The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-10-09
FAMOUS LOUISE
ONCE LIVED HERE
VICTOR m SENSATIONAL ELKIRS
BREACH or PROMISE SUIT
is REMEMBERED.

Beautiful and bewitching Ada
Louise Lonsdale, the attractive young
actress who has just compromised
her breach Of promise suit against
Blaine Elkins, son OF millionaire Sen
ator Eldns, of West Virginia, was
once a resident Of Columbia. She
lived here for a brief period and
doubtless she remembers little Of the
rural quiet and pastoral scenes OF that
period for she was most too young
but there are a number of the older
citizens who remember her and her
mother we'll
II was just after the great yellow
fever epidemic in Memphis in 1878
that Mrs. Lonsdale and her three
children Marie the eldest Louise the
second and another, baby then
came to Columbia They were refu-
gees from the dread scourge that al
most depopulated Memphis and other
Southern cities. Mr. Lonsdale had
been a victim Of the disease and his
wife came here in her widows weeds. |
She was accompanied by her father, /
Mr. Conley. They lived in a house on
South High street in South Column
bia
When Mrs. Lonsdale came here the
now famous Louise, said to be one
of the most beautiful women who has
appeared before the foot lights in a
long time and to whose charms young
Elkins quickly succumbed, was about
two years DID, possibly not quite that !
old. Even at that early age she gave
promise of the great beauty which
she was afterward to make her great
est asset
Soon after after Mrs Lonsdale, who
was in very Strengthened circum.
stances, came to Columbia there was
an epidemic of diphtheria here from
which many persons, most of them
children, died. All of the three chill
dren had the disease. They were at d
tended by Doctors Anthony and Rob p
ert Pillow. Being poor and unable
to employ nurse the family was the II
object of much sympathy. Owing to II
the dangerous nature of the disease 81
however, there were few who would q
venture near and help to nurse. Maj pl
". j. Whitthorne, then a younger man dl
that he is now, however, felt great Ell
for the family and he helped
to minister to their wants.
Maj Whitthorne remembers Mrs.
Lonsdale and her children very we'll
and this morning he stated to rep ~
'esentative of The Herald that even
is little child Louise was unusually
attractive and one of the most beauti- pa
ul little girls that he ever saw. Thus re
'arly in life she gave evidence of Ii
hose charms of manner and person oI
hat were to give her great promi- IN
lence upon the stage and make her Ds
he star actor in one of the most vi
sensational and interesting romances
hat has been aired in the courts of Iui
his country in a long time. tn'
The Lonsdales lived here for two sll
r three years. All the time they gil
,are bara tba Ionsda1es were noor sal
he widow made a brave struggle, DC
ut she was ancumbered with three ella
tile ones and her invalid father lived Ere
18th them. They went from there to 10
Iemphis, from which place she wrote AS
,tters of appreciation to her physi- yea
ans and to other kind friends who Mn
ad ministered to her comfort and
lat of her family From then the ,
lmily passed out of the minds of the
eople of Columbia. MT
Almost forgotten was Louise Ions s w..
ale by tne people VINO ndu knoWn use
err here when a little tot until the lun
ress dispatches a few days ago col
lrried the startling and most sensa- w. :
onal announcement tnat she nad III hin
ituted suit for 100000 damages for Ne
reach of promise against Blaine and
lkins, son of Senator Elkins, and but col
gently married to Miss Kenna, 9,,e
sautiful society girl and the daugh- dru
II of his fathers most implacable tie
)litical foe Then it dawned upon
veral here that they remembered
e mother and sisters of Louise. In ~
er formal complaint Miss Lonsdale
ates that she was born in Column
a, but this is found to be a mistake.
le was as stated, however too young
|