BEAUTIFUL FOR EVER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2473, 21 February 1881, Page 4

BEAUTIFUL FOR EVER.

(“ New York World.”)

A report comes by cable of the death in prison, at London, of the notorious Mdtnc. Rachel, the so-called beautifier or enameller.

Mdme. Rachel, whose real name was Levi or Levison, used to carry on business as a perfumer in the neighborhood of Burlington Gardens. She advertised a peculiar treatment warranted to make the patient beautiful for ever, and a large number of ladies, whose personal attractions were fading, availed themselves of her skill. Her process was to give one or two washes to her patient, which brought out frightful eruptions on the skin, then decline to proceed further until the bargain was made and the money paid, terrifying her patient at the same time by assuring her that if the process ceased at the particular stage to which it had been carried she would not be beautiful but hideous for the remainder of her existence. Against one of them, tbe wife of an admiral in the Navy, Rachel brought an action for breach of contract, claiming £IOOO as the price of “ restoration.” The jury, however, gave a verdict against her, and her ill success at that lawsuit was the cause of the famous trial in the Old Bailey in 1868,when Mdme. Rachel appeared in the dock at the suit of Mrs Borrodaile, one of her dupes, on a charge of obtaining money under false pretences. Mrs Borrodaile was evidently a woman of weak intellect, and undoubtedly of advanced years, but on the strength of a promise from Mme. Rachel that the comeliness of youth should be restored to her, and that she should marry Lord Ranelagh, she parted with over £3OOO to the impostor. A servant represented Lord Ranelagh at her several interviews, and the lady was delighted, but the supplies of her money gave out, and Mdme. Rachel bad the audacity to have her arrested for a breach of contract. This led to a revelation of all the proceedings, and after a short trial Mdme. Rachel Was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. She could not have been liberated more than a few months when she had won back many of her old customers, and for some years continued driving a profitable trade. On Feb. 23, 1878, she was again committed for trial, on a charge of obfaining £2OO by false pretences from Mrs C. Pearce, who bad been induced to leave all her jewels in the impostor’s hands in consideration of being rendered for ever beautiful. Mrs Pearce was a married woman about 24 years old, and a daughter of the celebrated tenor, Mario, and the wife of a stockbroker. She was put through a course of washes, lotions, and baths, represented by Rachel to be enormously expensive, immediately after which the usual rash broke out on her face and complete!}' disfigured her. In this condition Rachel demanded more money, and threatened if it were not forthcoming that she would discontinue the treatment, and thus the patient would be hideous for life. Terrified by these threats, Mrs Pearce confessed all to her husband. Rachel was brought to trial, found guilty and condemned to penal servitude for five years, which she had not yet served out when she was overtaken by death.