"LABBY" STORIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 637, 24 January 1914, Page 2

"LABBY" STORIES.

"BOUNDING BUCK OF BAYBLON" AND FOUNDER OF "TRUTH." Moßt people think of the late Mr Henry Labouchere, who died on January 15tb, 1912, at the age of eighty one,aß a politician only. In his time, however, he played many parts, and it has truly been said of him that bad be been a poor man he might have risen to eminence in any one of balf-a-dozen callings. But he was the son of a rich banker, John Labouchere, of Broome Park, Surrey, and the nephew of a peer—Lord Taunton. He n°ver knew the spur of poverty. Therefore he dabbled in He took nothing Beriously. He was the Puck of politics. In turn a member of a travelling circus in the States, an attache, theatrical proprietor, traveller, journalist, editor, and newspaper owner, bis wit and cynicism were proverbial, and he wrote as brilliantly as he spnke. He never' reached political office, because hi 3 thoughts and methods were too original and fearless. But his death was sincerely mourned by members of al! parties, for it was recognised that one of the most fascinating, if perplexing, personalities of modern times had passed away. Tbe following stories are taken from the life of "Labby," written by his nephew Mr Algar Thorold, and published by Constable: "Labby,'.' after leaving Cambridge —where, by the way, he tried to distinguish himself by his bets on horse races and lost £6OOO in two years wandered about Europe and America, gambling and getting into all sorts uf trouble. And it was while be was an attache at Washington that a passion for a circus rider led to one of his most characteristic adventures. He presented himself to the proprietor of a circus and told him that he wished for an engagement with his troupe without salary. "He akeed me," said Labby when telling the story, "what my line was, and I told him standing jumps. Some obstacles were placed in the ring, over which I jumped with great success, and my name figures on the playbill you see hanging there as the 'Bounding Buck of Babylon.' I wore pink tights, with a fillet round my head. My (adorable one said 1 looked a dear:" Always careless in his attire, Labby at Cambridge used to go about in a very ragged gown. One day the Master of Trinity, Whewell, came across him, and said, "Is that a proper academic custume. Mr Labouchere?" "Really, sir, I must refer you to my tailor," was the reply. In his early days an acquaintance mistook him for the son of his uncle, Lord Taunton, and, being unaware that Labouchere's father was dead, remarked, "I have just heard your father make afi admirable speech in the House of Lords." "House of Lords!" replied Mr Labouchere, assuming an air of intense interest. "Well. I always had wondered where my father went when he died." As a boy at Eton Labby loved his little joke. One day he decided to play the part of man about town. Having dressed himself with scrupulous care he Ballied forth, and, entering the best hotel in the place, engaged a private room and in a lordly manner ordered a bowl of punch. The waiter stared, but brought the liquor and went away. The boy, having tasted it, found it horrible, and promptly poured it into an antique oak sideboard. He waited a little to see if it would run out on the carpet. Luckily the drawer was watertight, and Labouhere rang the bell again and proudly ordered from the amazed waiter a second bowl of punch. He poured this also into the sideboard, and in a few minutes rang for the bill, tipped the waiter majestically, and swaggered out of the hotel quite satisfied that he had won the admiration and respect of the whole staff. <

It was a jokt/which led to Labby's dismissal from the Diplomatic Service. Atfer trying Washington, Munich, Stockholm, Frankfort, and St. Petersburg, he went to Baden-Baden for a holiday, where he received a despatch from Lord John Rußsell appointing him Second Secretary in the Diplomatic Service at Buenos Ayres. He replied as follows: "I have the honour to acknowledge your lordship's despatch informing me of my promotion as Second Secretary to Her Majesty's Legation at Buenos Ayres. I beg to state that if, residing at Baden-Baden I can fulfil those duties, I shall be pleased to accept the appointment " As this was the second joke he had played on Lord Russell, he was politely told there was no further use for his services. Labby was rather proud of the popularity he enjoyed at Frankfort while in the Diplomatic Service. "At my first ball supp°r," he said, when relating the incident, "I fourd myself next to a grandee gorgeous in stars and ribbons. A servant came to pour out champagne. I shook my head, for I detest champagne. The grandee nudged me and said, 'Let him pour it out.' This I did and he explained to me that our host never gave his guests more than one glass. 'So you see, if I drink yourp, I shall have two.' After this there used to be quite a struggle to sit near i™e at Court sup pers."

He began his connection with journalism by buying for £14,000 a quarter share in the Daily News, which he sold in 1895 for £62,000, and later on he became proprietor of the old

Queen's Theatre in Long Acre, where hia company included Henry Irving (to whom he paid £3 week), Lionel Brough, John Toole, Charles Wyndham, Ellen Terry, and Henrietta Hodson, who afterward? became Mrß Labuucherr.

Apropos of Labby and journalism, it is an interesting fact that be started Truth with a capital of only £IOOO, and the paper was such a success that for the first few years the whole of the capital embarked remained untouched.

Labby jested to the last. "On the afternoon of the day before he died," says Mr Tborold, "as I was sitting at his bedside, the spirit lamp that kept the fumes of eucalyptus in constant movemeHt about hia room, through some awkwardness of mine, was overturned. Mr Labouchere, who was dozing, opened his eyes at the sound of the little commotion caused by the accident, and perceived the flare up.'Flames?' he murmured, interogatively. 'Not yet, I think.' He laughed quizzically and went off to sleep again."