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Society Girls In Tears: Malicious
Attacks Upon Their Reputation 1887 |
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It has been an open secret since St. Valentine's day
that many members of fashionable society in the
Nineteenth Ward are very much agitated over
communications received from anonymous sources by
occupants of palatial brown stone residences. An
effort was made at first to keep the matter a
secret, but the authors provided against a possible
effort in that direction by mailing scandalous
attacks upon one family to another. It was asserted
by several parties well posted on society events in
the ward that skeletons were in this way ruthlessly
dragged from closets and real or concocted secrets
affecting ladies were disclosed. The writers
apparently well knew the families to whom they
addressed the letters, for the recipients were at
enmity with each other and from the general wording
of each epistle it was supposed that one young lady
had sent it or caused it to be sent to the other.
The breach between such families was naturally
widened. In one case, however, an explanation was
sought and the result was that the accuser was in
turn accused. More than six instances of this kind
are now known to have occurred and it is said that
there were many more.
"I know," said one well known society man residing
on Bedford avenue, "several young ladies moving in
the upper circles of society to whom letters were
addressed about gentlemen with whom they are keeping
company and about each other. The ladies very
properly showed the communications to their parents.
Some of the servants overheard the comments and
their beaus were of course informed of the spicy
morsel of gossip. So the matter became town talk and
the infamous allegations made against several ladies
are on many tongues now. It is supposed that the
letters were in most cases instigated by ladies,
although the handwriting generally was that of a
man. While in two cases a different writer was used,
probably to prevent a possibility of the hand
writing being discovered. The authors have been
pretty well traced up, but evidence can not be
produced against them, or at least, enough to
warrant their prosecution criminally. Some persons
were used as tools in the matter, and it is hoped
that they can be induced to inform on the
principals. There are four young ladies that I know
in tears over the scandal, which seems to have
shaken society almost to its foundation. People are
talking so much about the alleged disclosures that
the ladies feel while walking on the avenue that all
the ladies residing on it are at their windows
pointing at them and talking about them. One of the
letters nearly broke off, it has not practically
done so, an engagement of marriage. It was sent to
the family of a young gentleman and seriously
reflected on the character of his betrothed.
The man had to promise his mother that he would not
visit the lady until she had made an investigation.
The old lady is yet investigating and the vigorous
way in which she is prosecuting her inquiries is not
calculated to improve the standing of her
prospective daughter in law in public estimation.
The young lady is highly indignant as well as
mortified over the affair, and has dismissed, it is
said, her lover. The old lady is bound to fight the
matter to the bottom, though, regardless of who the
author is.
As a result of all this gossip and letter writing
the following advertisement was inserted in a local
newspaper. "$1,000 will be paid for information
identifying the author of certain anonymous letters
mailed to residents of the Nineteenth Ward during
the last two weeks. Address H.X., Times Office.
An Eagle reporter asked Police Captain John Brennan,
of the Clymer street Station, about the matter, but
the captain guardedly stated that he had not been
officially consulted about it, but had heard gossip
concerning it. "I mentioned to some parties," said
the captain, "that it was only St. Valentine
annoyance, and that it would all blow over in a few
days if no notice was taken of it, but if it was
agitated like a mud puddle more mud would come to
the surface. The author or authors of the letters
deserve the severest punishment for their wanton
attacks on reputable citizens and their families.
The whole matter will quietly blow over, very
likely."
An officer of Captain Brennan's command was willing
to talk on condition that his name should not be
published. He said: "I was off duty a few nights ago
and took a stroll along the avenue. I know a few of
the handsome young servant girls employed in
dwellings there, and accidentally, I assure you, I
met one at the area gate. At her invitation I went
inside. "I have a great secret to tell you." said
she, 'and I hope you can keep it.' Young mistress is
crying her eyes out all the time for the past week
on account of a letter which was sent to that old
maid, Miss____, about her. The old thing showed the
letter to every person in the neighborhood and
afterward gave it to my mistress, telling her that
she felt sorry that she had been so indiscreet, but
she hoped she had seen the folly of her ways and
would become a more devout Christian. It was awful!"
The girl told me all that she had heard, and from
the fund of information she furnished I guess bon
ton society in the ward is at present at swords'
points over the letters unless they have made up
friends in the last day or two."
It seems to be the general belief that it is not
likely that the $1,000 reward will be sufficient to
induce any person concerned in the writing of the
letters to inform on the others.
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Website: |
The
History Box.com |
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Article Name: |
Society Girls In Tears:
Malicious Attacks Upon Their
Reputation 1887 |
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Researcher/Transcriber: |
Miriam Medina |
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Source: |
Bibliography: The
Brooklyn Eagle February 27,
1887 |
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Time &
Date Stamp: |
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