Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-12-05
SINGER SUFFERS
TRIALS IN ITALY
Miss Mcvane Was Victim OF
Many Prosecutions Dur.
ing the War.
SCoFfED At IN STREET
American Ambassador Puts Wheels in
Motion and Her 6lackmailer Is
Sent to prison-Puccini Planned
an Opera for Her.

New York.-"If vhere was lack OF
artistic temperament in the original
composition Of Miss Dorothea Alastair
McVane, her experiences AS profess
sionai singer In Italy would have
made good the defect for she so i'm
pressed the great Puecini that, at his
instance, she made her operate debut
as Mimi, in his LA Boheme.' carry
ing through the part with success
when she was in the first stages of
typhoid fever; she fell under oftieial
suspicion as spy in laramie, where
there Is an Italian naval station; she
underwent siege of blackmail that
resulted In sending two oppressors 10
prison, and she became the betrothed
of young noble, who was killed in the
war.
In addition, her progress toward
career was hampered by the stern OPP
position Of her father, Silas Marcus
Mcvane, formerly professor of history
snd International law In Harvard, re-
firing as emeritus professor. After
ward the family became so proud of
the young singer that they established
4 home In Rome, where Professor nc.
vane died at about the beginning Of
the war.
seoffed and Kissed.
In connection with the spy and
hlscknail episodes II seems that Miss
Nevsne unwittingly snapped her cam
era when the lens was pointed In the
direction Of masked batteries. Soon
she became the object Of scofting in
tie street. she WAS Kissed at the OPP
ers. she found herself unable to get
e-.ers 70 ter friends or to hear from
them. She became so nervous and dis
E.r4tes that she wished 70 60 away,
regardless Of her operate contract,
and ~as threatened with arrest If she
tried to 60 When at last. men an
noyed her with threats Of publishing
the spy story and thus running her
career unless she paid money to them,
she contrived to get word TO the
American ambassador In Rome, who
put the wheels in motion for a black.
mail trial, whereby Miss Mcvane was
cleared and the men were punished.
She WAS led to adopt singing as a
profession on the advice Of artists and
others who heard her voice in Paris,
where she had gone merely to perfect
her French When her French instru6
tors sent her to Milan with letters to
the. composer Puccini. she knew the
leading roles In 20 operas 1t was re-
ported that Puccini intended to write
an opera for her. but the war alb
sorbed him in other affairs.
Something Of 4 Psychic.
Miss McVane is something OF
psychic. The story is that both she
and her titled lover believed firmly in !
the survival of personality after death /,
and the ability OF the disembodied |
spirit to communicate with the living; /
and that they exchanged vows that the
one dying first would visit the surviv- |
or on earth Ever since the lover died |
she is said to have been expecting such .
visit.
Miss McVane's sisters are Miss .
Edith McVane. managing writer and +.
novelist and the Baroness Dodeman
de Placy, whose husband is French |
cavalry officer. The McVane home in .
Rome was long favorite meeting
place for social, literary and artistic
celebrities.