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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1910)
ALWAYS THE WOMAN! Recent Tragedies in Real Life in Which the Frail, but Beautiful, Have Had Part-Peculiar Case Is That of Countess Maria Tar nowska, for Love of Whom Six Men Have Ruined Themselves. ff" i N ttao Inst fow weeks tho II prcsa of the entlro world I has reverberated with the I news of severnl sensations in ench of which a womnn wns tho central figure. Thin sentence, Junt as It stands, might have been wrltton at any tlmo In his tory. Given a sensational ploco of nowB apart from tho cataclysms of nature and a woman's namo Is suro to be mixed up In It Tho cynical observer Is ever ready to say, "Thoro Is always n womnn In tho case." Of tho most recent explosions In tho great old world, explosions of which tho report has been loud enough to bo echoed even on this sldo of tho Atlantic, moat of tho feminine causes nro of doubtful beauty. That Is to say, thero may at least be two opinions about their beauty. Doubt less tho generals and statesman who fought duels over tho Baroness von Siemens find her beautiful; unques tionably tho man who wns slain and tho mnn who slew for lovo of her bo lleved tho Countess Tar now slut n dream of loveliness; probably tho Into Lord Sackvllle saw wondrous pulchri tude in the fnco of Pepltil Duron; King Leopold admired tho Hnroness Vaughan, and Mine. Stolnheil hnd a group of Intellectual men who wor- m. !" shiped at her shrine. Wo hero In America can know these women only by their photographs, and these photo graphs nro especially Interesting, ns they rcvenl that scarcely ono of theso women about whom tragedy has re volved benrs features that will stand comparison with tho classical stand ards. Yet, after all, no mnn has a right to say unqualifiedly this woman Is beautiful or that womnn Is ugly. Fortunate that this Is so! It Is surely n unique distinction in these days to havo flvo challenges to duels issued in dofenso of hor name. And this distinction tho Hnroness Kleanora von Siemens' can boast. Thoro was a groat sensntlon In tho Italian Chamber of Deputies on Mnrch 4 when Enrico Chlesn, a Socialist rep resentative of tho Extremo Left, In Interpellating General Prudonto, tho Under Secrotnry- of War, formally ac cused several gonorals of having be trayed tho secrets of the nntlonal do fenso through tho Haroncss von Sie mens, a forolgn woman with whom they wore on friendly terms. At tho closo of tho session flvo men chal lenged Clilesa to fight duels. Among theso wore Goneral Fecla dl Cossato, Genernl Prudento, tho Duko dt Lltta nnd Count Glacomo Mornndo. Tho challenges enmo so quickly on top of ench other that tho seconds and um pires had much difficulty In arranging their priority. This was at last set tled and two of tho duels havo been fought. Nobody has been killed up to tho present writing, but Gonornl Pru dento wounded Ciesa In tho face and Chlesa gashed General dl Consnto In tho loft cheek. Apologies havo mado tho other duels unnecessary. Proved Power Over Men. Tho Baroness von Siemens Is a very rich woman, who has n fine house in Rome, where sho entertains many members of tho highest society. Sho Is a Swiss by birth, with a fair skin, exquisitely rosy cheeks and great vel vety brown eyes. Carolus Duran painted her portrait, which was ex I .MbfTJv- u" ST mm hrx ' I' ST S Jit in hlblted In tho Paris Salon last year. Her first husband was ono of the Siemens brothers of Horlln, who nro famous us inventors and manufactur ers of electrical machinery. Her sec ond husband was Prince Malcolm Khan, ex attache of tho Persian Lega tion lu Home, from whom sho Is di vorced. It wns not pleasant to n woman In such an exalted social position to be called a spy, but that flvo distin guished men should rush like d'Ar tngunns to risk their lives In defense of her good name must have been balm to her wounded feelings. Another woman to furnish copious material for tho tongues of Europe In tho last fow weeks Is tho Countess Maria Tamowskn, whoso trial for murder has been taking plnco In Ven ice. Sho Is n daughter of tho aged Count Nicholas O'Hurk, n Pole of Irish descent, and sho lu tho mother of two pretty chlldron, a boy and a girl. Tho man who wns murdered was Count Paul Kannnrowsky, who wns faBcinnted by her. Ho was killed by n young Russian student named Nnumow, who had also fallen under tho spell of her fascination, nnd tho chnrga against her wns that sho and a lawyer named Prllukow also Infatu ated with her had woven a diaboli cal plot and UBOd Nnumow ns a tool to got rid of Kannnrowsky. Whatever doubt thero amy bo ns to her guilt, thero Is nono whntever about the fascination sho hnd for men. This may have been unwitting on her pnrt; It may have been deliberate, but the Btory of her adventurous life proves that It was most potent. Sho Is not yot thirty, but nt least alx mon havo ruined thoniBolves for her; two of theso met tragic deaths and four of them deserted wives and chlldron Made Lawyer Her Victim. une uny tne countess cnllod on business at tho oirico of a lawyer, Prllukow by nnmo. Ho had n loving wlfo and a thirtoen-yenr-old son, nnd was mnklng from $12,000 to $15,000 n year from his practice. Wife, family and practlco woro thrown to tho winds as soon as ho saw Countess Tnrnowskn. His wlfo got n dlvorco; hlrf fortuno vanished; ho appropriated the funds of his clients. When 60,000 rubles In the holo ho shot himself. Hut tho surgeons snvod his life, and Blnco then ho and tho countess havo wandored all over Europe, ho her do voted slave, she fascinating all men with whom sho enmo in contact. Among her victims was Naumow, a youth of good family and mnrrled. His wife divorced him on account of tho Tamowskn womnn, nnd ho Joined tho latter and Prllukow In their wnndor Ings. They met Count Knmarowsky, colonel of tho Czar's Noblo Guard, a widower with one son, nnd a million aire. Ho wooed tho countess honor ably and wanted to marry her. Ho mado n will and Insured his llfo for $250,000 In hor favor, and Introduced her as his flancoo to his mother. When awny In Russia Naumow re ceived n telegram ostensibly signed by Knmarowsky, containing gross In sults directed against tho Countess Tarnowska and himself. Naumow wont at onco to Venice, whero Ka marawaky was living, and shot tho latter to death In his room. Tho Countess Tarnowska confessed that sho and Prllukow had sent tho telegram to Naumow, knowing that It would havo Just the effect that It dl havo. This confession she hnB rcpudl atcd at her trial. Tho Venetian women wanted to lynch her when sho was being led to court. Lord Sackvllle's Romance. An utterly different typo wns Peplta Durnn, nnd tho trngedy that followed In hor wnko was moral rather than physical. Sho was a Spanish dancer In 1852 when sho met Lord Snekvlllo, nn English dlplomnt of note. Thoy lived together till 1871, when sho died, leaving two sons nnd threo dnughlcrs. Ho aunt tho children to boarding school nnd retired to Knolo. tho mag nificent old mansion that was his an cestral homo. When Henry, tho old est son, wns nineteen yearn old, his rather told him that ho could not In herit either tho tltlo or tho estates, and that ho would have to get out and enrn his living away from Englnnd. Ho becamo a farmer In South Afrlcn, but ho wan not satisfied, and roturned to England, whero ho tried to prove that Lord Sackvlllo hnd married his mother. This so offended tho noblo lord thnt ho would hnvo nothing more to do with his son. Hushand In the Way. Tho reason Ixml Snekvlllo had not mnrrled Pepltn Durnn was that alio already had a husband lu tho person of Junn Antonio Gabriel do Ollvn, n dancer, .who refused to got a dlvorco and did not dlo until 1888. thus dls nppolntlng Snekvlllo, who would glad ly have married Peplta and legitima tized her children If only tho Spnnlnrd would havo got out of tho wny. On Lord Suckvillo's death a few yenrs ago tho tltlo and estates went to n cousin of tho noblo lord's chil dren. Henry, tho South African fnrmcr, went to England nnd clulmed tho tltlo. Tho caso has Just beun tried before the Houso of Lords and was decided last month, tho Houso ruling that Lord Sackvlllo had never mnrrled Pepltn Durnn nnd thnt there fore tho claim of tho plaintiff hnd no grounds. This for tho young man waB a tragedy, moral but nono tho loss real. Tho recent denth of King Leopold of the Belgians brought Into tho lima light nnother womnn tho Hnroness Vnughan whom tho nged king hnd wedded not long before ho pnBSod away. She waB a girl of humblo ex traction her brother Is a waiter, her sister a scllor of vegetables with whom ho hnd lived for many years and who hnd homo him sovernl chll dron. For hor this king mndo his dnughterB' lives misornble, virtually putting tho young women out of his Iioubo; to her ho loft n vast fortuno thnt ought, In tho natural courso of events, to hnvo gono to his daughters. Ho ennobled her, ho mndo ono of hor sons n duke, the other a baron, nnd ho built palaces for them. Thus his Infatuation for this woman cast a cloud upon tho memory of n king who In many respects was really great. Mystery of Faure's Death. The recent trial of Mine. Stolnheil In Pnrls for tho murder of hor mother, though it resulted In nn acquittal, opened the door of u cupboard In which a skeleton hnd long lnin hidden It revealed that among tho host of ndmlrcrs of this wlfo of a complacent artist had been President Fauro of France; It did not, however, unveil tho mystery thnt surrounded tho sud den denth of that statesman, but ruthcr drow It moro tightly, for It was more thnn hinted that Mmo. Stolnheil hnd been present In tho president's denth chamber. Ono of tho grcnt trngedlcs of mod ern history hns never yet been ex plained nuthorltatlvoly. It Is known thnt tho Crown Prlnco Rudolph of Austria and tho beautiful young Hnroness Mnrlo VctHorn wero killed together In n hunting lodgo at Meyer ling twenty yenrs ngo. Tho ono mnn still living who saw what happened thnt night Is tho Prlnco of Coburg, who Is ending his days In such n dls ordered stato of mind thnt nothing In tho wny of n revolatlon can bo ex pected of him. Archduke Rudolph married Princess Stephanie, daughter of Leopold of tho Belgians, but they soon tired of ench othor, as they had little In common Rudolph tried to hnvo tho mnrrlngo annulled, but tho Emperor Francis Joseph forbndo It. Rudolph was then pasalonntely devoted to Mnrlo Vet sera, a lovely girl not much moro than sixteen yenrs old. How their romanco culminated In trngedy will novor bo known, but n certain doctor, n friend of tho Holglnn Princess Stophnnlo, Rudolph's wife, nnd Louise, wlfo of tho Prlnco of Coburg, has Just given tho following version: Story of the Tragedy. Thero wns n merry party at Moyor ling, according to this doctor, nnd Prlnco Rudolph, excited by wine boasted that Mario Vetsorn had tho most beautiful neck nnd shoulders of any woman In tho world. Some ono disputed tho statement. Whereupon tho nrchduko roughly toro tho girl's bodlco from her. Resenting this In dignity In tho prosonco of theso revel ing mon tho young baroness struck tho crown prlnco In tho fnco with a champagne glass, Inflicting a severe cut. InBtantly ho shot her through tho heart. Ono of tho company Bolzed n bottlo of champngno and struck Rudolph ovor tho head. Tho prince fell dead from tho blow. Tho list of women possessing fatal charm might bo continued In definitely. Horo In Amerlcn, for in stanco, wo havo had tho rocont cases of Senator Piatt, Stanford White, Harry Thaw and many others of mon whoso lives or careers wero wrecked or damaged by Infatuation for soma woman. It is a matter of history that th women who nave wielded the most potent charm over mon have fnscl nnioa oy omcr tte&tsi than mora beauty. SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS "MARK TWAIN." ? - . f S , Sr ' xC ' copy.fti o hto LIFE OF "MARK GREAT AMERICAN HUMORIST Early Struggles and Adventures, Fol lowed by Years ary Work Later Deaths and Financial Reverses. Samuel Langhorno demons, Amerl-1 ca's foremost humorist and known tho world over ns "Mnrk Twnln" wns born In the llttlo town of Hannibal, Mo., on November 30, 1835. Ills father, John Marshall ClomoiiB, enmo from an old Virginia family, and with his young wlfo, Elizabeth Lamp ton, a descendant of tho early settlers of Kontucky, ho Joined tho sturdy band of pioneers who pushed over tho Alleghanles in tho ourly part of tho last century and settled along tho banks of tho Mississippi river. In tho uncouth environment of tho then llttlo frontier town of Hnnnlbnl tho famous author spent his boyhood days. Hero ho fished, hunted nnd lounged along tho river banks with his sturdy companions, living a healthy outdoor exlstenco, which undoubtedly accounted for his long llfo, In tho fnco of his many nflllctlons. Ho attended tho llttlo school, but not being of a very studious disposi tion, ho learned far moro from con tact with tho rough companions whom ho lmmortnllzed lu later yenrs as "Hucklobcrry Finn" and "Tom Saw yer," and others of their typo. At tho ago of twelvo his mengor school educntlon was brought to a sudden closo by tho denth of his fa ther. Ills older brothor, Orion S. Clem ens, wnB tho proprietor of a printing shop In tho vlllngo, nnd young Snm ClomonB begnn his Journalistic carcor thoro as a 'printer's dovll." In tho courso of n fow yenrs ho learned tho trndo ns n compositor, nnd In 1853 ho loft his hntlvo town nnd begnn a wan dorlng existence. Ho Journeyed from placo to placo, working nt his trado In Now York and tho principal cities of tho middle wost. But whllo ho gained n vnBt amount of cxperlenco during his travels, which proved of tho greatest valuo In tho preparation of soma of his works In later years, this period was rather un profitable from a flnnnclnl standpoint, and ho was flnnlly compelled to return to his homo along tho bnnks of the groat river, In rather strnlghtcncd cir cumstance, Tho llfo of n steamboat pilot had nl ways appealed to his youthful imagina Two of the World's Natures. Teacher Should Rank Hloh. A Reason. Thoro aro In this world two kinds If educntlon Is to do what wo hopo "Do bo quiet. Don't you know of natures thoBo that havo wings, for our children, it is Imperatlvo that that there's a vlBltor in tho next and thoBo that havo foot-Mho winged tho best and most gifted mon and room?" said Francos to hor llttlo and tho walking spirits. Tho walking womon should bo attracted Into the .brother, "How do you know? You aro tho logicians; tho wlngod aro the ranks of teachers and that thoy should haven't been In." "But," said Frances, Instlnctlvo and poetic Harriot Beech- bo regarded as filling ono of tho most "I hoard mamma saying 'My dear to er Stowo. highly honored positions in tho land, papa." Tlt-Blts. Dewarel Sleeps In English Churchyard. Gaily Colored Batjoon. Beware of tho man who talks of tho Ellhu Yale, from whom the collcgo in tho Berlin zoo Is a baboon with "solemn truth." Truth wears many In Now Havon took Its name, sleopa a bright blue and purple faco, bright colored and Joyous ralnment; oho of In tho gravoyard at Wrexham church, rod noso and irnyleh-whlte beard and the mournful hue is hypocrisy. Life, near Chester, England. J whiskers. TWAIN," THE of Successful Liter Days Saddened by tion, nnd now thnt ho had grown to manhood, ho resolved to renllzo his ambition. Ho wns fortunnto enough to bocomo n pupil of Horaco Ulxby, nnd ho was booh guiding tho awkward rlvor craft along tho tortuous channel of tho muddy strenm. Tho Idea of his becoming nn nuthor hnd nover entered his mind nt that time, but hu absorbed enough of tho pilot llfo tb enable him to descrlbo tho dllllcultleH encountered In gulldlug a boat along tho grcnt rlvor In his "Llfo on tho Mississippi River," which ho wroto mnny years later. First Literary Work. In 1SG2 hp began his first regular literary work on tho stnff of tho Vlr glnln City Entorprlao. Ho wroto a col umn dully, dcnllng with tho polltlcnl situation In tho stato, that attracted wldo attention. These nrtlclon ho signed with the nom do plumo "Mnrk Twnln," which ho had henrd sung out on tho Mississippi steamers to lot tho pilot know thnt tho sounding showed two fathoms of water. In Mnrch of 18C7, "Twain" published his first book, "Tho Jumping Frog of Calavorns County." Tho book mado quite n stir lu that part of tho coun try, but only 4,000 copies woro sold. It nttrncted tho attontlon, howover, of tho editor of tho Altn California, who sent tho author out ns a nowspapcr correspondent on a stenmbont excur sion to southern Europo nnd tho Ori ent. His lettors woro published from tlmo to time, nnd In 18G9 tho author re vised them nnd published them In book form under tho tltlo of "Tho In nocents Abrond." This work mndo "Mnrk Twain" famoim and compelled his recognition ns Amorlca's foremost humorist, In tho first 1G mouths, 85, 000 volumes woro Bold, nnd many moro subsequently. This wns a record salo for those days. Marries Miss Langdon. It was on his trip in tho Mediter ranean that "Mark Twnln" mot Olivia L. Langdon of Elmlrn, N. Y. Thoy fell lu lovo with ench other, and In 1870 wero mnrrled. Their mnrrled llfo was ono of perfect harmony nnd four chll dren blessed their union. Mr. Clemens resided In Buffalo for n year after his mnrrlngo, nnd wns noiulnnlly tho editor of the Buffalo Express, In 1871 ho Joined tho liter ary colony nt Hartford, Conn., whoro ho lived for a grent many years, nnd whero he did tho grcntcr part of tho work that has mado his namo Im mortal. In 1872 "Roughing It" appeared, nnd in tho namo year "Tho Glided Age," written In collaboration with Charles Dudley Warner, wan published. "Tom 8awyor" came In 1870, nnd "Hucklc- borry Finn" nlno years later, pf tho stories with an historical potting "Tho Prlnco nnd tho I'nupcr," "A Connec ticut Ynnkco nt tho Court of King Arthur," and "Personal Recollections of Junn of Anc," appeared in 1882, 1800 and 1894 respectively. In 1893 that curious philosopher, ''Pudd'nhcad Wilson." mndo his bow. 1 Misfortune Dogs Him. nut whllo tho groat humorist wns meeting with well-deserved ' success from n literary standpoint, tho Imps' of inlsfortuno eocmcd to dog his very footsteps. In 1884 ho conceived tho Idea of reaping tho publisher's ns well ns tho author's prohts from some of his works. Accordingly ho organized n Btock company known as C. L. Web ster & Co., In which ho was tho largest stockholder, to publish his works. Ho had nccumulatcd consider nblo wealth and wns rated as a mil lionaire. His flnnnclnl ability, howover, was nono of tho best, nnd In 1804 his en tire fortuno wns swept away by tho failure of tho publishing houso. Mr. ClomoiiB wns nbrond nt tho tlmo, nnd although GO years of age, ho started nut on n tour of tho globo, delivering lectures nnd writing nrtlclcs In order to ptiy the debts of tho defunct firm. Ho hnd scnrcoly begun his grcnt task when fato struck him another hard blow. This was tho death of his oldest and most accomplished duugh tor, Miss Olivia S. Clomens, who died lu August, 189G, nt tho ngo of 24. Bro ken In spirit, ho continued his great task and lu two years ho had paid oft his dobta. Wife Passes Away. As If In sympathy with her hus band's misfortunes, his wife's health begun to fall. Ho moved to Florcnco, Italy, in tho hopo thnt tho mild climnto would restoro iher, but It proved of no nvnll, and on November G, 1904, sho died In thnt far off land. About this tlmo tho humorist mot II. H. Rogers, tho Standard Oil mug nnto, nnd tho men becamo fast friends. Rogers gnvo his literary friend the nld of his flnnnclnl experience, nnd Clom ens wnu soon In possession of n com fortable Income. And now misfortune selected an other weapon with which to attack tho whlto-hnlred nuthor. i Harotoforo his books hnd escaped harsh criticisms, but In November, 1907, "Tom Snwyor" nnd "Iluckloborry Finn," tits boy mas terpieces, woro withhold from youths by the Brooklyn public libraries, ns "unlit for young minds." Comptroller Joy of Detroit, Mich., declared his work, "A Doublo-Barrollod Dotectlvo Story," wns "literary Junk, unfit for a public library," and n Massachusetts public library refused to glvo shelf room to his "Eve's Dlnry," dcclnring Hint tho book wnn "shocking." Worn out by his lectures, nftor din ner speeches and misfortunes, "Twnln" purchnscd a. farm In Redding, Conn., nnd erected n ?40,000 villa, which ho called "Stormflold." With his two daughters, Clam nnd Jonn, ho moved thuro in 1908, nnd settled down to a Ufa of enso. Hut a scries of fresh misfortunes wns In storo for him. Ho hnd vigor ously denounced tho rulo of tho Into King Leopold II. In tho Kongo Fred State, and Jimt when tho reform movo meut wnn nt Its holght, his 111 health: compelled hi in to abandon his work. Tho "Children's Thentor," which wns founded by "Mark Twain" in Now York, and which repronented ono of his life-long nmblttoiiB, wnn forced to closo through lack of funds, Thon tho humorist nnd his daughter Clara becamo Involved In a lawsuit over a farm which ho had presented to his former socrotnry, Mrs. Ralph Ashcroft, on her wedding day; and which ho Inter nttachod on the advice of his daughter. Tho facts regarding this disagree able affair were nlred in tho press. much to tho humiliation of tho voter- an humorist. In tho early part of 1909 his stanch friend nnd adviser, H. II. Rogers, died suddenly nt his Now York homo. This grent financier and tho white hnlred humorist hnd been tnsopnrablo com panions for a numbor of yenrs. They had mndo trips to Bermuda together, and. when Rogers opened his railroad in Vlrglnln, "Twnln" was ono of tho guests of honor. Tho nuthor was groatly affected by tho financier's Hud don death. In tho latter part of 1909, "Twain" mndo another trip to Derraudn, and on hla return his feoblo appearance at tracted a great deal of attention. Then tho last crushing blow enmo tho dny before Christmas, when his youngest daughter, Jean, wns found dead In tho bath .tub at his Redding homo. Tho young woman had boon a victim of epileptic fits,