Of
i . 4 I 'J
at
Pretty Fernanda Riatouckinsky, Divorced
and Glad of a $40a-
i fr
w1
THE marriage of Robert Goelet, once -called
"the world's richest bache
lor," to the strange, fascinating
Madame Fernanda Rocchl Rlabouchlnsky,
sometimes called "Princess Riabouchin
fky," is the most astonishing social occur
rence of the day. Although the event oc
curred in Paris on October 22 It is dis
cussed as much as ever, for the couple
have yet to appear in society in this coun
try and never did ' a bride face so many
curious questions which fashionable so
ciety would like to know the answer to.
Was she a "Princess" or was she not?
Bhe permitted herself to be called
"Princess" and then suddenly refused to
allow people to call her by this title.
Was Bhe crazy for a dramatic "career"
or was she not? She signed a stage con
tract with great enthusiasm and then she
said she couldn't possibly think of going
on the stage.
Was she seeking a cuance to exploit her
self in the newspapers or was she not?
She arranged for a series of articles and
gladly posed for a bunch of photographs
generously revealing her charming face
and figure, and then insisted that Bhe really
couldn't consent to having, the articles
published.
She signed a contract to work for $40 a
week and suddenly asked to be released
from it. What was the sudden turn of the
wheel of fortune that changed all ber
plans?
Fashionable society awaits the arrival of
Mr. Goelet's Interesting bride and would
like to know the answer to these puzzling
questions.
. In the first place it must be remembered
who Robert Goelet is. He comes from one
ot the oldest of Knickerbocker families
and owns the largest block of New York
real estate after the Astors. Much of the
Goelet property is on Fifth avenue and
Madison avenue near Fiftieth street. His
wealth has been reckoned at $100,000,000.
His relatives on thl3 side include the
Gerrys and Vandetbilts and many others
ot similar Importance, and his sister is the
PuehesB of Rozburghe in England.
On the other hand Madame Rocchl Rla
bouchlnsky Is the daughter of a poor pro
fessor and never bad any fashionable so
cial position.
She came here from Russia with a hus
band whose name was certainly a mouth
ful to pronounce and who wore luxuriant
whiskers and who planned to hold a sale
or "antiquities." Then she obtained a
divorce from that husband.
And then began a succession of
' episodes in the new Mrs. Goelet's career
that All society with wondering curiosity,
some of which have been already men
tioned. It was late In 1915 that Mr. and Mrs.
Nicholas Rlabouchlnsky first approached
American shores by way of the Pacific.
He was quoted as saying that he brought
: several - millions with him to purchase
: munitions for Russia. . .
The Russian couple established their
: Kew York headquarters in s : handsome
UK
v
x - r
suite of rooms In the Hotel Knickerbocker,
a resort for the lively element of society.
They had with them a large collection of
art Objects which were described in a cata
logue as being paintings by such noted Old
Masters as Lippo Lippi, Luini, Hans Mem
ling and Cranach, not to mention Van
Dyck and a few others. There were also
porcelains by the greatest Renaissance
masters of France, and antique bronzes
from Italy.
Rlabouchlnsky valued this collection at
a mere $1,000,000 and said he proposed to
devote the proceeds also to buying muni
tions for Russia. He professed himself un
able to speak English, and his beautiful
Italian wife acted as interpreter. Con
cerning her origin we have definite Infor
mation, for Robert Goelet's office has
Issued a statement, saying:
"Mrs. Rlabouchlnsky is twenty-four
years old and is the daugh
ter of Professor and Mrs.
Mariano Rocchl, of Perugia,
Italy, where Professor Roc
chl holds the chair of Paint
ing and Design at the Uni
versity of Perugia."
When Madame Rlabou
chlnsky was living with her
first husband Bohemian so
ciety loved to call her
"Princess," but she has
since given it to be under
stood that she had no claim
to the title. Her husband
is said to have been a mem
ber of the
Russian diplo
matic service,
an official ot
the Bank ol
Moscow and t
writer on art,
dancing and
other matters
under the
Czar's regime
rather an as
tonishing and
surprising col
lection of ac-compllsh-
6
xuents. r
At the Hotei Knickerbocker stage the
lovely Madame or "Princess" Rlabouchln
sky was pathetically desirous to have t
"career," to be known as an actress or an
exponent of . physical culture or a writer
on topics associated with those callings.
She met the New York theatrical man
ager, Morris Gest, and eagerly accepted
from him an offer to display her beauty in
various roles for the modest1 salary of $40
a week. -It is interesting to remember that
she now enjoys the revenue from about
$100,000,000 of New York real estate.
"The Prince and Princess were stopping
at the Knickerbocker Hotel," said Mr.
Gest. "She saw one of my productions,
was impressed with it and soogb.t me out.
"She told me that she desired a career,
- that she was not satisfied with her life as
it was, and wanted my Judgment.upon her
' abilities. The moment I looked upon her 1
knew that here was a find such as one
Has a
urn
Finally Becomes
MilKonaires
BriJe
A t XJJ
4C
h'f
i49k..'
makes only In a generation. She had
beauty and grace, but besides those she
had also that Indefinable thing which we
call magnetism. Furthermore, she was
extremely intelligent and temperamental.
I recognized at once lhat with proper train
ing here was a woman who might become
a second Bernhardt, another Duse, and she
was most beautiful! , ,
We entered Into a contract, she ac
cepting the terms most willingly. The .
first year she was to receive $40 a week so
little because that year would necessarily
he spent largely In her training. The sec
ond year she was to receive $200 a week,
and the third year $500 a week. And then
Bhe sent a, lawyer around to ask me to
release her from the contract!
"Already at that, time I had acquired the
rights ot the great . scenic production, .
Aphrodite. I had Intended to really make .
her j debut- asw Chrysys the priestess of
IQ X919, latnaattooal FMton Scrrte, Ias :
1 r A i'- --5-
C T
eets
ox J-UC:
tlie Mi
urn-
V,
4
4
i t r
f-fi
"ft i j '
1 .-v
in
V
1 '
7X-2S -v' Mfci
7 z?
Aphrodite, the Alexandrian
courtesan, who is the heroine
of this great play, in the mean
time I had cast her for Beauty
in the play 'Experience,' and
intended, after she bad found
herself a little more,' to re
hearse her as Passion in that
same play."
At about the same time
Madame Rlabouchlnsky under
took to write Tor a newspaper
a series of articles describing
how she had cultivated her re
markable beauty and giving
valuable advice to women who
were desirous of attaining similar perfec
tion. Just after these occurrences, in June,
1916, a deeply significant event took place.
Madame Rlabouchlnsky sued her husband,
commonly known as "Prince," for divorce
in the New York Supreme Court. She
alleged that "an unknown woman" had
alienated her husband's affections. Just
before this Rlabouchlnsky had been sued
in a Federal court for $45,000 which he re
fused to pay on the ground that It was a
gambling, -debt. Madame Rlabouchlnsky
said it was through this case that she
learned of her husband's infatuation for
the other woman. Madame Rlabouchlnsky
obtained her divorce. - ,
At this time, or, perhaps, a little earlier,
the lovely Italian v oman had made the
' acquaintance of the multi-millionaire, Rob
ert Goelet. - Accounts generally agree that
they first came' together, through their mu
' t GrwtB$UU81cbUMfT4 V:
Goelet n
0
"to-
fir
taal interest in Red Cross work, in which
Mr. Goelet was very active, even before
the United States entered the war.
' It is not venturing much to say that the
multi-millionaire was deeply impressed
with her from the first. She had the fig
ure of a deliclouB young wood nymph and
dressed in exquisite taste, but In a very
picturesque, unusual and highly artistic
style. The combination of rich Italian
beauty with a highly cultivated seme of
the charm of drapery end just a touch' of
. Russian mystery and strangeness was one
which might have stolen the senses of any
man. The social prejudices which Mr.
Goelet has defied in order to marry her
prove the force of the charm which he
experienced.
Before beginning her divorce suit
Madame Rlabouchlnsky moved from the
lively Hotel Knickerbocker to a very dig
nified, artistic and charming apartment at
No. 449 Park avenue.
Then a complete and most surprising
change occurred in Madame, sometimes
called "Princess," Riabouchlnsky's views
of life. She felt no longer the least desire
to have "a career," to become a great
actress, to be e gifted -writer for the press
cn elevating themes, or to teach other
women to develop the priceless gift of
beauty.
The newspaper had already gratified her
"early ambition by beginning the publica
tion of her articles on beauty culture. Sud
denly a lawyer engaged by Madame Ria
bouchinsky obtained an Injunction against
that newspaper, forbid
ding the continuation
of the series. The law
yer stated most partic
ularly that Madame
Rlabouchlnsky did not
want to be called "Prln-!
cess,'.' to be represented
as au actress or would
be actress, or publlo'
performer of any kind,'
or to be spoken of as
an expert on beauty
and beauty culture.
At nearly the same
time 6he haughtily
served notice on the
pained and astonished
Mr. Gest that she
would not appear as
Beauty or Passion, or
even as Aphrodite her
self, for the munificent
8ur it $40 a week or
tor any other sum. 4
"Everything Beemed
splendid," said Mr.
Gest, commenting on
this episode. "She was
happy in the career
opening to her and I
was happy in having
found such a woman.
I say again that her .
1 qualifications for the
stage were such as are
found only once in a
generation.
"Judge, then, of 'my
amazement, my com
plete astonishment.
.
4 4
when one day an attor
ney called upon me, saying that it bad all
been a great mistake, that the Princess
had changed her mind and wished to be
released of her contract Quite naturally
I asked why. The only answer was that
Bhe had changed her mind. Only a few
hours; before this, practically, I had lis
tened to Madame's enthusiasms. I asked
for an Interview with her to ascertain just
whathad occurred. My request was re
fused, and as a gentleman, of course, there
was nothing else for me to do but release
her from ber contract."
Reports that Robert Goelet was about to
marry Madame Rlabouchlnsky became cur
rent. Society had observed his rapt devo
tion to her for some time. His attendance
upon her suffered a considerable interrup
tion at one time, for when war broke out
he went to an officers' training camp, sub
sequently obtained a commission.
Upon his return to this country his de
votion to the lovely Madame Rlabouchln
sky became obvious tq all those who follow
the doings of the inner set of New York
society.
In the Summer the curious noticed that
Mr. Goelet's great house at Newport was
being repaired. It had been neglected and
more or less unoccupied since his first
wife, once noted as the beautiful Elsie
Whelen, obtained a divorce from him in
1914. ,
In August Mr. Goelet sailed for France.
When asked plainly if he was going to
marry Madame Riaboucbinsky, he smiled
happily and said it would be best to in
quire of her. She had already preceded
him on the road to Paris. In due course
came an announcement that on October 22
they had been married at the American
Church Jn Paris.
. The official announcement from Mr.
Goelet's office made it clear . that - the
couple after a few weeks honeymoon in
tended to "reside permanently in New
York."
Society awaits with keen Interest and
curiosity the arrival of this new and un
usual young woman who is such a mystery
and such a contradiction.
They do not, of course, hare to live' In
New York. Mr. Goelet has a beautiful
estate in France, noted for its game pre
serves, and if that did not suit them they
could live in any country that pleased
them.
The command of the Goelet minions
roust be a delightful sensation to the poor
professor's daughter and more than con
sole ber tor the sacrifice of her "career
and the opportunity to appear as Beauty
and Passion In "Experlenco,"