The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-06
No Truth in Published Story
That Lady Churston Left
Her Husband.
mY la MARoUIsE DIE FoNTENOY.

Her Husband.
nv IA MARaUIsE DIE FoNTENoY.
II ORD CHURSTON, who arrives in
New York to-day from England
with Lady Churston, on board
the Cunard liner Lusitania, is the head
of the old Devonshire house of Butler.
and was last year the subject OF
most extraordinary mystihcation on
the part of New York daily news
paper The paper in its cable dis
patches from London. printed in its
issue OF June I, minated that Lady
Churston had disappeared, and that
Lord Churston had invoked the aid OF
the police authorities at Scotland Yard,
in London. adding that he had evidence
to the, effect that Lady Churston had
fled TO Am erica with a former admirer
Of hers, tho younger son OF n noble
house. who had been ono Of her most
devoted swains when she was con-
nected with tho Gaiety Theatre, In
London
There was not the shadow of truth
In the story. Lord and Lady Churston
were at that time entertaining house
party at their country place in De-
vonshire. The blunder would have
been laughabie, were il not for the an
noyance which IT entailed For when
the news was Cabled from New York
back TO London-and published IN the
papers there--that the New York po-
lice and immigration authorities had
been requested bs Scotland Yard to he
on the lookout for the fugitives, Lord
and Lady Churston had TO telegraph
in every direction to explain that they
were together and at home
The affair was all tho more annoying
10 Lord Churston's family, owing to
the fact that it reminded people of a
former incident. For he had an Ameri-
can aunt, wife of his uncle, the Hon.
Walter Yarde-Bullcr Csecond heir to
his peerage and estatesD, a lady who
III one time figured largely in the press
on this side of the Atlantic, and who
also was reported as missing-fre-
quently so. indeed. She was the
daughter of General r.. ". Kirkha,n.
| OF California, widow of y. u. Blair. of
San Francisco. when she married In
1886 Walter Yarde- Butler. A few
years later she began n series Of suits
or tho most sensational character
against her husband, In the English
courts, her charges. never established,
and rejected by the tribunals, being
denounced by him rs the phantasies
OF 4 lunatic
These assertions OF his received n
certain amount OF confirmation by the
fact that when she returned TO the
United States, attempts were made by
her relatives in California to place her
L..
Iaroe- Butler. q title TO which she had
no right, she furnished an immense
amount Of material for stories of n
more or less mclodramatic character
by her EFFORTS TO resist arrest and by
her constant escapedcs. A couple OF
years ago the standard "Pecrages" for
tho first time intimated that her
death had taken place in California, IN
1904, and ii may be assumed that the
hon. Walter Yardc- Butler has received
confirmation of her decease, since last
year he contracted another marriage.
Lord Churston WAS formerly OH the
military stan OF the Duke of Con-
nausht, row Governor General of
| Canada, and also served in n similar
capacity in India, as y. -. c. 10 Lord
Curzon when the latter was Viceroy
of India. He created q sensation there
by his elopemcnt With the beautiful
Mrs. Anterior. wife Of the colonel
commanding the Twelfth Lancers, at
| Meerut a divorce cnsued, in which
farde- Butler, as he was then, figured
, as correspondent.
IL was expected that as soon rs the
decree was made absolute, Yardc-
! Butler would marry Mrs. Atherton
But, much to the dismay of that wo-
man. he went OF and married instead
the popular and fascinating actress.
Denyse Orme. Thereupon Mrs Ather-
him in London for breach OF promise,
demanding 100000 damages, although
She did not need any money, having q
fortune Of her own, TO the tune OF
100000 year. Shs was unsuccessful
! in her suit, IL being rightly claimed
that the promise 10 marry her, If made.
was given by Yarde- Butler when she
was still the wife OF Colonel Atherton,
and was therefore somewhat inn
moral contract.
Lady Churston, who has two little
children. Il girl and Il boy, made hei
debut on thc stage at Days Theatre,
In London, in The Little Michus'
Her real name was Jessie Smithcr. and
she is daughter Of Alfred Smithcr,
wellknown IN England rs an or
chestra leader, while her mother, prior
TO her marriage, was II pianoforto
prodigy and virtuoso. From thom
Lady Churslon inherited her musical
talents. She was been ever since
| childhood II singularly gifted pianist
while at the age of seventeen she won
the scholarship OF the Royal College of
| Music, In England, Sir Hubert Parry,
in presenting to her tho award, de-
claring that she Was the youngest girl
to have ever attained 1t. Since she
has become Lady Churston, she has
given several concert performances
| for charity. accompanying her tsins ing
on her violin, in n singularly fetching
manner
Lord Churston, who was formerly
captain In the Scots Guards. and who
served with diGiinction throughout tho
Boer War. is the third peer of his line
the first being that Sir John Sarde-
Butler who represented South Devon
shire In the House OF Commons for
quarter of 4 century, and was describ
ed by Lord Eeaconsiield rs Sir Robert
Peel's choice and pattern country gen
tlcman." Lord Churston owns IL. 900
acres of land in Dcvonshire AZ Corn
wall, is. M patron. responsible for the
spiritual welfare OF five populous par
ishes. has an ancestral home In De-
vonshfrc known as I,uDton House at