The representative., 1901-05-02

Iowa Pioneers Tell a Weird Tale Con-
cerning Lost Sarah.

ROCHESTER,, 1owa.-Among the oldest
residents of this little town there is an
amusing piece of gossip going the rounds.
1t Is declared by the pioneers who came
to Iowa when the buffalo still roamed over
the prairies that Sarah Bernhard was once
resident of Rochester. Half dozen men
have recognized her, they declare. In the
impersonator of L'Algion they have seen
Sal King, known to them over four decades
ago. OF course, this announcement would
be more startling II the early life of the
famous actress was not matter Of history
in which Iowa has no part, but the residents
snap their fingers at all the printed biog-
raphies Of the famous French woman. Thus
far they have not claimed Coquelin, but
they may discover he is a relative.
FOrty-fve years ago Rochester was the
metropolis Of eastern Iowa. 1t is located on
the Cedar river, which then afforded COM
munication with the Mississippi and brought
Rochester into touch with the world that
could not then be reached by rail. Among
the newcomers who fiocked to the little
Western town was a French Canadian fam
lily Of the name of King. The oldest
daughter in the family bore the name of
Sarah, but her schoolmates adopted the more
familiar Sal" And Sal is said to be the
Bernhard. few relatives Of Sarah King
still live near Rochester and they are posi-
tive in their statement that she and the
great French woman are the same person.
Fred F1nefeld, nephew of Sarah King,
has seen the tragedienne, and he AYERS
hat there Is no possibility Of his being
mistaken as to her identity.
Forty years ago Sal King left Rochester
and none Of her relatives have heard from
her since. She was girl of 19 or 20 years
old at the time she went away. When ex-
hibitions were held in the little school
house in old Rochester, Sal King was al
ways the star performer Other pupils re-
cited poetry of the period and took kindly
to the selections given in the well-thlmb-
ed copies OF McGufey's sixth reader, but
tragedies and reveled in such excerpts as
the ''blood-spot scene" from Macbeth"
When pupils gave the dialogue popular
in the school days of our fathers, Sal was
always stage director and she handled her
pygmy actors with naughty Tyranny.
The girl was a natural actress, and her
heart throbbed with ambition.
But bright teyed Sal King was not des-
tined for the quiet life of country viii
-lage. An unfortunate love affair drove her
from home. She went to Muscatine, Iowa,
and from that time until her disappearance
she led a life that rivaled in tragic in
cidents the careers of the Sardou hcroines.
She and her untrue lover met again. The
man was stabbed and narrowly escaped
DEATH Sal King disappeared to avoid
prosecution, and since then she has been
dead to her relatives and d-time friends.
She was afterwards seen in New York,
end then rumors drifted to Rochester OF
the girls departure for France. She spoke
French fluently and from childhood mad al
ways maintained that she would some day
return to Paris, her mothers native city.
Relatives Of the woman thought she must
be dead, and the Sal King Of former days
lived only in the memory of few of the
older citizens of Rochester. Fifteen years
sgo the great tragedienne was playing in
Chicago. Several Rochester men happened
into the theater, and in the Cleopatra of
Sardou's drama they saw the Sal King of
former days Since that time she has been
identified by SO many of her childhood
friends that her relatives say there is no
question that the slender, graceful Sarah
King developed into the Madame Bernhardt.
at whose feet all the world have paid
tribute.