Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-12-13
HELL FIRE CLUB.
And Other Matters ILLUMINATING a
Celebrated Family Character.

And Other Matters Illuminating q
Celebrated Family Character.
Marquise de Fontenoy in New York
Tribune.-Sir Robert Eastwood. who
has arrivd in this country with the
reputation of having at the ships con-
cert on board the Baltic endeavored
to play gallant Romeo to no fewer
than three Juliets, is the premier bar
onet OF Great Britain and is the head
OF a notable family, famous In the
west of England since the days of
King Henry VIII. One of its most IA
mous--or, rather, notorious-mem-
bers was that Sir Francis Eastwood.
known as Lord lie Despencer, who, In
the reign of King Charles II, founded
the so-called Hell Fire club" of which
he was president. and the members
OF which, arrayed in the garb and
cowbs of Franciscan monks, met at
Medmenham abbey and there, under
the cloak of religion, practiced the
most bacchanalian orgies, until they
were stopped by a practical joker let
ting a goat down the chimney by a
rope. The jewellers, on seeing that
the strange noise in the chimney was
followed by the startling appearance
of cloven hoofs, took 1t for granted
that the latter, instead of being those
of goat, belonged to no less person
than his satanic majesty, bolted in
hot haste from the spot, and never
dared to meet again.
| Sir Francis, who inherited the lie
Despencer peerage from his mother
1t became extinct at his death without
issue, the Eastwood baronerty alone
passing to his half-brother-became
religious after fashion In the closing
years of his life, and built the parish
church of West Wycombe, 1t is said.
In expiation of his crimes. II is the
most odd-looking church of which 1t is
possible to conceive, and there is GER
tainly no Anglican place of worship in
all the United Kingdom that more
nearly approaches, both in its external
and internal appearance, one of those
old pagan temples devoted to the wor-
ship of Bacchus.
The death of Sir Roberts father
has always been enveloped in a GER
tain amount of mystery. He was a
victim of the alcohol habit, which re-
duced him to almost complete i'm
becility and necessitaied his being
placed under restraint. He was not
IN m 10
lum, but was intrusted to the charge
of keeper, with whom he lived in
some wretched rooms In the Pantheon
quarter of Paris, completely cut of
from his wife and children, who would
have nothing whatsoever to do with
him. II used to be pitiful sight to
see the old man walking about the
streets of Paris almost in rags, ac-
companied by his keeper, who would
follow the unfortunate baronet into
the lowest taverns, where the few
cents which he was daily allowed for
the purpose would be spent in drink.
Sir Edwin died so suddenly that his
family became convinced that he had
been the victim of foul play, and in
stituted inquiries which led to the
arrest of the keeper. The magister-
ial investigation did not 90 far, how
ever, for before the second hearing
came on the keeper committed sui
eide by hanging himself to the bars
of his cell window.
The unfortunate baronet was sue
ceeded by his oldest son, Edwin, who
died without leaving any male Issue,
but only daughter, to whom, jointly
with his Australianborn wife, he be-
queathed every vestige of property
which was not entailed, being on bad
terms with his younger brother and
successor, the present baronet.
remarkable lawsuit followed in
connection with the ownership of the
magnificent Golden tapestries which
constitute the feature of the Dash.
wood ancestral home of West Wy
combe, and which were claimed by
the widowed Lady Eastwood The
question before the courts was to de-
termine whether the tapestries were
fixtures, and, as such. part and parcel
Of the entailed property, or mere
furniture, and, as such. at the dispos-
al OF the testator. The court, learn
ing that the tapestries had been
specially woven for the room at West
Wycombe to the walls of which they
had been fixed by battens for more
than two centuries, decided that they
we're a fixture Of the manor house,
and, therefore, part Of the entailed
property, and not at the disposal
either OF the testator or Of his lega-
tee
II ] mention this 1t is because this
particular lawsuit has furnished the
legal precedent for numerous other
cases since where the question has
been raised as to what constituted