The Washington herald., 1911-03-15

The crime for which DR.. Panchenko
was tried at st. Petersburg also was re-
sponsibIc at one time for many victims
in Buenos Ayres. Owing to statement
made bv one of his servants. DR.. Beau
regard. the leading consulting physician
in that city. was charged with murder.
At his trial it was proved that for years
he inoculated the guests at his dinner
parties with germs served in the ices
Some Of these germs were harmless, but
others we're deadly, and it was suspected
that fourteen deaths had been caused in
this way. The motive was purely sCien-
tific, and in no case did BeaureCard de-
rive any pecuniary benefit. At the con-
Clusion OF the trial, as the judge was
about to pronounce sentence, DR.. Beaurc-
gard swallowed a poisoned tabloid which
he had concealed in a hollow tooth, and
dropped dead in the dock
The fear of poison was the speCter at
the feast of the past. And all things
possible were done to lay it. Never
sporting risk was taken The sixteenth
century procedure, for instance, started
with the towel and went through all the
courses. The towel then being kissed be
fore my lord washed his hands, the dishes
on the dresser were tasted by the stew
ards and cooks. under the supervision Of
the server" This over, each dish was
brought to the table and ''asSaye" again
carefully taken by the carver. Each loaf
of bread was tasted, and a piece from
each joint Then the pie was opened and
tasted. And the salts, gravics. and
III, \,
''cornets" of bread, and the cornets eaten
before crumb or drop passed my lords
lips.
The drink, too. was regarded with equal
suspicion. And here came the duty OF the
cupbearer. His post was no sinecUre.
He drank for his living or death. He
carried the great covered cup from
the butler TO the table Then. kneeling.
he poured a quantity of the liquor from
cup to cover and drank. II he enjoyed
it and suffered no i'll effects, the company
drank Granted luck, his duty did not
end here. Whenever my lord drank
the cupbearer held the cover beneath
the cup. For there was often slip twixt
my lords liquor and the lip And the
waste of good drink ever has been re-
Garded as sinful.
Mr.. Alfred Dickens record OF Queen
Victoria's modest remark on the differ
ence in literary rank between her au-
thOrship and his fathers differs a little
(at any rate, as reported) from what
Forster tells in the Life of Dickens"
According to the biographer, the Queen
said Out did not write) that she was
giving the book of the humblest OF
writers to one OF the greatest" Dickens
had been famous for thirty-five years
before the Queen sent for him and
she was just in time, for he went to
Buckingham Palace in the year he died.
Describing the brief audience Dickens
said he could describe the Queens man.
ner only as that of a little girl-'a very
different little girl he added.
Perhaps the royal command was so long
deferred because Of Dickens refusal in
1857 to show himself to royal eyes in
a stage dress. The Queen attended an
amateur play and at the end sent for the
principal actor. who was Dickens, to come
to her box and receive her thanks. 81
replied" he wrote to a friend, THAT I
was in my farce dress, and must be
excused. Whereupon she sent again
again hoped her majesty would
have the kindness to excuse my present
ing myself in a costume and appearance
that Were not my own" Previously Dick
ems declined to take his company to the
palace. It did not seem to occur to the
author that he was doing anything un-
usual
Debutantes already are rehearsing for
the forthcoming court functions, and
teachers of department in Westend sa-
Ions are busily engaged in putting pretty
girls through their PAGES" for these all
important events. The rehearsals are not
so exacting as in Queen Victoria's time,
for the Georgian debutante will not have
to face quite so formidable an ordeal.
She will curtsy once to the King and
once TO the Queen, and then retire as
gracefully as possible to the supper-room.
However, even this comparatively simple
performance must be carried out to per-
lection.
The minimum cost of debutante's out
fl is ESQ. bit as rule more than s2oO
Is expended. the heaviest items in the
account being R1o5 for the gown and $50
for the cloak. An American bride has
been known to spend as much as el,7O0
on her court outfit, the gown costing
E1,500
The courts. as usual. will be held In the
handsomest room In Buckingham Palace.