| “Mr. and
Mrs. John E. Liggett, St. Louis.” This line in the sailing
list of the world’s largest steamship, the
Vaterland, which sailed yesterday, set New York
friends of the two interesting young persons
investigating to-day. The result was a conclusion
that Liggett, wealthy clubman of St. Louis, and
Violet Colby, prima donna, are secretly married
and started abroad for their honeymoon..
Mr. Liggett’s
bride was formerly the wife of J. Clarence
Harvey, a comedian. Mrs. Harvey-Liggett was prima
donna of the Merry Countess company.
Mr. Liggett
recently was divorced. His wife, who was Miss
Margaret Gay of Boston, is residing here with her
two children, Lawrence, 9, and Margaret 6,
awarded to her by the divorce action.
Mr. Liggett is the
son of Mrs. Laura L. Hill, widow of former Gov.
John F. Hill of Maine. His father was one of the
Liggett family, who made a fortune in tobacco.
His grandfather was Norman J. Colman of St.
Louis, secretary of agriculture in the Cleveland
cabinet.
Mrs. Harvery, well
and favorably known to the stage, recently has
been traveling extensively in the South. Friends
of Liggett say he, too has been traveling in the
Southern states, and that the marriage of the
prima donna to the clubman was in Asheville, N.C.
early in April. It is said Liggett settled
$750,000 on his bride.
Mr. Harvey, from
whom Liggett’s bride was recently divorced,
was a page in the United States Senate in 1881
and handed to Chester A. Arthur, then presiding
over that body, the famous resignations of
Senators Roscoe Conkling and Thomas C. Platt.
When Mrs. Harvey filed her divorce suit her
husband made public a statement that he intended
a counter suit, and insisted that he would
institute proceedings for alienation of
affections against “a man prominent in
society and business.” Harvey said that he
would ask $100,000, but he did not name the man
publicly.
|
| It became known
yesterday that I among those whose names were not
printed on the passenger list of the Vaterland of
the Hamburg-American Line when she sailed on
Tuesday morning for Hamburg were John E. Liggett
of St. Louis and his bride; Violet Colby, an
actress, who recently divorced Clarence Harvey, a
comedian. Mr. Liggett, who is wealthy, a month
ago paid for a suite consisting of two rooms and
bath and requested that the name be kept off the
list. Friends
of both Mr. and Mrs. Liggett yesterday said there
had been a rumors circulated that they had been
married in Asheville, N. C., early in April, but
no confirmation could be obtained except that the
couple sailed on the Vaterland as Mr. and Mrs.
Liggett.
Mrs. Harvey's
decree was confirmed by the Supreme Court of New
York in January last, and the first Mrs. Liggett
obtained hers in March, with the custody of two
children.
Mrs. Harvey has
been living at the Belnord a at Eighty-sixth
Street and Broadway, and before her trunks were
sent away on Monday she contradicted reports that
she was engaged to marry Mr. Liggett or any other
man.
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