ATTEMPT TO CARRY OFF YOUNG NEW ZEALANDER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 303, 1 February 1910, Page 3

ATTEMPT TO CARRY OFF YOUNG NEW ZEALANDER

COINTESS AND 111I 1 1 AM J ST. FOLLOWED ACROSS EL'RO1 V E BY INFATUATED WOMAN. AMAZING LOVE ROMANCE. London, December 17. "Will anyone who saw a cleanshaven man pinned against the wall outside Frascati's restaurant, 'by a handsome and well-dressed lady on Tuesday, November 30th, about midnight, communicate with Mr. JJiden Steele, solicitor, 11, St. Martin's Court, Westminster." Behind this cryptic advertisement, which appeared in a London paper this week, lies an astonishing romance—the story of a Russian Countess's infatuation for a handsome youug Mew Zealand pianist, and of her attempt to "kidnap" him. •'**" """ Mr. Magnus de la Laing, the pianist, is' the son of a lady who was formerly a well-known resident of Wellington,, and now living in this country with her son. Magnus, who adopted the name De la Laing for concert purposes, is just twenty-one years of age—a slim, goodlooking youth, with pale features, lustrous eyes, and a wealth of waving red hair. He first appeared in London two and a-half years ago, giving a recital at Bechstein Hall. Since then he has' played in Italy, in Denmark, and in Austria, as well as in many parts of the English provinces. He was in the middle of an English tour at the end of November when the strange event referred to in the advertisement above occurred. As a result of what happened, all his engagements for the next fortnight have been cancelled. PIANIST'S OWN STORY. The story of the Countess' and her infatuation for' the pianist is best told in Mr. De la Laing's own words: — "I was a student," he told me (writes the correspondent of the Wellington Times'), ''studying under Lesclietzky in Vienna when I first met the Countess. She was very kind to me then. I wish she had remained as she was when I first knew her. It was not until I started to play that she became so infatuated. 1

"When 1! first went to Italy she followed me. She used to s'it in the front row of the stalls at my concerts and stare at me. It made me horribly nervous.

"Afterwards I studied in Berlin under Busoni, and visited England. During this period she did not bother me, but no sooner did I start my concerts again, this time in Copenhagen, than there she was'. She seemed always to know where I was to perform. "I got away from her, and seven months ago I came to London. It was not, however, till my concert at the St. James's Hall that I saw her again. I never thought she could behave as she did that night, after the concert, outside the Frascati restaurant. "Ever since that incident, and another night when she drove me round and round in lier motor-car, imploring me to go away witli lier, I have felt as though T were s'hadowed, and that I must make my escape from her. "IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE."

'•One thing I must say. She was so kind to mo at one time that I do not like to say any thing a'boi.. her now. ■When she implored me to go av,.. - with her she mentioned Vienna, Paris, aii capitals of Europe, and offered to give my mother any reward if she would let me go. But I told her it was impossible. I said, 'I simply will not do it!'" This amazing woman, the Counters, is about, thirty-five years old, with dark hair and beautiful features. It is said that she belongs to a. noble family with large estates in Russian Poland. She herself lives in a charming villa in Vienna, and is noted there for her lavish hospitality. It was' in Vienna that the Countess /fell violently in love with Magnus of -the lustrous eyes and waving auburn locks. She seems to have resolved to follow the man she loved all over '.Europe, and to spare neither time, •money, nor effort to bring him to her ;=ido. 'But it was in London, just a week 'or two ago, that matters reached a climax. FOLLOWED TO LONDON. Magnus do la Laing had arranged to give a recital in the Wes't End of London on 30th November, but an injury to 'lis a mi prevented him from carrying out his intended programme. Rather than disappoint the audience which had assembled, however, he appeared and played a number of simple airs. As he was playing, Magnus allowed his gaze to waader over the audience, 'and "suddenly, to his astonishment, and ' s hall we say? —dismay, he discovered, sitting in one of the front rows of the his Viennese admirer, the Countess! ' She had followed him to London, 'found out where and when he was playing and thus rediscovered, him. After the concert. Mr. de la Laing >mrl his' mother and two lady friends proceeded to Frascati's. tlif well-known ■restaurant, for supper. The Countess followed, and took * seat at an adjoining table, and it was when the pianist and his companions came out of the restaurant after supper that the incident referred to in the advertisement occurred. The Countess followed the party out into the .street, and, addressing the ■pianist's mother, asked that she might be allowed a few minutes' conversation With her son. Consent was no sooner given than, the infatuated woman seized the young man by the shoulders, pinned iiim against the wall, passionately declared her great love for him, and begged him to elope with her. After s'ome struggling he was freed from the lady's embraces and hustled into a taxi-cab. .Tumping into a hansom cab, the lady gave chase, but the pianist and Iris party turned down a side street, and so eluded her. I't was past midnight when the 'scene outside Frascati's occurred, and it ■was' witnessed by a large crowd. PASSIONATE LETTER. After this incident letters passed .between the Countess and Mr. de la Laing's mother. The Countess wrote next day in these passionate terms: "You prevented me from finishing the Conversation-with your son yesterday. "Well, the evil be on your Shoulders.

'•'Tt is ;.1 -iihitely useless for you to jealously guard and shadow him. "I love him with a love you cannot fathom, and will die sooner than give him up. "I tan jiive him everything that, wealth can procure. "Send him to me, and you shall find a great reward." All her oilers wore, however, refused. Hut though frustrated the Countess was determined to make another effort. WILD MIDNIGHT DRIVE. Tli# next, evening Mr. de la Laing was to join a party of friends in a box at the Alhambra. As' he was waiting outside the Alhambra for liis friends, the Countess dashed up in her motor-car, persuaded nim to drive with her, and, instead lit set ling him down at his'" destination. whirled him round and round London, hour after hour, till not only the time of his engagement passed, but till midnight- struck and the early hours oi tlie morning came and went. It was a mad, wild, passionate drive, the Countess imploring the young pianist to elope with her, the latter resisting all entreaties. "It is no use," he says. "J cannot love her as she loves me." ' ; ; At last, finding all entreaties nseles's, the Countess set him down in the Tlamp,stead Road, miles from his home, and drove off, leaving him to walk home. His mother, greatly alarmed by her soifs disappearance for all these hours, decided to place the whole matter in the hands of Mr. Biden Steele, who is now endeavoring to trace the Countess. Tn consequence of the strain which these sensational events have placed "upon the nerves of the sensitive young artist, Mr. de la Laing's engagements for the next -fortnight have been cancelled. As soon as possible the pianis't will go into the country for a brief rest, and then visit friends on the Riviera. - " '•A DANGEROUS WOMAN." All this may sound very like a chapter from a sensational romance, or the Worldly wise may see in it merely the artful hand of a clever and imaginative press agent; but .both the young pianist and his' mother assure me that the facts are as I have heard them from their lips and as I have set them down. I had a long conversation with them both this morning. At first I had been inclined to think that an exaggerated view of the matter had been taken, but I quickly discovered that the mother was genuinely distressed about the sensational turn which events had taken. "The story is not exaggerated," s'he said to me, "however extraordinary it may sound. I admit it reads like wild romancing, and, indeed, if I had read such a story about anyone else I do not think I should have believed it. We are not used to anything of this sort in New Zealand, are we? But everything happened just as stated. Our friends 'have been very kind and sympathetic about it, but I am really very worried about what .the woman may do next, and my s'on feels as though he were being shadowed all the time. No wonder it is getting on his nerves."

"Yes," it is horrible,' said Mr. de la Laing, "I feel her eyes fixed on me when I am playing, and whether I play in Italy or in Denmark, or in England', there she has been amongst the audience. I never know when she is going to appear. If she comes to my next Concert I am sure I shall not be able to play." "I feel s'ure she is a dangerous woman," said the mother. "If you 'had SBen how she went on that night outside Frascati's you would have thought she had gone mad. She grabbed hold 'of my son and pinned him to the wall with her hands, and jabbered at him in half-a-dozen languages, imploring him •wildly to go away with her. And then the wild letter she wrote to me! You liave seen what she said. Imagine offering a mother a big reward to part with her son!" I sought a description of the Counters. "She is very good-looking," said the mother. "A well-made, handsome Woman, with dark hair, straight ey.v brows, a Jewish type, of nose, delicately shaped, and a square, resolute chin—a Voman of great determination, I should say. She was stylishly dressed, all in Wack. with a sealskin coat on, the night I Paw her at Frascati's. She appeared to have plenty of money." Mr. de la Laing and his mother hope that the fact of the case having been ■placed in a solicitor'* hands, and advertised in the papers, will deter the Countess from continuing her futile attempts .to kidnap the object of lier infatuation.