The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-04-04 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

PERSECUTION OF AN ACTRESS.  The riotous behaviour of a portion of the Parisian public, principally some noisy students, and other young men, who thought it manly and generous to drive an American artist from the French stag., has, it appeare,succeeded in this, forit is stated that Mdlle. Van Zandt has intimated to M. Carvalho, the director of the Opera Coin ique, her determination to perform no more in the French capital. In justice to the sorely-persecuted young artist (says a Paris correspondent) it is right to state that, as soon as she perceived that a dead set had been made against her in the Parisian press last November, she expressed her wish to resign, andthat, when in Russia, she repeated the proposal that her engagement shou!cl be considered null and void, offering, moreover, to undertake not to sing in public until after the original date of its expiration. Mdlle. Van Zandt made this offer in order that she should not even be suspect° I of desiring a more lucrative engagement. M. Carvalho, however, refused to accept her resignation, and not unnaturally tried to persuade her to conclude another engagement for next season. He was determined to stand by his prima donna, and was probably influenced by the fact that Mdlle. Van Zandt attracts more money to his treasury than any other artist in the theatre. If the young lady had refused to sing she would not merely have been liable to pay a fine of 60,C00f., but would have exposed herself to the reproach of behaving in a dishonourable manner. She therefore was compelled to do her best to fulfil the obligation she had undertaken. She has fought mast valiantly during four stormy performances, but although she sang splendidly the other night she almost broke down at the end of the evening, and it became evident that she could not recommence the unequal struggle. She has, therefore, renewed her offer of resignation, which her manager must now perforce accept. Among the cries heard from the dense crowd massed, some say to the extent of 5,000, round the Opera Comique on the occasion of her last appearance, was heard that of "Van Zandt is l'eau"; and the ruffians who lay for hours in wait for the young lady's carriage, and rushed after every vehicle like so many wild animals, would not have hesitated to carry out their threat of throwing the prima donna into the water if they had had the chance of doing so. Each time that she has sung since her reappearance Mdlle. Van Zandt has had to escape from the theatre by a side doer, and last evening the windows of the stage door were broken by the infuriated mob.  A murder has been committed at Newtown Passage East, county Waterford. Two farmers, named Joseph Colford and Michael Flynn, had an altercation, when Flynn, it is stated, deliberately shot Colford. It is alleged that the men had not been on good terms for a considerable time, have disputed about the possession cf a piece of land. A young lady has been appointed, at Fordingbridge, in Hants, to the post of vaccination officer. Her name is Miss Isabella Oates, and her duties will extend over the whole union. The appointment has been confirmed by the Local Government Board, and has created quite a sensation.