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Leader (1850-1860), 20th July 1850, Edition Town of 1, Page 390, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      through her part , except as a mere shadow of her former self , and the substitution of an apologetic speech from Mr . Leigh Murray for the address which had been written for her by a well-known and talented amateur of the drama—arose not merely from , the emotion natural on a farewell night , after more than half a century of active public service , but also from extreme physical debility , the result of an attack of illness of a wasting character , which had already confined that venerable lady to her bed for many days . In fact , it was only the determination of Mrs . Glover herself not to disappoint the audience , ¦ who had been invited and attracted for many weeks before , that overruled the remonstrances of her friends

      and family against her appearing at all . She was then utterly unfit to appear on the stage in her professional character , and the most serious alarm was felt lest there should be some sudden and fatal catastrophe . The result of struggle of feeling she then underwent , superadded as it was to the physical causes which had undermined her strength , was , that Mrs . Glover sank under the disease which had been consuming her , and quitted this life on Monday night . Mrs . Glover ( Julia Better ton ) was the daughter of an actor named Betterton , who was descended from the great actor of that name . She -was born on the 8 th of

      January , 1781 . Her father held a good position as an actor on the London stage , as the playbills of the period sufficiently testify , and the child was brought up ( as most of our great actors and actresses have been ) " at the wings . " She was even in infancy sent on the stage in such parts as children are used to fill . At a very early age her father ' s position obtained for her an engagement . She became attached to the company of Tate Wilkinson , for whom she played at York the part of the " Page " in The Orphan , and she also exercised her juvenile talents in the part of " Tom Thumb , " for the benefit of George Frederick Cooke , who on the occasion doffed his tragic garb , and appeared in the character of" Glumdalcar . "

      Another character which Bhe played successfully with Cooke was that of the little " Duke of York " in Richard the Third , into which , it is recorded , she threw a degree of spirit and childish roguishness that acted as a spur on the gteat tragedian himself , who never performed better than when seconded by his childish associate . As the young lady advanced a little in years , she undertook parts suited to her sex ; but her earlier successes were in purely tragic parts—a fact which may be surprising to the superficial observer , but which is not so extraordinary if we remember how much the success of her best characters in later life depended on the touches of pathos she

      threw into them . In the year 1796 Miss Betterton had reached such a point of eminence that she was employed to fill the first parts both in tragedy and comedy at Bath , then one of the chief preparatory schools . Her success led to an offer of £ 10 a-week from Covent Garden , the engagement to be for three years , with an increase of £ 1 each year . Ultimately , she was engaged for five years , commencing at £ 15 a-week , and rising to £ 20 a-week . In these days , when actors of the first class ask and receive twice or thrice as much per night as Miss Betterton then received per week , it may not be uninstructive to recal the fact that the above terms were then considered as something extraordinary and even exorbitant .

      Mrs . Glover , still Miss Betterton , first appeared in London on the 12 th of October , 1797 , fifty-three years ago , as " Elvira , " in Hannah More ' s tragedy of Percy . She was decidedly successful . Her next character was that of " Charlotte , " in the West Indian , and on the 23 d of November she played the part of a heroine in a new piece by the same author , Cumberland , called First Impressions . She was again most successful ; and she had so advanced in public favour , that when , shortly after , Mrs . Abington returned for a brief period to the stage , she was able to hold her ground against that counter attraction ; it being further recorded that Mrs . Abington herself was among her admirers . Miss

      Betterton then married Mr . Glover , and continued on the stall of Covent-garden until the year 1801 . Two years afterwards Mrs . Glover transferred her services to Drury-lane , and at the close of the season she was engaged by Bannister , the then manager , for three years . His death prevented the completion of the contract , and Mrs . Glover returned to Covent-garden . In 1813 she again appeared at Drury-lane , afterwards at Covent-garden , and subsequently she made an engagement at the Haymarket , of which theatre she continued , we need scarcely remind our readers , the most distinguished ornament for man y years . We need not enter

      into the causes which led to her secession from Mr . " Webster ' s company , because we are inclined to believe that it arose from misunderstanding on both sides . She ¦ was engaged by Mr . Anderson , when that gentleman commenced his brief and inauspicious management or ' Drury-lano Theatre ; but she left the company under circumstances in nowise discreditable to herself , and enlisted under the banner of Mr . W . Farrcn , at the Strand Theatre , whither she attracted choice audiences , when it was known tliut she was about to play for the last time in all her great characters . Here she took , a short time since , her professional farewell , followed soon after by her personal farewell and benefit at Drury-lane Theatre . —Abridycdj ' rom the Morning Chronicle .

      Untitled Article

      MATRIMONIAL INFIDELITY . The case of the Honourable llobert King against his ¦ w ile , ufter having occupied tho Consistory Court no less thnn six days , was brought to a close on Saturday . The object of Mr . Kiug was to obtain a divorce on the ground that his wife had been guilty of adultery . After the marriage they resided some time at various places in Ireland , and afterwards in

      London . In 1840 Mr . and Mrs . King , accompanied by their only child , went to Germany ; they became acquainted with Vicomte St . Jean and his family , and the two families continued to visit each other on the most friendly terms . Mr . and Mrs . King continued together until 1848 , when , in consequence of suspicions entertained by Mr . King as to the fidelity of his wife , a separation took place , and the present proceedings were instituted .

      A libel was given in by Mr . King , in which he charged her with committing adultery with Vicomte St . Jean at Frankfort and other places . It pleaded at great length divers acts of indecent familiarity ; that the Vicomte and Mrs . King frequently walked out alone together ; that they were constantly finding and contriving excuses and opportunities to be alone in each other ' s company ; were very familiar in their conversation , and used to address each other by their respective Christian names only , and to apply various pet names and terms of endearment to each other ; that Mrs . King carried on a correspondence with the Vicomte unknown to her husband ; that in the commencement of the year 1848 it became necessary for Mr . King to proceed to

      London , where he received several letters from his wife on the subject of their family affairs , in which she so expressed herself concerning his absence and their children as effectually to deceive him in respect to her conduct , and to induce him to believe that she was perfectly innocent of any such improper conduct as had been imputed to her . It appeared that Mrs . King subsequently joined her husband in London , where they remained until the 3 rd of June , 1848 , when she returned to their house at Brussels , and he went to Baden , after which no communication took place between them ; and that on the 31 st of July following , Mrs . King was confined at Brussels , where the Viscomte waited upon her , and showed her such attention as was usual only for a nurse .

      A defensive allegation was given in on behalf of Mrs . King , in which it was pleaded that Mr . King having become acquainted with the Vicomte was very fond of his society , and that during the whole period of their residence at Frankfort until July , 1847 , he constantly invited and pressed him to come to his house , to sit with him in his own room and smoke with him ; that he often requested Mrs . King to come into the room when the Vicomte was there ,

      in order that she might join in their conversation ; that no improper freedoms or adulterous intercourse ever took place between her and the Vicomte ; that their interviews were always free from concealment , and took place with the knowledge and approbation of Mr . King ; that during the residence of Mr . King at Frankfort he was in the frequent habit of drinking wine and spirits to excess , and when intoxicated became violent and abusive in his conduct and behaviour ; that Mrs . King , under medical advice , was in the habit of taking regular walking exercise , and was accompanied by the Vicomte by the express wish and desire of her

      husband , in order to save himself the trouble of walking with her ; that the only name , other than his own , by which the Vicomte was ever called by Mrs . King , was " Chou Chou , " being a nickname given to him by a daughter of Mr . and Mrs . King , aged six years , to whom he was very kind ; that the house at Brussels was taken in 1847 , pursuant to an arrangement between Mr . King and the Vicomte , for their joint residence ; that the behaviour of Mrs . King and the Vicorate towards each other was always proper , respectful , and free from suspicion ; that when Mr . King left Brussels for London he left

      the Vicomte in charge of the house , and requested him to watch over his wife and children ; that the correspondence between Mrs . King and the Vicomte was well known to Mr . King , and was of a character that might properly pass between them ; that the Vicomte never visited her during her confinement , except to enquire after her health or speak to her on some household matters , and never was with her alone . The allegation then went on to charge Mr . King with committing adultery with a person named Julia Imhoff , some time previous to March , 1848 , and

      on that ground prayed a sentence of separation from Mr . King . A responsive plea was then brought in on the part of Mr . King , in which he denied that he requested the Vicomte to take charge of his wife and family at Brussels , and alleged that he had often remonstrated with and reproached his wife with her familiarity and undue intimacy with the Vicomte . It also denied the alleged adultery with Imhoff . The evidence was very voluminous , and the details totally unfit for publication . Counsel having been heard on both sides , the Court reserved its judgment .

      Untitled Article

      CONTINENTAL AMUSEMENTS . The last bull-light in Madrid is said to have been extremely fertile iii incidents . Besides the ordinary number of horses killed , and picacloves bruised , a municipal guard was gored to death , and a celebrated bullfighter , named the Habanero , had his skull cleft . The municipal guard was on duty outside the barrier , when a bull , one of tho famous breed belonging to

      the Duke of Veraagua ( the lineal descendant of Christopher Columbus ) , rushed against the barrier , broke it down , and tossed the unfortunate soldier into the air twice , each time goring him in a manner that would have let out twenty lives , if he had had them . The Habanero is one of the picadores . The horse which he mounted was raised from the earth with him upon it by the same bull , and thrown against the barrier with fearful violence . These two mishaps caused a momentary thrill throughout the

      dense mass of spectators ; but another picador came galloping into the arena , another municipal guard took charge of the post which his gored comrade had occupied , the games went on , ana the mad approbative yelling of the crowd at a good lance-thrust of the picadores , or a sword-stroke given according to the best rules of tauromachy by the matador , went on , as if every one was perfectly oblivious that a few moments before two of their fellow-creatures had been sacrificed .

      M . Poitevin made a second balloon ascension on horseback from the Champ de Mars on Sunday , and an immense crowd assembled to witness it . The same horse "was used as on the previous occasion . He displayed no alarm as the strings , &c , were affixed , and when raised from the ground appeared quite accustomed to this singular way of travelling . To prove to the public that he was in no way fixed to the saddle , M . Poitevin , when about one hundred yards high , stood on the horse ' s back and saluted the public . The balloon went in the direction of St .

      Germain with extreme slowness . Just as the preparations for the ascent had been commenced , some alarm was occasioned by a loud explosion at the Barriere de l'Ecole , which arose from one of the octroi men having imprudently approached a lighted match to a hole in the pipe from which the gas escaped . Three men were injured by the explosion . Orders were given to close the conduit , and as it was from it that the balloon was supplied , some delay was occasioned in the ascent . There was another balloon ascent from the Hippodrome on Sunday , that of M . Godard , who was accompanied by his sister .

      Untitled Article

      UNTRADESRfANLIKE PRACTICES IN OXFORD-STREET . Several cases have come before the public lately relating to the shameful way in which certain disreputable tradesmen in Oxford-street impose upon simpletons , whose love of bargains is greater than their shrewdness . The last one reported took place last week . Two ladies were passing along Oxford-street when they stopped to look at some dresses , at a linendraper ' s , marked , as they imagined , ll £ d . each . A person from the shop invited them to look at the dresses , and they accordingly went in . The dresses were produced , but instead of ll £ d . they were informed the price was Is . ll ^ d ., and that the length was only five yards . They told the shopman , or

      whoever he was , that five yards would not make more than half a dress , which he admitted was true . They declined to buy a dress , and were leaving the shop , when they were induced to return and look at some corded petticoats , which were to be had at the low price of two for half-a-crown . They agreed to take two , and put down half-a-crown . As soon as the man had got possession of the money , he said it was not the practice to sell petticoats alone , they must take three of the Lilleputian dresses , at Is . ll ^ d . each , or he would neither give them the petticoats nor return the money . Finding remonstrance useless , they left the shop , and having mentioned how they had been served to a person who was passing , he advised them to make their statement at

      a police court . They observed , as they left the shop , that another female was apparently complaining of having had 4 s . 6 d . detained from her in a similar way . The person who had been appealed to in the streets , as soon as he heard the story of the ladies , went into the shop and asked the person who was there how he could act in such a way towards two unprotected females . He was resolved that such proceedings should be exposed . The man in the shop wished then to give back the half-crown , but he would not have anything to do with the affair . The two ladies who had been cheated made their complaint to Mr . Bingham , at Marlborough-street Policeoffice , on Monday . His advice to them was to take the parties before the County Court , as the best mode for obtaining the restoration of their money .

      Untitled Article

      TWO 8 UICIDES IN NEWGATE . The proceedings in the Central Criminal Court last week led two of the unfortunate inmates of Newgate to seek an escape from misery by the commission of suicide . One of them , that of Donovan , we mentioned in our last Saturday ' s publication . Donovan was tried soon after ten a . m ., and sentenced , soon after one p . m . He was found dead about twenty minutes to three , suspended by his handkerchief . An inquest was held on Saturday . The jury consulted for a long time , and twelve of them were oi ' opinion that he had hung himself whilst in an unsound state of mind ; the verdict

      remaining eleven considered that he was not . A was then recorded of " Temporary Insanity , " according to the decision of the majority . An inquest was then held on the body of waiter " Watts , aged thirty-three , recently clerk in the Globe Insurance-office , and formerly lessee of the Marylebono and Olympic theatres . It appeared that after sentence had been passed upon him he was taken back into the infirmary . William Smith , a prisoner , saw him soon after he was sentenced , and he did not appear at all difFerent from what he had been before . Before he went up to the court he said he expected to be imprisoned fo

      Untitled Article

      390 © ft * 2 L $ HtieV . [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), July 20, 1850, page 390, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1847/page/6/