A New York Scandal.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2934, 11 July 1878, Page 2

A New York Scandal.

•■ ■: ' r PHILADELPHIA, AprT. 2. * Visitors to New. - York/-, when being taken, along Fifth Avenue and shown the sumptuous buildings on that famous street, always have pointed cut to them a gorgeous mansion with gaudy window shades which stands conspicuously at the corner of "Fifty Second-street. Here in. vulgar splendour and in the midst of palaces and churches djwell for njanjH^jrears the most iafemous woman in New. York-r-M!adaine JjefteUf Ip a nefarious Vailing,practiced under the '.guise of. a woman's doctor, among the highest and wealthiest circles —for with none other would she deal—she amassed h fortune, and her almost regal equipage, wasone of the sights of the Avenue and the Park. During 40 yearg she practised her shameful trade in defiance of lawj through the too easy methods of corrupting New York justice, having been brought to bar, but varelv punished. Her character and career were known everywhere, and though the tribunals of justice have not been able to finally punish her, yet her punishment has been none the less unerring. Her fate teaches the lesson .of retribution for sin better than any Judge or goaler can do it. She died yesterday by her own hand. Madame Eestell was an Englishwoman, Ann 'x row by name, born in Glocestershire 68 years ago. She. at first lived at service, and marrying very young a dissolute husband she came in- penury to America, where he died, leaving her with one child. In New York, in 1837, she married a second time, her husband being named Lohmon, and" believed to be a praetiser of the art by which she afterwards Rained such notoriety. She then assumed the name of Madame Eestell and began advertising as a" physician." She soon drove a showy carriage, and attracting much attention in 1841 was arrested and indicted, as she was repeatedly for several years afterwards; but through judicious management none of the accusations against her-were ever brought to trial. Finally-, in 1847, an indisputable case was found against her and became a cause celebre. Leading lawyers were retained for both prosecn-

tion and defence. The trial lastad 18 days, ending in her conviction. Then every possible method of legal ingenuity so well known in New York was resorted to for averting the penalty, but it was unavailing and she was sentenced to the Penitentiary for one year. Efforts in.her behalf did not end, however. For over eight months her counsel baffled the law officers and prevented her being sent there. When incarcerated, the mysterious influences used in her behalf, al* though they could not open the , prison doors, could still mitigate . the rigours of the incarceration. Her husband was allowed to past pJmost all lvs time with her, she living chiefly in the Warden's apartments and getting her . meals at his table. She was rarely looked in a cell or compelled to wear prison garb. So notorious became the favoritism that the Common Council had the case " investigat~d " by' a committee, and recommended the Warden's d>smi<»al, though the case never came to anything. This was the last successful at'ompt made to punish her, and during 30 ye?rs, until within a few weeks, the officers of the law seem to have abandoned all attempts against her, beyond an occasional and soon silenced complaint. About 25 years ago, when the ground was fii'st obtained for the magnificent new Roman Catholic Cathedralcn Fifth-avenue -' this woman's career had become such a public scandal that the great Archbishop of New York, John Hughes, open'y denounced her from the altar of the old

Cathedral. The Archbishop, desiring to buy an adjoining plot of land for an archipiscopal residence,. Madame Restell, in revenge, determined to thwart him. The laud on which her house now stands wag the piece desired, and representatives of the Archbishop and the woman-doctor bid against each other, the latter running the price up to a figure t-»o nigh for the former and securing the prize. She announced her intention of building a residence thare, at which the - neighbours were horrified, and offered to buy her off for $150,009, then considered an enormous price for the land. But she refused, built her house, aud at once moved into it. Here she grew in wealth, amassing a fortune estimated at $1,003,000 to $1,500,000, practising her profession almost without restriction. Of late years, however, she gradually withdrew from the. "business," and her husband dying two years ago, she was left with two grandchildren, who lived with her. Too great success iv crime always leads to the means of its detection. The criminal, from impunity, becomes careless, and this was the case with Madame RestelK By an ingeniously devised scheme Mr Anthony Ooaistock, the agent of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, in February last gained access to her in her own house, and got her to sell him some pills, powders, and instruments, she at the same time explaining their method. of administration, use, and effect.' She was then arrested, and, after much difficulty and a brief imprisonment, procured bail. Since February she has been combating the law officers, but her ar.est having excited great public interest, she was not so powerful' with the Courts and bailiffs as she had been in earlier life, and the case progressed steadily towards conviction. _ Three weeks ago she changed her, lawyer, hoping for better results ; but the case was set down. xbr trial at the opening, of the next' term of Court,- M< nday, April 1. „ She seemed to be stricken with horror at the approach of the trial, and apparently became demented by brooding over it. When the court opened yesterday the' criminal did not appear, but instead the Judge was handed a telegram announcing that she was dead. This was thought an " April fool joke," but it was soon confirmed from other sources- and the case was postponed. The infamous woman was indeed dead. Early in the morning she had gone from her bedcham* her to her bath, and reclining in a< bath of ; warm water bad cut her throat with an ivory- handled tarving-knife. When her grandchildren discovered her she had been dead several hojrs. Thus miserably died this notorious woman, after a career of splendid crime that New York tribunals seemed unable to successfully cope with. —Times.