The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-05

E0na May. Born In humble circuM-
stances. unrecOgnized among the mem
bers of the chorus when she first es-.
sayed the stage as a career, taking
London suddenly by storm after New
York had failed to see anything out
of the usual rut In her performance OF
minor part, and now the chosen
bride OF the owner of millions, after
diWOrcing former husband who was
a famous bicycle rider-that is the
history of Edna Mays life in one SEN
tence.
Miss Mays name, when she was a
demure and unknown little chorus girl
In New York, was Edna May Petty.
She was born in Syracuse, N. Y,
where her father was letter carrier.
When she first went on the stage she
was glad to get salary of $12 per
week. few years later she signed
contracts for $500 and $1,000 a week,
and had scores of suitOrs, from rajahs
of India to heirs of British dukedoms:
from the chappies of Piccadilly to
bank clerks of Threadneedle street.
At least one man has committed sui
eide because of her, and she has had
house on Regent street, a villa in
st. Johns Wood and an estate in Scot
land.
Fred Titus was the little chorus
girls first adventure. He was ia
nous bicycle rider in those days. and
when she met him he had just won the
hour record at the Springfield meet.
They were marriedsein 1895 and lived
in little flat in Harlem. Titus opened
bicycle shop and Edna went to mu-
sic and dancing lessons. She was a
singer, and from singing in church
she was led to take part in a show
at Hammerstein's, and later chorus
part In "The Bells of New York, at
the Casino.
One night her chance came, and her
demure beauty made the part of Vio-
let Grey good enough for the best.
She sailed away to London and the
Salvation Army Lass" captured the
hearts of the Britons, and Fred Titus
lost his bride. Time ran on. and the
new life that had opened to her was
so different from that to which she
had been accustomed that the bicy-
Gle rider did not seem to fit in it. She
wrote book and had teas with coun-
tesses and dinners with dukes. She
drove her own horses and was sum-
moned to the presence of the king.
So the world was not surprised to
learn one day that Edna May had APP
piled for divorce. Her husband and
his family vigorously opposed the APP
plication, and the case dragged through
the courts for years, being finally de-
cided about two years ago, when the
actress secured the long coveted de-
cree.
The man whom the girl that thou
sands have worshipped" now takes
for her second husband is the son of
the late Israel Lewisohn and brother
of Jesse Lewisohn, of the American
Tobacco company. The father at
tended strictly to business during his
lifetime, and when he died, about a
year ago. he left large fortunes to both
his sons. Since then Oscar Lewisohn
has dwelt at will, either in New York,
London Or Paris. As a man about
town, as clubman and the owner of
a crack racing stable, he became as
familiar figure to Broadway as his
elder brother, Jesse Lewisohn. 1t is
said that Mr.. Lewisohn's family had
raised a storm of disapproval when
he announced his intention to marry
Edna May. but, as he is now secure
in the possession of his share of his
fathers millions, the young man can
AFFORD to ignore these protests. 1t is
interesting to note, by the way, that
Miss May has followed the example
recently set by several other famous
actress, in marrying a man who is
quite few years younger than her.
self.