The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-17
SNAKE IN THE GRASS.
Infamous Attempt to Besmirch
the Character of Young
Vanderbilt.

New York. Feb. 1.-THE Journal pub
fishes the following:
No mans character is further above
reproach In the eyes of the world than
that of Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr,
and no woman's fame has been fairer
than that of his wife, who was Miss
Grace Wilson. And, yet, some serpent,
gliding secretly and silently in the
slime of social SANDER, has raised it's
VenomOus head to strike at the good
repute and happiness and life of these
two people, whose only offense is that
they dared to love and wed without a
fathers consent.
For weeks the Undercurrent of social
gossip in the bOudOir, the club and the
cafe has swellled with discussion of Mr..
and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. IN
til it has overswept its natural banks
and flooded the town. But, worse than
this, the same deVilSh agency has en-
listed the service of that product of deep
est lnfamy-the anonymous letter writer
Persistently, but always under cover,
this despicable creature has carried on
a systematic persecution of young Cor
nelius Vanderbilt and his wife that had
never been eQualed in the social history
of New York. 1t began before they
were married last August and it has
kept up ever since, and, as the days
have grown, its cruelty, indecency and
scurrility have increased.
1t sought to undermine the young
mans faith in his sweetheart by tradu-
cling her character, and, failing nthis,
it has striVen to weaken mis- faith in her
since she became his wife. 1t was to
escape this viper that the couple hurried
to Europe Immediately after their mar
riage last year.
Then, after their return, about 10
weeks ago, q little whisper was started
in a certain club on Fifth avenue, and
the next day society was in fubbub.
Clear minded, honest men denounced
it as lie and an outrage, but for every
denunciation there was a repetition OF
the story accompanied by alleged data
by cunning, adrOit and artful reasoning
to show that the allegation was fact
and falsehood was true.
A lie has been invented to meet all the
demands of the case 1t offered a rea-
son for the opposition of Cornelius Van
derbilt ST., to the marriage of his son
with Miss Wilson 1t was made to
count for the elder Vanderbilt collapse
from paralysis after an interview with
his son and nameSak Ike prior to the mar
riage 1t furnished an explanation for
the seeming lack of pride of the Will
sons in permitting their daughter to
marry into a family that had disclosed
such uncompromising anita gonism to
the union 1t fortified itself in the I'M
usual circumstances of that quiet mar
riage in August, where only the imme-
date family of the bride and none of
the kin of the bridegroom was present
1t accounted for the absence of the
young couple abroad and their publish
ed purpose to remain there. 1t was the
most ingenious and devilish SANDER. in
short, that was ever sent the round of
rumor to ruin the lives of two inOffen-
sive, and, as must be believed, innocent
people.
The only clew to the indentity of the
person responsible for this ceaselesS
gossip is found in the fact that he near
ly always used the stationery of the
Knickerbocker club in writing his an
onymous communications. The note
peaper bears the insingnia of this swell
club, and the envelopes are fastened
with wax and stamped with the club
seal The handwriting, the VOca bulary,
the phraseolOgy and especially the liter
airy style of the printed slips show that
the prosecutor is a man of education,
ability and resources. He has same con-
nection, legitimate or otherwise, with
the knicherbocxer club. and apparently
also with the Metropolitan club.
The story of the courtship and mar
riage of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., and
Grace Wilson was unusually open and
above board. There was nothing secret
about it. There was no need for Sc
crecy. Everything was perfectly open
to the inspection of anyone who cared
to pry into the affairs of the lovers.
Cornelius, Jr., had just come out of
Yale, whence ne was graduated in the
class of '95. and was spending the sum
men a [ Newport with his father, as was
his custom He knew Miss Wilson
Their lives had run in parallel lines. and
among identical surroundings. She was
older than he by two and half or three
years. according to the family records
It has been stated that she was his
senior by anywhere from five to ten
years. but this is not true. She was
young, beautiful and accomplished. She
has been thoroughly well bred careful
ly reared and educated, without regard
to expense. Her whole life had been
spent in the atmosphere of home. She
was a typical American girl in every
sense of the word. and not even a
breath of scandal had ever furnished
her fair name.
The Vanderbilt family interdicted the
marriage on the ground of the discrep-
ancy in the ages of the contracting par
ties, but the courtShip continued. and
when Miss Wilson accompanied her
parents to Europe Cornelius Vanderbilt
Jr.. followed. The young people were
much together at this time. and the
lover accompanied the Wilson's and Mr..
and Mrs. Ogden Goelet on a trip up the
Nile.
The boy remained true to his love,and
chose to be faithful to his VOW rather
than obedient to his father, and it was
in the course of an interview with his
father, when the younger mans pur-
pose was made plain, that Cornelius
Vanderbilt Sr., toppled over, a victim
of paralysis.
Society has championed the cause of
the young people, and at the Bradley
Martin ball. few evenings ago. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Jr.. and his bride re-
ceived as ovation which was quite as
marked as the homage paid to the hos
tess.
t.