AN ENRAGED ACTRESS.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 55, 6 October 1864, Page 3

AN ENRAGED ACTRESS.

We take from a New York letter :—" An amusing side scene, ' not down in the bills,' transpired at the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, the other evening.. The 'Duke's Motto' was underlined for reproduction, and Mdle. Vertvali— whoso name is familiar to your opera-going readers — was down for a prominent part, and when the piece had progressed to the point where it was nccccssary that she should make her appearance in male attire, she withdrew to her dressing-room to make the necessary preparations. Just about that time two gentlemen, friends of one of the actors, presented their tickets at the stage door, and were admitted behind the " scones. Mdlle. Vertvali emerged from her dressing-room soon after in her unfeminine habiliments, mid, took her stand within call of the prompter, and, as it chanced, near these two gentlemen visitors. One of them, as he alleges, in ignorance of whom he addressed, laid his hand upon her and declared that mademoiselle was a ' bully .boy.' Vertvali the magnificent, turned upon her insulter in a towering rage, and asked if he knew whom he addressed. The fellow made no reply to the questions, but insisted upon making further investigations, and thereupon Vertvali, drawing the sword which, was part of her costume exclaimed, ' Brute, your head comes off, '-and struck him a rousing blow across the shoulder.' I would ran you through the body if it were not a disgrace to the profession, 'she added, as she walloped him over the head and shoulders, and drove him hatless arid without his overcoat to the street door, whence she ejected him to the street. By this time her blood was fully up to the mark, and, returning to the companion of the unfortunate merchant, she said, And who are you, sir?' 'I'm nobody,' said he. Then I'll make you less than nobody, sir; get oyt of here, ' and, in the twinkling of her eye, she drove him out also. The actor whose friends these ejected and probably dejected gentlemen claimed to be, soon afterwards made his appearance, and some sharp words passed between him and Vertvali. Singularly enough, in accordance with the exigences of the opera, the two were obliged to make their appearance upon the stage soon after in a fencing scene, and they say that the man, forgetting the proprieties of the place and the sex of his antagonist, laid about him altogether more violently than was necessary, and Vertvali returned the blows with interest. But the excitement was altogether too much for the fair actress. The moment it was over, she suffered so from nervous prostration that she was unable to appear in this city at an opera advertised for production the next night. In a published card Mdlle. Vertvali gives her version of the | affair, as follows :— ' Briefly, the state of the case is this : Two men, jn a state which I intend not to qualify, followed me. behind the scenes," laughing at me ironically: several times. I naturally avoided them,-having no male protector with me, my three agents being occupied in front, pf the hou«e Unfortunately, I was obliged later in the evening to etep towards the door for stage business, where these men stood with some ballet gh'ls. I approached, dressed as iEsop. I felt hands about my body, and, turning round., said, ' How dare you insult me? 5 They continued to lau^hat my indignation, and said all kinds of things. I then said, 'Do you. know: who lam? I will cut your head off. Am I to be assaulted i in my own house ? ' When these men saw that I spoke in earnest, they left the stage so rapidly that tkev went wilioufc liafcs or coats. . .. One , of them grabbled-hold- of myl amu so roughly .that I will bear the mark there for some days. 1 have placed further statements in my lawyer s .hands, and hope that-the American nation, men and women both, renowned for. their courtesy towards strangers, will feel the gross insult a l^dy has received from these two men, as Americans are universally acknowledged to be gallant and courteous towards women. I was very much upset, and for thirty-six hours could not leave nry bed, unable to perform the announced ' Duke s Motto." .-...- : .; ■ .•■"■■-■■^':;/r^ *:.■.;. ;,