sembling that of the young son of for
tune She was born in 1865 in Abe
marie county. Va. Her parents were
OF old families, and her home was ex-
tensive and magnificent.
Young Cbanler wooed her in New
port. and she was coy. When she went
back to Virginia in the fall, he follow
ed her. He put an ardor into his court
ship that carried her away. He pur-
sued her on foot and on horseback. All
the time that Chanler was pressing his
suit Amelie Rives was taking notes.
She built a story around him and her
self. She thinly disguised the charac-
tiers, and when it was given to the
world it was called The Quick or the
DeadY Few books Of recent years
have created such a sensation as this
work. When the people of Albemarle
county read it. they stood aghast.
John Armstrong Chanler read THE
Quick or the Deadg" II he thought
that his sweetheart had ruthlessly torn
the curtain from the privacy of his
lovemaking, he gave no sign. Against
the wishes of his family he married
the authoress on June IA. 1888. The
married life of John Armstrong Chan
Ter and his wife was a stormy period.
She was given to moods. At first he
was patient; then he was petulant- In
the end he grew violent. They trav-
eled in Europe. 1t may be that his
mental malady was showing even then.
After three years John Armstrong
Chanler came home to New York one
day alone His wife remained in Paris.
where she wrote queer lines and paint
ed pictures that were very bad. The
newspapers said that young Chanler
and his wife had separated. The hus-
band kept silent: the wife spoke freely.
They lived apart for i've years. the
husband going to his law office occa-
sionally in New York. the wife enjoy
ing life in Paris. In the French capt.
tai Mrs. Chanler met Prince Troubetz-
koy. The prince was pensive noble
man without the usual Russian deeora-
ton of whiskers. and he painted por-
traits of women. He painted the por-
trait of Amelie Rives full length. She
secured a divorce forthwith from John
Armstrong Chanler-
After this she came home and spent
some time in her ancestral home IN
Virginia There. in the same surround
inrs thar had witnessed the wooing OF
John Armstrong Chaaler. the prince
carried on a wooing with such good ef-
feet that they were married in F'eoru
airy, 1899
Ii was just about this time that the