Woman's World

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 296, 18 May 1914, Page 6

Woman's World

V.'OAiAIS H PiUliT I'UU Lli'K. \ SCEXH IX A i.UXLtO.V FLAT. A woman's light i'.ii' i'u' in n West End 'at, Hiding' in licr bring severely bludgeoned, is engaging the aUention oi tlis .omlon police, uli'r ti:ivtr so far failed 0 trace Ui« culprit—a young fellow in Abwit! rw little i» known . •A lur a.vail.int. .'.he ilvcd in a llat j in Southampton Munsiuii.-t. Souths m,s- I ten Row, with French in,lid, ami was appaivntly about t.'.vnty-foui' . '-a.s - age. She i< Mfcvt .1 lie of Herman; nat.ona.ity. ami tvli-n tae police were j •••tiled r..urmnml ;he name "Waltorv* | iloin.vr was undoiibt. dlv the motive, 5 f.»r the fo".lc\vin;f j"wol'< ry is missing: • A vo< jtobl rsr riitjM ,«ct with dia- j monds, a platinum diamond-studded ; ring a platinum !!<'<-kiet with pendant ' set with, a large liimioml, and a geld ; chain bag. I i •• tpo!; pli.-c miring the ab- ! -'■n-'e ol' Hie mafd who had been sent nut J to purchase some ciearcites. When she j :■ Li:;iie.! she was ho;niied to find her mistress lying on the floor bleeding i'ro'.a wound.; on the head, lioth eyes were j •swo lon, ami a bar of metal, life a life- j preserver, was found bv her -ide. That there had been a terrible struggle was j 'evident, i'or furniture was overturned and broken ornaments were strewn in a'l directions. The man made good his escape without being observed by the hall porter. Me Is described as be- 1 ing 24 years of age, .but looking older, clean-shaven, end of stout build, about aft 4in in height, lie is of dark conip'exion. and wort- evening dress, a brown overcoat, spats and a hard felt hat. A DIUMAnc EVENT. CASE OF UNREQUITED LOVE. A dramatic am! sensational story of unrequited love and a "tragedy" thai (lid not tqtke place is io'd by the W-a.n----ganui police (writes a local correspondent). It appears that a young man well known in local pugilistic circles has for somY time past been payinsr attentions to a young woman who is employed as a domestic servant by a prominent business man's family residing in the Avenue. The young couple quarrelled and the man, desirous of becoming friendly again, called on his iaily love, but she was unwilling to walk out with him aga ; n, and .said so, lie became so annoying that the aid of the | police was invoked, and the girl was j rent away for a time. On Saturday night lie called again, but his attentions | were spurned. The climax came on j Sunday, when the love-lorn swain again presented himself at the door of ths 1 residence where the young woman lived, j The master of the house answered the knock and told him not to come again. |He was told that lie could not see the girl. The man, in response, said that he would finish it, and quick as thought he produced a razor from his pocket and drew it across his throat. He then fell face downwards on the ground. The head of the household telephoned to tinpolice to come ami take the "body" away. Senior Sergeant Bourkc and Constable Harry, who answered (he summons, thought cf taking the ambulance with them. They did not. however. When they arrived at the house the "bod;." was gone. They learnt afterwards that the man's action was but a feint, anil that he was alive and well. According to the sergeant, he went home, pr.cked himself in order to draw blood near his threat, and sent a message io the gill asking her to tve h : M before ho died. The girl did not go, ami that was the end of the dramati; comedy.

THE LATE MADAME NORDICA. A FAMOUS SIXCF.H. I The news cf the death of Madame " Nordics. lh(! popular prim:i donna, who gave successful concerts in Xuw Zealand lately, will be received with very keen regret by a wftls circle cf the mu:icloving public, who were charmed equally by her personality and musical attain- , uients. Few womi'U of the operatic stage had so many interests as'.dv from their pro--111'? as Madame. Liiiian Xordica. | In New yorn she maintained a l.iirls' '(.'.ub. where gills wuh no money, hut . g. od vo'ccs, were gi\ < n the b".-t musical training. When madame leit'on her Australasian tour, there were over a I hundred girls iwivi :ig instruction p.ii<! | for by their bencf'.etrcs. from M-idanv• (iardner-Bartlet, on ? - the best-known teachers in New \ ork. There was one uifl which Madam 1 ' Xordica, received recently, and wh'ch she was said to have prized above her jewels and the offerings ov king . It. was only a small gold biitti-n. but uu homage ever paid to her glorit.us voice. • lier queenly presence, her eternal charm, had for her the significance contained in this little token which was a tribute to lier ivomanhnnd. The button w>-s the gift of the ' College Equal Sullrase League, presented to the diva in appreciation «f tlrj service rendered the women of California during their suffrage campaign, when Madame Xordica stood on the -seal of an automobile in the open air and pleaded for the franchise for women, and then tuing for the cause she advocated, with all her heart and soul, sending her voice out over the heads of thousands who stood under a panoply of stars to hear lier message. Xi> gem, 110 laurel, ever meant to her what:, in mute thanks, the dark blue I letter on the small gold button spelled and made her one with all womankind, sin; frequently declared. The late Madame Xordica wis born at Farmington. t'nited States, and was educated at the Boston Conservatoire of Music and in Italy. She spent six months at i'ayrcutli, where she studied the roles of Wagnerian opera under Madame Wagner, anil s-lie mad' the W r agnerian operas her speciality, in which she achieved great triumphs , wherever she .appeared. Her "peeial j roles were tin -e cf F.lsa. from "Lolvni grin." and flrunnliildo. from. "Die (iottev(lannm rung." Madame Xordica was a very woman in h t love of home. She was a <inip'e American country girl when her uiea was di-cevi r 'd. Lillian .Virion was her real name. Once when tin- great Tirtjcii-i was visiting Xe.r Y«rl;, :-h' was :;sl;cd t'J hear the little y'::l sing, and w.is so delightul v.ilii her voice thai, -iir advised her to lo Knrope to study. This -he did, and when a xtmlcitt ill ll.'.iy, coiif .rmiii;< to I lie ideas nf the tini", her n:iiie was altered to ye.it foreign tastt". Her teacher «ns«e-.lt d XV-i.ii a b 1 cause it mean- from the north. ' The stage was never rnnl-mplaled. heiaiic her family drer.vd that -.iir!! a cared' woii),l !>• a di-grace. Il was lrvcr jlio'.i'ih 1 ihat sir.' v.imid beco:ne one of tile foremost o;e-ralic artist. Her talent was soon recogni-ed. for when in llaly she was sent to appear lirf,.re an e\'aetiiio' SI. Petersburg audience. end her advance w;-s very r.utid. in IS!!!, unusual di'iiiictioa was awarded Madame. Nordiia in the io'in of an iavilation from Fran I'o-dnia Wagner to create the role of F.'.sa in "l.ohen-

grin," lit Ikiyreutli, and she also !h"- : hoe ey uf lx'iny the lir ; t I^,oliI;■ :::ni Klsi to b« heard at the PriiM-i>'.yntt , n Theatre in Munich. [n 1805. slip effected what w:'S virtually a renaissance 'of Witswr in An: .-i'ic.i. am) the memorable XovcmVr night of that year when *!«» »sti;r [-:oh!<> at th? JJpv.' York M«4ro»»!itr:n o|i'!ra I louse, will never he forjwttcn. Tlic famous diamond tira prcscn["d luT on that occasion, and which was a voluntary contribution from her admirers all over the country, was a : i:;nil!cani memento of her artistic success. Madame Vonlica was at the time of her -death at the zenith of her powers, | and it remained for her to achieve villi- : in (lie last few years two of hey sv.o't j memorable in a career fraught I with suece-se.s. In October. tha I sail" llie vo'e of Isolde, for the first time, | at the Paris (Irand Opera, and sang ii in | French, with the result that Paris capit ! ulatcd unreservedly and welcomed the ' American prima donna with a rapturous . enthusiasm, which will probable hecc.m" • ( histori!' in the annals of niusicdnm. Tn 'May, Kill, slie again i-aiig Isolde, fliis | time in Cierma.ii, at the Berlin Pioval ■; Opera, by the special invitation of the i Gorman Emperor. Her superb voice and the breadth and nobility of her art crej ated a profound impression, and her triumph was a memorable one, confirming her rijrht to the title of 1,-uinir the ("Greatest Wagnerian Singer in theWorld." ' j Shortly before, the conclusion of her Australasian tour Nordica had a complete nervous breakdown, and her medical adviser ordered her to take an entire rest for some time. This ncces'-i----tated the cancellation of her Australian engagements. At the beginning of the year she sailed for Java aboard the Taxman, still suffering from her recent i breakdown. The vessel came to grief at Bramble Bay, Torres Strait, and the passengers suffered severely from exposure. She contracted pneumonia, and when she 1 ultimately left for the East she was still j in a weak state of health.