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ASSOCIATED
PRESS NEWS OF
THE WORLD
feafl PUBLISHED IN THE
HEART OF DIXlETff?#?
WEEKL'
FORTY-THIRD YEAR.—‘NO. 12
AMERICUS, GEORGIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 2 4, 1921.
INSIDE STORY OF STILLMAN DIVORCE CASE
Cnme Lmd On Brother
By Former Americus
’ Man
FLORENCE, S. C„ March 24.—
Edmund Bigham, ion of a former
state senator and formerly of Ameri
ca*., da.. went on trial here today,
charged with murder as the result of
the death ofliis mother, brother and
lister and two adopted children of
the latter, a few weeks ago. The de
fense indicated Bigham would at
tempt to prove the killing was done
by his brother, who then committed
suicide.
The court room was packed when
the trial started. Judge Memminger
over-ruled a motion for a continu-
CZECHO-SLAVS
ALARM AUSTRIA
STOLEN LETTERS ARE
CRUX OF BAD TANGLE
INVOLVING TWO BABIES
CARDINAL* GIBBONS, FROM LATE PHOTO
M
Charges And Counter Charges In Quadrangle
Formed By New York Banker, His Beautiful
Wife, Chorus Girl And Indian Guide
NEW YORK, March 24.—Hero
are facts in the Stillman divorce
tangle which has shaken society.
The Information obtained comes
from charges officialy filed
from affidavits sworn to in the su
premo court of New York, which
came out at tho hearing yesterday.
EPISODE ONE
committed 44 I" STILLMAN, as he was known
J in. -
VIENNA/March 24.—.By the a4-
?Wh W 9i Rumors that
Czecho Slovak troops have been con-
centrated on the Austrian frontier
have caused a panicy feeling here,
in view of internal political condi
tions in the Austrian republic. Its
asserted in certain circles that the
military activity of Czecho Slovakia
la duo to a marked recrudescence of
the movement for fusion with Ger
many since the unsatisfactory results
of the Chancellor Mayor’s London
-“-ion become known.
rants Against
Bivins Are ]
Muclt Bivins, whoso dispute over a
-laborer witmj’. 1 Wl ''
near Sumter,' resulted L.
proceedings in Justice Carter’s
.court hole Tuesday, in which he was
.placed under 2400 bond to keep the
'Peace. _ asked Tho Times-Recorder
Thursday to atate that three war
rants taken against him by Clyde
Webb, charging assault with intent
to murder three negro farm hands,
wore dismissed by Justice Carter.
This fact had not been, stated, no
mention of tho fact that theso war
rants having been taken being pub*
lished.
Mr, .Bivins declared to The Tlmes-
Rccorder that he was a law-abiding
citizen, not accustomed to have trou
ble with his neighbors, and that “if
the white men had. iwom to the truth
like those negroes on the Stand no
peace bond would have been assessed
against me." He said he was anx
ious that tho public which does not
know him personally docs not get
a wrong opinion of him ai a result
of this cose.
1001, married society’s deb
utant beauty, Anne Urquhard Pot
ter, in Grace Church, on June 3 of
that year.
It was the crowning social event
of that season. Gossips freely .pre
dicted that the couple would soon
part because, as they expressed It,
their tastes were identically alike.
These prophets of grief reminded
each other than Jim and Anne be
longed to the outdoor set of whirl
wind sport, and that each boasted in
dependence of
action.
Jim was a Harvard man who had
been pitcher of the Varsity nine, win
ner of the single scull race on the
Charles river, and later quarterback
on the Harvard team which beat Yale
18 to 0.
Anne was an anburn-haired beau
ty with tha blood of her impetuous
actress-mother stirring in her veins,
an equestrienne of note, tennis
player and breeder of pedigreed
dogs. Both were fond of saying
they were unconventional, that they
adored hunting and that they were
fond of children.
Two years after their marriage a
daughter, Aimc, was born to them,
Up
State Dept. Given All
U. S. Bergdoll Records
WASHINGTON, Msrch 24.—All
war department papers relating to
tho case of Grover Bergdoll, draft
■vuder now in Germany, were sent
to tho state department today.
GERMAN PRISON FOR
BERGDOLL PURSUERS.
Hosbaeh, Baden, March 23.—Carl
Ncuf and Franz Zimmer, American
detectives have been sentenced to
fifteen months and six months, re
spectively in prison for attempting
<o arrest and nbduct Grover C. Berg-
doll, American draft evader in Eber-
liach last January.
Tho four Gormans who were tried
ns accomplices of the Americans
were found guilty and sentenced to
nil for terms of five to eleven
months.
SETH TANNER.
. PO" their return to New York,
James Stillman entered the employ
of the National City Bank as a clerk.
Hia father^wasjiresMent^ of the '
ity to think and act wisely at a criti
cal moment, together with his fath
er’s powerful influence, served to
promote young Stillman.
In 1(14, then, James was seen to
be steadily advancing toward the
position of bank head. It was re
membered that his family was linked
with the Rockefellers through mar
riage.
But between the mantle of his
father and himself the powerful
’igure of Frank A .Vanderlip, erst-
vhile reporter who developed into a
mighty figure in world finance, stood
guard.
Meanwhile Mrs. Stillman, still a
society favorite, attraced more at
tention than when she had been fet
ed as plain Fifi Potter. In the Epis
copal Church, where her youiig hus
band was a deacon and Sunday
school teacher, she was tho recog-
niexd leader of ultrasmart bazaars.
She came into marked prominence
when on several occasions she ap
peared in classic poses at public ex
hibitions, her tall, erect figure and
Grecian profile causing much com
ment in the press of tho day.
In 1(17 it was whispered about
that Stillman, Sr., was keeping a
sharp lookout on his son. The fath
er was then not only president of
the bank but chairman of the board
of directors. “Fifi" Stillman was
still a favorito in society.
guide at their luxurious Canadian
camp.
"it was there, In the Canadian
wilds," continuo the husband 1
charges, "that Beauvais won the love
of Mn. Stillman.”
In Stillman’s complaint, he adds
this: “For three years the intimacy
continued despite my attempts
stop it, despite my refusal to con
done, legally or otherwise. I man
aged to get Beauvais off my estate
at Pocantico Hills, and I barred him
from my camp at Three Rivers.
Beauvais secured a job at a sport-
• • in N« *
Mew York.
ing outfit house
EPISODE 4.
epHE court papers continue that
* “Mr. and Mrs. Leeds were well
known by sight to many of the ten
ants in the apartment house at 64
East 86th Street during January,
1918.”
Mrs. Leeds was ,of course, Florence
of the Century chorus, and Leeds,
according to Frank Ivens’ affidavit,
and that of Sophie Ericksoit. a maid,
was James A. Stillman, Jr- vice pres
ident and director of the National
City Bank.
They kept tlieiri tongues, they say,
bccauso; "well, what was the use?"
Then came March, and the death
of James A. Stillman, the father of
Jim.
In two weeks after the death of
James Stillman the son was madu
chairman of the board of directors
and note paper of tho National Cit
Bank read: "James Alexander Still
man. vico .president.” Frank Van
derlip, however, retained bis hold.
During this summer Mrs. Leeds re
mained in retirement at Rost Court,
Stony Beach, L. I., .in a handsome
villa rented from Pitts Duffield, mil-
r.Ycak.;'.'
lionnira.swlsm.an of New
S
PRICE FIVE CENTS
LOVED CARDINAL
GIBBONS DIES AT
AGE OF 87 YEARS
End Comes Peacefully
To Primate At Balti
more Home
BALTIMORE, March 24.- (By
the ABociated Press.)—James ( u-
dinnl Gibbon:-:, archbishop of Balti
more and primate of the American
Catholic Church, died at the Archc-
piscopal residence here today aftei- a
prolonged illness which mainly af
fected his heart. He was 87 yours
old.
Tile end came peacefully at 11 a.
The cardinal r.Uffered a ;Maps
Palm Sunday evening nfter rotur
from automobile ride.
He was born in Baltimore, of Irish
parunta, on July 23, 1834.
Cardinal Gibbons, as senior Bi: bop
of the church, -wielded n strong in
fluence outside os well as within tha
United States. Tile confidant of
three popei, ho made several impor
tant tours to Rome, the last in Au
gust, 1014, a few days after the
openirig of the war, to elect the suc
cessor to PiU3 X. Ho arrived too
lute, however, to participate in the
ceremony that elevated Benedict to
tho Pontificate.
Sought End of War,
Upon returning to thu Uni
States lie visited President V
informed tho latter of affairs i
rope and discussed means ta
about peace. /The Cardinal
strongly interested in the affairs
the church in Mexico durin
troublous times in that -oi
declared tiiat lie feared
ould never ccaso under
ronza
K
A big man never flu warned »
•mall job. Whaf* become of
the oidttune mother that uned tt
tell her children that th’ eeek.a.
had to sleep-* long Urn*-before
fhey yruz fit to eat?
EPISODE TWO
E IGHT yean later. In 1816, it was
generally known that young
“Jim" Stillman spent much of his
time at hia dubs. Old newspaper
clippings hinted that a rift had come
between him and his talented wife.
There were no denials, only "refus
als to talk." In 1016, “Jfan’> Still
man met Florence Helene Leeds of
tho “Chicken chorus."
She was called along Broadway:
“The girl with the violet eyes" and
she appeared nightly in “The Cen
tury Girl,” New Yont’s largest femi
nine spectacle. Her afther was an
East Side plumber, poor but highly
respectable. A .song writer "discov
ering" that “Flo" could dance “di
vinely,” introduced her to the. Cen
tury management.
A year later, aay the papers, "Flor
ence became weary of *The Century
Girl* and of choros life in general.
She told friends the show was not
going well; that she still retained
but a minor part
“For a time she attended rehear-
mis, and then suddenly she appeared
at the theater-ln a Rolls-Royce, garb
ed in pure mink, and said to friends
that she was flirting with straight
tips on the curb market and ‘making
heaps of money.’ So she resigned.
tertained lavishly at tho Still-
man homo in Pocantico Hills, but it
waa obssmd that Mr. Stillman at
tended these functions rarely, if at
all.
Autumn came and both women re
turned to their respective homes in
town.
Stillman divided hia time almost
equally, say tho affidavits, between
Ills wife and Mrs. Leeds.
Fred Beauvais, the half-breed
guide, left New York and returned
to Montreal. He opened nn insur
ance office in the Canadian city.
On Sept. 17, 1918, .“Jay Leeds,’
sworn to officially its the son of
Harold anil Florence-Leeds, was born
In tlie E. 86th street apartment. Dr.
James Ogllivic. noted surgeon, signed
the birth certificate, although/ he
-Mas. 1 "™"*"»
Exact!; two months later at the
Stillman home, “Fifi" Potter Still
man gave birth to Guy Stillman. The
birth certificate said that Anna
Urquhart and James Alexander Still
man were its parents.
000,009 and. require the services of
more than 6,000 ;m£ff, it was stated
today before the Railroad Labor
board by B. M. Jewell, inipresenting
tho labor side of tho-controyeray over
rules anJ agreement*. Ho said that
much of this enormous, expense on
both the railroad management and
railroaddabor should bo eliminated by
co-operation 'of 1 'tho two'- groups
through the creation of a-conference
committee.
COTTON PLANTING CITY CALLS 60
New Postal Cable
To Cuba Is Opened
NEW YORK, March 24-—An
nouncement was made today by
Clarence H. McKay, president of the
Postal Telegraph Commercial Cablo
System, of tho laying of a new sub
marine cable by that system between
marine cable by that system between
Miami, Fla., and Havana, ► Cuba,
GETS UNDER WAY
N. A. Rav Not To Use
Pound Of Guano
This Year
, Cotton planting has been under
way on some of the farms of Sum
ter county this week, although not
generally started.
“I began the first of the week and
would hav<- finished this week if it
hadn’t rained,” said N. A. Ray to
day. “1 um planting the same acre
age of cotton aa last year—one hun
dred acres out of 400—but will not
use a pound of guano. Cotton Is
cheap and with a big carry-over trap
Mafri
WIDOW’S SUIT
Damage Case Of Mrs
Winchester On Trial
In Citv Court
£j .. it is going to continue cheap, and
which supplements the present cable 11 am going to make a cheap crop. I
of that system from New York to don’t look for a price of even 8
Havana, thereby furnishing an alter-1 cents for the next crop, and we will
nate route. The new cable landing, have to mako cotton cheaper than
at Miami will be connected by direct | thet price to break even. I got 80
wires with the offices of the postal bales last year off my 100 acres, and
is to all parts of the United I expect to get at least 50 hi
EPISODE THREE
f l August, 1017, Mrs. Stillman en
gaged Fred'Beauvais; French Ca
nadian half-breed and guide, to
Maefciher.cliildn-n woodeagft. She
had two eons-then. James and Alex-
Bcaurais, well educated, band-
some, young and noted, came to New
York from Three Rivers, Canada,
and went to the Stillman estate at
Pocantico Hills.
Trie papers ray that Beauvais
EPISODE 6
WINTER came and passed, and
* 1(16 found Stillman engaged in
a bank battle to attain the presi-
deney of the institution, then held
by Frank Vanderlip.
Suddenly Vanderlip resigned with
out giving any reason, and Btillman
waa immediately named as president
of the Nations] City Bank. The
chairmanship of the board of direc
tors, tho only position that rivaled the
presdency waa left open. Stillman
won it.
It was commented on at tha birth
of Guy Stillman that his name had
not been given a place in the Social
Register and that when Stillman was
asked by that publication to attest
by hia signature that the boy was
hia child, he refused to do so, offer
ing no explanation.
Mrs. .Leeds, however, rode out
dally in her new Pierce-Arrow car,
P£ n « on «l friends, say the
affidavits, exhibiting her baby proud
ly to some, cautiously to others.
The name of little Jay Leeds did
not, of course, reach the Social Reg-
Uter, despite the affluence and
friendship of Stillman, because Mrs.
Leeds was not of society.
systems to all parts of the Un
States. A trial made yeatarday di
rectly between Havana and New
York produced excellent results.
and
B, ^02oP society was and-
IN JUNE, 1020, society _
■ doniy startled by the publication
of two anonymous lottera. one being
nn answer to the other. A society
journal surrounded these letters
with question marks, and they were
traced to the Stillman home.
Pinned down by a swarm of re
porters, Mrs. Stillman issued a state
ment In which she said simply that
both tetters were hers and that they
had been stolen from a wall safe in
her room.
Immediately after the first two
■ papers say that Beauvais •*#«*» W published Stillman
the -Stillman--family well and started-a secret action'for divorce
the paternity Jif Guy Stillman <
named Beauvais as correspondent.
Thinking to avAid notoriety, he
left the jurisdiction of Now York
City courts and filed hlmcomplalnt in
tho obscure county of Weatchcstcr.
Mrs. Stillman immediately brought
caunter-suit, naming Florence Leeds
as co-respondent and saying official
ly in her answer that “Mia. Leeds is
the inamorata of my husband, and her
child. Jay, is-my husband’s child.”
Although istute attorneys for
Stillman succeeded in having tho
tapers sealed’ and tiled in remote
lutchess county, reporters succeeded
in finding the papers, studying them
and making their contents known.
The Stillmans immediately parted.
Mrs. Stillman succeeded in obtaining
a court order which compelled her
husband to provide her with (60,006
yearly alimony, pending the trial of
her suit
Mrs, Leeds hurried to Florida, ac
companied by her maids, Jap ser
vants, four automobiles, a doctor, ■
nurse and three lawyers.
‘(Fifi” Pqttar Stillman secluded
herself at Lakewood, N. J., and has
with her the three children. Coy,
Alexander and Anne. The two lat
ter children have turned against their
father, and are proclaiming their loy
ally to their talented mother.
Stillman remains at the’ Union
Lyague club.
bales tats
year without guano. I have prepar
ed the ground thoroughly, and ex
pect to make up in cultivation n
large share of what I have left out
in fertiliser. However, my land is
in good condition, as I have not al
lowed it to run down, having raised
peas and velvet beans and plowed the
crop under on a lareg part of the
acreage.
Fertilizer men report an outlook
for sales of only about 40 per cent
of last year. Cotton acreage will- be
reduced in Sumer county, and with
greatly decreased use of guano, the
cotton yield should show a big de
crease over last year.
The damage suit of Mrs. C. R.
Winchester against the city of Amer
icas, in which she seeks to recover
$4,000 aa a result of the city grad
ing down the sidewalk elevation in
front of her property in Brooklyn
Heights in 1(15, came to trial in
city court this morning for the
second time. In 1015 it was tried,
but the jury was unable to agree and
a mistrial was declared. At that
time E. A. Nisbet waa city attorney
•nd J, A. inxon was employed by
the city as associate counsel. Jndgo
letter t
tho archdiocese
when the United Stai
conflict, urged tho
Hie government,
previously he sent
American committee
the relief of “
many notable
dIi
ncvolcnce. In a
more, in 1018, ho
by Lloyd-Georgo a
many’s war ain
tha same time ...
diet’s war policy, an .afttclk.'
pleased tho I’opo that ho
translated and published
In it he asserted symnalhy
allied aim of winning tin-
permanent peace.”
result ho also c:
a cessation of IHSI
trio mado fresh overtures.
Decorated On Anniv*
Celebrating his flflUeth
sary as bishop in Balthnoi
tobor 21, 1918, an event
by ecclesiastics from all o
Hixon is again asaociated with the world, he received among many .
case, assisting City Attorney Lane. Bifta the decoration of Grand
W. P. Wallis is handling the
MARKETS
AMERICUS SPOT COTTON
Good Middling 11 3-4c.
and nctivo prep-
iulp
off Miami, ffloi
motion are being nude t.i
her for a long cruise.
Meanwhile Ml -. 1 , , .1 - oi-cu|.ies tin-
Cleveland villa, q palatial mansion
adjoining the Flamingo hotel, at Mi
ami, and
r rnw i j | ,i ,i j Ter,,- .... - ^
was welcomed, for he had been a against his talented wfe, Ho’denied private detectives,
NEW YORK FUTURES
Pc Open 11am 1pm Close
May 12.63 12.70 12.62 12.46 12.42
July 13.07 13.25 13.04 12.90 12.84
Oct. 13.59 13.70 lfl
P64 13.37 13.30
MONTGOMERY LIVESTOCK.
MONTGOMERY. Ala., March 24.
Hog market, tops 8:75; lights 8:50;
pigs, 9; light pigs, 8.60; roughs, 6.60.
A top fountain pen with an indi
vidual drinking cup attachment is
the latest invention for health entail-
The man who invented a raachliio
to brand walnuts won a $10,000
prize for hia idea. ,
The greatest protected area in the
' d cart-
world for mountain sheep and
bou is Mount McKinley National
Park.
Although gold is abundant- In
Alaska, Jt la no longer mined, be
cause the process at the present cost
of material and.labor would not pay.
The largest rainfall in the United
States occurs in the state of Wash
ington—160 i
handling
for Mrs. Winchester. In the provl
ous case her husband, the late C. R.
Winchester, a member of die Amer
ican bar, wax living and assisted in
the trial of the case.
It is the contention of Mrs. Win
Chester that her property, consisting
10 acres fronting on McGarrah
street, was damaged to tho amount
nsked when the city street force re
graded the street and lowered the
sidewalk from the lot level to the
street level. She was the first wit
ness of the day and II. W. Smith-
wick, her. neighbor, the second.
The city’s defense in the action is
that the regrading of the street and
lowering of tile sidewalk, with the
accompanying shaping up of the
front of the lot, actually enhanced
the value .of the property instead of
decreasing its value, and about 60
prominent citizens of Americus, con-
ver.unt .with real estate and property
values, were summoned as witnesses
to giro testimony to this effect. It
was not expected tho case could be
err of the Legion of Honor
France. Italy also decorated
A month later ho joined with
mer President Roosevelt, both
whom had been friends for
« message of cheer to thu j
Expeditionary Forces. On
1910, he observed his 33d
sary as cartlinai-archbishoi
50th '
that |
was not expected tho case couia ue
finished today, and might require all
of Friday.
Income-Profits Taxes
Up To Expectations
WASHINGTON, March 24,—In
come and profits tax collections for
Lite March 15 installment were esti
mated by Secretary Mellon today to
aggregate $675,000,000. He estimat
ed the total for the fiscal year ending
June 30 would be $3,050,000,000,
.which, he said, was fully up to treas
ury expectations.
year of hia
Morcier, tho heroic primate
giuni, visited him on tills oc‘
The cardinal’s views on
economic and sociological
were frequently sought by
pors. In interviews he end
plan for tho establishment
Jewish Homeland in Palcstii
posed the government
K ’ lie utilities, maintained
tinn meant “tho Inv;. i..n of
and mental practice.” condi
vorcc, praised tho work of .
tion army in France, favored
can military training, imporlu
clergy to fight Bolshevism, di
id that tho Turk should lie
from Europe and appealed
public to support America ci
into tho League of. Nations,
eonvenion of Irish National
Philadelphia he expressed the
that the Paris pence c mb
would make It possible “to
land." He was one of the
of Neighbor Day for st
fraternity and .community
among Americans. In
tion he designated Jun
observance.
Towbo.it Engineers Arp
Called On Wane Strike
Irish Republicans • :
Fail In Jail Delivery
CORK. March 24.—(By Associat
ed Press.)—Members of the Irish Re
publican army made a carefully plan
ned hut futile attempt last night to
break into jail here and release pris-
sentence,-
break into jail here
oners under death :
dm I
NEW YORK, March 24—Immedi
ate strike orders to enginotrs on
occaft-golnpf towboats, who. o owners
have cut wages, nro being sent
today by Thomas Hatley, goni
manager of tho Marine Engine
Benefit ial association.
Healey said that most of
towboats afTccled nre nt sea,
The licensed deck officers
room crews are expected
walkout, Healey said.