Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-17

Il
| Wife Sure She Has Been Cheated
Ladies' High I'm Society Who Specu-
| late.
| From the New York Times. 18th
When Warren Even reached the Office OF
Even Brothers. on the fourth floor OF the build
ing at Nos. 81 and SS Broad street little before
10 o'clock yesterday morning he found await
ing him young and rather stout lady in per
| turbed state of mind She was Mrs. C. A. Stete-
feldt. wife of the professor of mneralogy In the
| smithsonian Institution. at Washington, and
| she had come to demand the settlement of
| speculative account which she claimed to have
| with the firm. She had read In New York
newspaper an account Of the charges recently
made against the Even Brothers on the cotton
exchange relative to the alleged irregular trans
actions in the case of Mrs. Laura Hough. Of
west 18th street, and her desire for a settlement
with the firm was stimulated thereby.
Without waiting for polite formalities Mrs
Stetefeidt biuntly stated the object of her mis-
sion on the instant that she caught sight of Mr.
| EVEN Il want my money" said she and 1
| want 1t right away" There were several per-
sons in the office at the time and their interest
was aroused by the angry voice and determined
4 demeanor OF the lady. Mr.. Even informed Mrs
Stetefeitlt that the firm owed her nothing. but
| she insisted that about So 600 was due her and
said that she proposed to have the money. After
| exchanging a few words with her Mr. Even
walked away. but she followed him and up
| braided him for not giving her what was due her
She talked so loudly and created such a sensa-
| ton tn6t she was request ed to leave the office
which she refused to do. Mr. Even sent for
policeman and told him to eject the irate woman
but the policeman concluded to take no part in
| the controversy. The presence or the officer
| however. had subduing effect on Mrs. Stete-
fedt. and she left the Office after excaiming: II
shall have my rights. and am going to engage
either Roscoe Conklng or Gen. Roger A. Pryor
as my counsel. 1 am southern lady, and YOU
| cotton peddlers are no gentlemen"
| From the brokers' ONCE Mrs. Stetefeldt went
| directly to the cotton exchange and told her
story to some OF the members Of the supervisory
| committee. To substantate her statements she
| displayed bundle of letters of which one of
the members OF the committee subsequently,
| said: IF those letters could be published they
| would make mighty interesting reading" She
| stated that during the past two or three wears a
number OF ladies occupying high social posi-
| lions In Washington had invested various sums
of money in blind cotton pools with Even
| Brothers She declared that she was induced
| to invest some money with that firm by the
| tempting representations made to her by per-
son connected with the firm whom she had met
socially. Her ears had been tickled with stories
| of fabulous profits. and she not only opened an
account for herself, but she got four or five of
| her lady friends to put money into the pools
| also. One of the ladies who was thus
tempted into speculation is widow with five
children, who now sorely feels the loss of her
money. Mrs. Stetetedt said she understood
| that the Even Brothers had agents in Washing
ton who had coaxed the wives OF Senators and
representatives to put their savings and their
pm money into blind pools in cotton. One Of
| the Washington agents of the speculative firm
was Clerk in government office, and he is
SAID to have drummed up several customers
among his fellow clerks, getting them to put In
$50 or 800 each.
According to Mrs. stetefeldt the modus oper-
anoi OF the firm was to pay fair profits on most
| OF these pool investments for the first month
| or TWO. and then cease to render any account
whatever. In the cases of very influential per-
| sons. however, the firm would generally close
out the accounts with handsome profits.
| Where the accounts were not closed occasional
| appeals tor additional advances would be made
| by the firm. Mrs. Stetefeldt said that her claim
not only included money due her. but small
| sums which some of her friends had placed I'm
the nrms hands upon her advice. She admitted
| that she mad received some profits, but alleged
| that she could not get an accounting from the
| firm. The officers of the cotton exchange ad-
| Vlsed the lady to consult lawyer. and she went
at once to the office of Roger A. Pryor.
Mr.. Pryor said last evening: "a It is true that
| have been asked by lady to begin proceedings
against Even Brothers at once to recover about
| 5000. have confidence In the lady's state
| ments, and know her 70 be of excellent social
standing. Her case is complicated, but think
| 1t strong one against the firm make It q
rule not to begin lawsuit for a lady in hurry.
however. and l advised her to think the matter
over and come and see me Monday" Mr.. Pryor
was not aware that the reporter knew the name
OF the lady, aud he declined to give it, Mrs.
Stetefedt. it was learned, Is q member OF the
family of John Randolph, of Virginia.
Mr.. Warren Even explained the case Of Mrs.
Stetefeldt with seeming frankness late yesterday
| afternoon. He displayed the firms ledger to
prove his assertion that the account under which
! the lady made her demands had been closed ON
March 18th last. young man named LYMAN
| employed by Even Brothers. stated that he met
Mrs. Stetefeldt on a steamer while returning
| from Panama about three years ago. He talked
with her about the chances Of making money in
| speculation. and she became very much inter-
| ested in the subject.
Soon after her return home Mrs Stetefeldt
sent 5000 to the firm with which to open
| speculative account. Subsequently, she added
other sums aggregatng about 90 600. For a
while the firm sent her handsome profits, and
everything was as lovely as summers day. 1t
was at this time that communications were in
terchanged between the lady and the firm and
Mr. Even said yesterday that he had a letter
| from Mrs. Stetefeldt completely generating his
frm from any irregular dealings with her. He
also said that so long as the dividends were sent
to Mrs Stetefeldt her letters We're couched i'm
the most friendly terms. On Dec. i. 1888 as IL ap-
pears from the ledger. the lady had her account
tFanSierTeu 10 neT nuSDanQ, ana last March the
account was closed by direction Of Prof Stete-
feldt. The members of the firm OF Even Broth
ers insist that they gave Mrs. Stetefeldt So 500
In profits, and also allowed her to draw out.
from time to time. nearly the entire amount of
her original investment.
Abiding to the closing Of the account by or
der OF Prof. Stetefeldt. Mr.. Even said that when
Mrs. Stetefeldt found out what her husband had
done she was very angry. The couple were
then staying at Wizards hotel, in Washington
and they had a very breezy quarrel over the
matter Mr.. Even stated that he received a
letter from Mr.. Stetefedt telling about the
quarrel, and asking the firm to pay no attention
to his wife's demands should she make any.
According to Mr.. Even, the professor stated Ia
his letter that he suspected that a female friend
of his wife's had listened at the keyhole when
the dispute at Wizards occurred. Mrs Stete-
fedt is about SO years old, and her husbands
age Is SO or more Early last Thursday morning
postal card was received at the office of Even
Brothers 1t had apparently been written on
the previous evening (the night before the ac-
count of the trial OF Even Brothers by the cot
ton exchange committee was published), and
upon it was written:
You see by the papers that have not been idle.
You know my family motto Is, ''We bide our time"
MRS. STETEFELDT.
Mr.. Even intimated that the lady had induced
some OF her friends In the cotton exchange to
make trouble tor his firm.
The story of another pool transaction with
Even Brothers was told yesterday by promi-
nent member OF the cotton exchange. He said