Year: 1879

pERG. EDITOR OF TOWN TALK FOE LIbELL-


ING MRS. WEST AND MRS. LANGTRY, THE


FAMOUS BELLIES.


From the London Times, Oct l3.l


A, Tho Gnndhall on Saturday Adolphus Rosenberg,
of No Ludgate Circus Buildings. the publisher OF
Tam Yaik was brought up warrant before
Aldermen Stables and Sir Thomas Dakin charged
with publishing a defamatory libel OF and
concerning Mrs. CORVALLIS West. Mr.. Lewis said
he appeared prosecute the defendant on behalf OF
Air. Corn wallis West. Of No. 40 Eaton place, and
Ruthin Castle Denbigh. of which county he is the
LORD Lieutenant. The defendant was the publisher
of paper called To,on TaM. OF the character
of that paper he need say nothing there, but
the libel was Of such filthy and foul charac-
ter that he wished publicly to send the
contradiction forth to the world Every single state
ment or particle of statement contained in the
lengthy article he was about to read to them was.
from beginning to end, an infamous lie There was
not only not particle of truth in it. but there was
not the semblance the shadow or q fact of any
kind upon which that inonstrous superstructure OF
lies had been built The article headed. Mrs.
Cornwailis West at Home" The writer proceeded


at is an undoubted fact that the most aristo
cratic portion of English society has done more to-
ward making British higher classes o byword
for scandal aud scofng than all the efforts OF dema
gogues and republicans put together. TO think that
lady of exalted position should find 1t worth her
while to be photographed for sale is disgrace to
the upper ten thousand and trust that the rumor
is true that Her Most Gracious Majesty has issued
an express wish tnat this traffic in the lkenesses OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC beauties shall be discontinued. 1t
certainly does make foreign countries and critics
think much OF Lord Lieutenant of Denbigh
that. tor the sake of gratifying his wife's stupid
vanity and realizing few pounds per annun, he al
lows that lady's photo to be exposed for sale at
price ranging from one penny to two shillings and
stxpence. Mr.. Cornwallis West Is dignitary who
ought certainly to uphold his position as Lord
Lieutenant, and he does not do so when he allows
Mrs West tho bone of his bone and the flesh of his
heshf the public exhibition OF herself that
is daily in our fashionable shcp windows.
When an official OF high rank permits his wife to
display her charms side by side with the porratures
OF half naked actresses and entirely naked Zulu
women he can have but little respect for hlmselr,
for her or for his position.


Mrs West lives in the neighborhood Of Eaton
SQUARE in the region known as Pimlico. At the back
OF the house yard, and in this yard are four cor
ners and in each corner is Photographic studio; in
addition to this there is glass house on the roof
and fifteen dark rooms on the various landings 1t
is almost impossible to conceive the labor
gone through by Mrs. West in the course of
day About seven O'Clock she takes her break
fast and after reading 1otcn Talk ana the DenbiM
Daiiy sent by Mr.. W.. she proceeds to her extern
sve wardrobe and attres herself ready for the first
Photographic artist who happens to call. Jane
that is the name of her lady's maid-has strict
orders to state that she is not at home to any
one except Fradelle and Marshall or the
Stereoscopic Company's young man. When either
of these parties arrive they taken into the front
paror and treated to glass of something short aud
conducted aferward into one or other Of the photo
graphic studios. Sometimes each OF all five OF
these contains an operator at the same time.
and Mrs. West rushes from one to the other in
various costumes with rapidity that is something
marvellous. Her changes OF costume are 80 quickly
manipulated that any ar',st a", Is com
in red, then in green and next in white-she seems
to be kind of human female chameleon. Some
times she is taken with u grin. occasionally with
leer; at times with devotional aspect and ut other
times quite ''t'other." Having been taken about
fifteen times in many positions the photo
,hersa dismissed time West rests
after her laborious exertions, and having partaken
of light luncheon OF hard-boiled eggs. she dresses
herself and the brougham or victoria laccordnP to
the state OF the weather) Is brought round to the
door. and she drives around to the various shops
to collect her commission the cdytes de visite
and the cabinets that have been sold during
the previous day. do not vouch for the truth
of the statement, but ! am informed that this
little commission amounts to thousands annually;
and the joke of tho whole thing Is that these pic
lures purchased principally by "cads." who
show the hkenesses about to their friends, and
oftentimes boast that they were given to them by
Mrs West Herself; and / cannot say that i'll any
way pity the lady, tor she lays herself open to this
sort OF insult


A woman must have come indeed to low estimate
of her womanhood when her vanity permits her
to do this sort of thing. II Mrs. CORVALLIS West
had done any act to make herself US good
or d great woman, if she were heroine
even n murdress, there would be some excuse in
the traffic. When actresses get themselves taken it
is exccsablc; when - are sold from the windows
of our fashionable shops it is understood that they
are shameless they are good looking; but when
woman of position such as Mrs. West. classes
herself with tine latter. she has only herself to


blame il the casual purchaser considers her to be in
1.-THE same street." After having received her
mission she returns home again to assume fresh
positions, put, on other costumes and be taken
backwards, full face and in profile.


One of Mrs. Vests greatest troubles is the fact that
she out-photosraphed by Mrs. Langtry. aud the
by George Purkess III the Police News has excited
Mrs. West, TO the very greatest extent. l
enormous sum by Mrs. West to enshine her like.
ness among his roll of famous men and women, but
1 am afraid that he has been bribed by the other
Photographic professional beauty to give her the
monopoly OF appearing in his charming paper.
dare say that all my readers have heard the follow
ing quotation from tho works of an unknown
poet:-


Ny face is my fortune, sir she said


This was evidently written in a prophetic vein, and
the author must have had the Vests and the
Langtrys i'll his eye. l am particularly re-
any way related to Billy West, the stump orator
His wfe's name is Emma not Cornwais. Mrs.
Cornwallis West has quantity OF pets. all of which
arc appropriately named after the articles used in
the trade in which she has embarked. For instance
her collie dog is named Colleodion her cat is lied
Iodide of Potassium, while the parrot il known
Camera Poll. The lady is far devoted to
the Photographic art that after dinner she rctires to
her chamber aud has n silver bath preparatory to
proceeding to the opera of the many aristo
cratic gatherings at which she is the reigning BELLE
Returning home late at night she is met by one of
the young men from Mr.. Mayall's, and Is taken in
evening costume by magnesium light. after which
she rctires to rest.


Mr.. Lewis went on 10 say-Nhen hir. W est saw inc
libel his FIRST impulse to go to the Office and
administer condlgn punishment; but on reflection
he determined to drag the defendant before court
of jus,ice as u criminal. When somebody waited
on the defendant in reference to the libel he
rubbed his hands In exultation and said that no
hoped they would bring action against him and
half dozen actions. He tMr. Lo~is) hoped that
when the disgusting character of that wretched rag
was known the wave OF public Indignation would
surge in and sweep the paper and all the parties
connected with 1t. never to rise again. He would
now call Mr.. West: who would give them an en-
phatic denial to the libel and then he should ask for
"a remand.


Mr.. william CORVALLIS West said:-"My town
residence is No. AZ Eaton place; am Lord Lieuten-
ant OF the county OF Denbigh; on Wednesday last
the Sh inst, purshascd a copy OF 70cn TAX OF
the 3th of Octoocr; 1t appears by the imprint to
be printed by a. Rosenberg; have read tho ar
tice. Mrs. Cornwallis West at Home; that lady is
my wife: beyond the statement that / live at No 40
Eaton place. aud that 1 am Lord Lieutenant OF Dem
bgh there is not one word OF truth in it, so far
| from allowing my wiic's photographs to be sold.
and my solicitor have taken every step to prevent
that being done. There 10 Photographic studios
in my house. There is not glass roof to 1t.


had