AN ACTOR'S MARRIAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 10342, 16 June 1897, Page 4

AN ACTOR'S MARRIAGES.

TWO LADIES CLAIM TO BE HIS WIDOW. There is living in England, with her son and two daughters, a lady who claims to be the legal wife of Mr Nelson Wheatcroft, one of the most eminent American actors, who recently died in New York, a man who had always inspired deep respect on the other side. On the other hand, there is also a lady in the American capital who states that she was married to Mr Wheatcroft in 1886, and who since that time has been recognised as his wife by those who knew them. This lady was formerly an actress, and before her marriage was Miss Adelaide Stanhope. It appears from a letter written by a son of the deceased man that his father was married to the first Mrs Wheatcroft in England in 1875 ; that she had been living in the same house where bis father left her; that ever since his father left England he had written regularly and contributed to the support of his family, and that Miss Adelaide Stanhope, as he terms the other lady, knew his mother personally. The lady who is known to her New York friendß&s Mrs Wheatcroft admits that she was aware that Mr Wheatcroft was married before he met her, and that he had a family of three children. However, previously to her marriage with him, he told her he intended to go to England and secure a divorce. He came to England and remained several months. When he returned to New York he assured her that he had obtained a divorce, and that he was in a position to marry her. The fact that he wrote regularly from New York to his family in England and contributed to their support is confirmed by Mrs Adelaide Stanhope Wheatcroft. What she says with regard to this is that he sent monthly remittances towards the support and education of his children, and that there was no attempt on his part to deceive her in respect to it. But he never uttered a syllable about supporting the mother of those children. Letters' of administration have been granted to the lady in New' York, but the deceased left no will and apparently little property. On the contrary, so implicitly is Mrs Adelaide Stanhope Wheatcroft's belief that she is his legal wife that since his death she has been engaged in paying out of her own earnings as a teacher of the drama some of his personal debts.—English paper.