Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-17
GALLANT CAPTAIN
IS EMBARRASSED
RUMoR GETS BUSY WITH HIS
AFFECTIONS
English Army officer Believes Himself
Either the Victim of senseless
Joke or Some Terrible
Mistake

Cupid has mixed his cues with Cap
tain Herbert Holford Brabant Holland,
an officer of the English army in South
Africa, who is staying at the Alexan-
dria as the victim, and the captain is
very much in the position with the man
in the old English song, ''he don't know
where he are"
Captain Holland, who is 6 good ma
tured Englishman with a famous record
in South Africa, and some achievements
in railroad building and ther civil en-
gineering to his credit, came to Los An
geles March 21 and remained at the AL
exandria for a week when he went to
Beatty, New, where he invested in
some real estate an, mining stock, and
met DR.. Margaret Crosse, recently of
New York, now of Beatty.
DR.. Crosse is a handsome widow en-
dowed with all the gifts the gods be-
stow and she went to the mining camp
with a view to establishing a hospital
for the care IF sick miners.
She and the ,aptain became fast
friends and 1t was rumored that Cupid
had played havoc with the heart of the
handsome captain and the beautiful
physician. Yesterday they arrived in
Los Angeles, members of a party of
prominent people from Beatty and
Rhyolte, and runoi went abroad to the
effect that DR.. Crosse would soon be-
come Mrs. Holland.
All we'll and good. The men and wo-
men from the mining camp were de-
lighted and it looked as if everything
would be arranged for a Wedding at the
Alexandria.
Another Woman in Case
In the meantime Judge ]. 8. Lindsay
of Rhyolite received letter from Miss
Bessie Wood of San Francisco whom he
had met in Denver and knew slightly.
Miss Wood requested him to call on her
sister Miss Ella Wood at 325 South
Grand avenue, and she wished him to be
best man at her wedding to Captain
Holland. She sad that she had been
expecting Miss Ella Wood to come to
San Francisco, but that her visit had
been put off on account of her approach
ing wedding.
The judge did not know Captain Hol-
land and he was in an embarrassing
position. At that time Captain Hol-
land had not arrived in Los Angeles,
and just as he was puzzling over the
quandary the captain registered at the
Alexandria. Judge Lindsay heard the
report that the beautiful physician was
to wed the handsome captain and now
he has entered the same rank with the
old man in the song and the captain,
''he don't know where he are"
Is Busy Doing Nothing
Judge Lindsay did not like to ap-
proach the captain and ask him about
the delicate question of the identity Of
the bride and he though it an irregular
proceeding that he should be asked to
be best man to a man whom he had
never met. The Judge hn-lly deter
mined to do nothing and he is still
puzzling and waiting for affairs to take
their course.
Nf ~ from WOn6
reached the captain and he was not at
all pleased. He says he has only met
Miss Wood once, and in the most
formal manner possible. He cannot
understand whether he is the object of
some practical joke or of a malicious
plot. He says he will see a lawyer to-
morrow and find out just how far such
things can be carried.
II have only met Miss Wood once,
and l cannot understand how any such
question could arise. 1 met her in the
most formal manner Imaginable, and
such a thing is impossible.
Il should prefer to talk about Beatty,
for it is a wonderful camp and has a
great future"
Capt Holland declined to confirm or
deny the rumor of his engagement to
DR.. Crosse, but later in the day when
things had assumed a more serious
aspect to him he denied everything and
declined to discuss his affairs at all,
declaring that he would shoot the first
man who said anything about him.
II can't understand. the affair, and l
am placed in a very uncomfortable sit
uation," said Judge Lindsay at the
hotel last night.
II went to the address given in the
letter, but L found the young woman
had already gone. do not know Capt.
Holland, and / will not do anything,
since this seems to be the best course
to pursue"
Before coming to Los Angeles Capt.
Holland was in New Orleans, where he
had been building a railroad. He is of
Irish parentage and was born in South
Africa. He is son of the lord chief
justice of South Africa and a nephew
Of Gen. Brabant, chief
of the British army in South Africa.
He is linguist and a scholar, having
received his education in Paris, Berlin
and Rome, with a diploma from each
place He was chief scout under Baden
Powell in 1896 at the time the bridges
were demolished and the Boer troops
sustained heavy loss of life. In the
battle of Colenzo he received several
wounds, and an ugly scar over one eve
tells the story of one of his encounters
Not long ago Capt. Holland was a
member of the engineering department
O. oii1lle'b anu lllOuSll a very young
man yet he has seen service of many
kinds in many climes.
Il want to spend a great deal of time
In Los Angeles, and in fact to make
my home here, so that anything about
my personal affairs in the way they
have been mentioned here is very dis
tasteful to me, to say nothing OF the
effect 1t would have upon my people at
home"
The gallant captain and the quiet
judge are both disturbed, the Miss Wood
seems to have disappeared and a ques-
tion mark remains behind.