The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1913-12-23
ROMANCE OF A GIRL
Lady Cook, Once Tennessee Claf-
lin, a Magnetic Healer.
Had vauIting Ambitions-With Her
Sister She Rose to Wealth, Fame
and a Title and Position In
English Society.

English Society.
Pittsburgh. Pa.-Whenever Lady
Cook talks publicly it is always about
something startling. So. when. with
eyes flashing and vigorous gestures,
this widow of Sir Francis Cook, knight
ed by an English king for his benefac-
tons. advocated before Pittsburgh
audience recently the branding Of men
physically unfit for marriage she was
merely giving her hearers something
for their money.
Now about seventy years old. Lady
Cook has put behind her dozen
careers that have included poverty.
obscurity. notoriety. fame. social posi-
ton. wealth and a title. Any one OF
them might have filled an ordinary
life. but not so for the resourceful
woman of almost three score years
and ten, whose energy and activity be-
long to progressive young womanhood
of today.
Some sixty years or more ago Ten
nessee Clafin and her older sister,
Victoria. were children in an Ohio viii
lage, the Kansas City Star observes.
Their father, was poor. their mother
a spiritualist, and you would not have
believed there was much of chance
for the ten shabby youngsters that
swarmed In their little home. But
shortly after they had reached their
fvun ~ -Tonnncnno vUf
was the youngest and prettiest of the
lot, and Victoria, her older sister-be'
came women Of the world and indie
pendent wage earners. This they did
by starting q magnetic clairvoyant es-
Enlistment and exploiting Tennessee
as the child wonder" For many
years dating from this time it was al
legged that Tennessee had wonderful
magnetic power. Perhaps she had. At
any rate, the sisters were successful
and acquired large clientele.
But they were looking beyond the
restricted horizon that bounded the
magnetic power business. They went
to New York. Did they spend their
time looking for somebody that want
ed to hire them? They did not. Vic
toria and Tennessee, who is now call
ing herself Tennie c. Claflin, possibly
because it savored less of humble orig
in. appeared In the brokerage business
in Wall street. Within a month they
we're doing better than a good many
men brokers in the street. 1t was the
day of Jim Fiske, Jay Gould and Com
modore Vanderbilt, and there was al
ways some business they could put in
the way OF the clever sisters who had
taken the plunge into the business
world where women were then rare
enough to be regarded as curiosities.
Victoria at that time is described as
fine looking, but a cold. commanding
woman, while Tennie was a beauty,
more nervous and high strung. yet
with a sympathetic. winning manner.
The brokerage business did not hold
them long. They had soon branched
out in the publishing business and
were getting out a weekly called
Woodruff and Claflin's weekly. Vic
| toria had meantime met and been mar
ried to DR.. Claiming Woodruff, her
senior by good many years. Their
weekly didn't have much to say about
spiritualism or magnetism at this time,
but 1t did have a good many startling
things to say about free love. equal
suffrage, morality of type somewhat
advanced for that day. sociology, hu.
manitarianism and kindred doctrines
and theories.
Victoria had flown in the face OF
public opinion by marrying Col. James
Blood Of Missouri without being for
mally divorced from her former hns
band, Doctor Wodhull
Public opinion was aroused against
| the Claflin sisters, the weekly was on
its last legs, the brokerage business
was petering out, damage suits con,
fronted them. They were at the end
Of their rope in America. They sought
the more congenial atmosphere OF
England and for a few weeks dropped
out OF public view as far as America
was concerned. But both were
brilliant women and both were busy
writing and lecturiHg in London, and
gradually they won a following over
there and resumed the publication OF
a weekly paper. Mrs. Victoria Wood
hullBlood was fortunately freed by the
death of her two former husbands and
she met and won a rich banker, John
Biddulph Martin, with a fine home in
Hyde Park. Money and social position
| were hers at last
The progress Of her younger, hand
somer sister was even more romantic
and startling. Francis Clark, a mill
;onaire silk merchant, heard her lee
ture, fell in love with her and married
her.
Through her wise direction Of the
| placing of his personal charities and
benefactions he was knightsd and be
came Sir Francis Cook and Tennie be
came Lady Cook.