The Washington herald., 1911-02-21

Not many years ago American society
was shocked by the killing in raris OF
NJ Abeille, a rich Partisan, by Edward
Parker Deacon, a Boston millionaire and
society man. Mrs. Deacon, who before
marriage had been beautiful Florence
Baldwin, daughter OF Rear Admiral
Charles s. Baldwin, L. S. n. had been
very unhappy in her marriage. As
Abeillc had been found by Deacon in his
wifes room, the slayer was imprisoned
for a short time only. Later he lost his
mind and died. Mrs. Deacon. after the
divorce, took her maiden name of Bald
win and moved to Rome.
Deacon had three daughters-Gladys
DOrothea, and Edith. Another, the
youngest. Janet, had died. The three
have grown into young women. each so
beautiful that they are known as tho
three American graces-" Each has had
scores OF suitors, although their beauty
is not accompanied by any wealth. Yet
the bad luck in love which blighted tbs
life of their mother has gripped them,
despite the charm and beauty of the three
sisters. Gladys Deacon cannot marry the
noble she loves. She lives in Paris, not
even coming to her own land.
Dorothea Deacon, who entered into a
loveless match with Prince Antoine Rad
twill of Poland. never has been recog-
nized ny her husbands family.
Edith Deacon, engaged to be married
to George Lee Peabody, a Boston MIL
Iionaire, and divorced, has had her mar
riage three times postponed, and now
the engagement is extended indefinitely
pending an operation upon Mr.. Peabody
for brain tumor. Edith Deacon, who
was known at Newport as the "CaIla
her sister Janet. who died, was the hap
piest one of the family.
Do the girls blame their dead father
or their living mother for the tragedy
that steps continually close behind them? /?
The present indications seem to be that
the Deacon family will die out in this
generation. II so, the tragedy dies, toe
All the Deacon girls are practically
dowerless Mrs. Charles Baldwin, their
step-grandmother. has house at New
port She likewise has a fairly large
fortune. For years she has supported
Miss Edith. Her main thought was that
her ward should make a brilliant mar
rfage-one which would place her high
on Newport's cliffs and also far from
want
Almost like her sisters case is that
of Dorothea, who married Prince Anton
Radziwill. of Poland. She, at least, was
married; but recently the prince has be-
gun a lawsuit in the Polish courts to OBJ
tain a transfer from his mother to himself
of the trusteeship of his fathers estate,
an Office that would give him his inheri-
tance and force at the same time his
family to recognize his wife as a member
of the family. Both the young Princess
Radziwill and her husband now are at
Rome, at the home of the princess
mother, Mrs. Baldwin, the former Mrs.
Deacon. The old Princess Radziwill does
not speak to her son or her sons wife,
and the young noble has little money.
When the engagement was announced
there was a bitter scene between the
prince and his mother. Her objections
were based not only upon the dowerless
condition OF her daughter-in-law-to-be
but also upon the old tragedy of Mrs.
Baldwin's life. The prince refused to
consider either objection as valid. The
princess asked the Intervention of the
Pope. She called on all the members OF
the Radziwell family to support her in
her disapproval and she did everything
a princess could do to thwart her sons
hopes. She did succeed in delaying the
marriage three weeks. but eventually II
took place. The only members of the
bridegrooms family to be present was