The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-02
ROBBED OF HER $4,000
VERDICT IN FAVOR OF MRS. FIONE
VAN SCHAACK SET ASIDE.
Wife of ChicaGOan Who sued Her
ating Her Husbands Affections.

NEW YORK, Dec. Upon the appl1ca-
ton of lawyer representing the defend
ant, Judge Smith. of the Supreme Court.
Brooklyn, to-day SET aside the verdict of
s65 900 recently given Mrs. Fione Van
Schaak by a sheriffs jury in the unde
Tended action brought by her against her
father-in-law, Peter Van Schaak for the
alienation of her husbands affections The
application was made on the ground that
the verdict was excessive and that the
sheriff had no jurisdiction in the case. Mrs.
Van Schaal1s lawyer consented to the dis
missal, as he had already instituted two
suits in Chicago against the defendant. one
for criminal libel and the other for aliena-
ton of affection each for $4,000.
Peter Van Schaak is the head of the larg-
est wholesale drug house in Chicago. He
is said to be many times millionaire. and
is president of the Holland Society of that
city. His son, John c. Van Schaak. is well
known throughout the West and in Chicago.
and was called Handsome Johnny At
present he is i'll in hospital in Baltimore.
Sheriff Buttling presided at the trial at
which the jury awarded Fione $4,000. Mrs.
Van Schaak was the chief witness. She
testified to her marriage and produced let
tiers showing that her father-in-law had
made repeated attempts to persuade his son
to leave her. Among these were documents
showing that she had been offered by the
elder Van Schaak the sum of s.. 900 on the
slnStallment plan to agree to a divorce.
John Van Schaak and Fione Palmer met
In Florida in 1888. st that time Mrs. Van
Schaak was sixteen years of age and John
Van Schaak was engaged to marry Chi
cago woman Of great wealth and high social
position The breaking off OF the engage
nd Nlnf f1,rx f%al1fr
graces of the youthful Ffone estranged him
from his father and the rest of his family.
The couple after marriage lived in Chi
cago for a while and were we'll known
there. The Van Schaak set utterly ignored
them. A child, a boy was born to them
IN 1880. Mrs. Van Schaak went to Europe
In 1888 and was entertained and chaperoned
by royalty in Paris and London. She as
serts, and produced letters to prove it, that
her husband paid her bills for this trip.
one letter from him says that he was look
ing forward to the happy time when you
VIII turn your pretty little nose toward
1895, says:
my Dear Darling Wife-Don't worry
about that gossip any further. love you
and trust you. Do anything you please
snap your little fingers at the whole pack
OF them and have a good time Your de-
Mrs. Van Setback eventually reached
t nome. only to find that her husband was
N mn, financial difficulties. They lived in New
YORK, where her husband secured employ
m n as manager of one of Hudnut's
eHer anS ost his e nos6g ILL., hSw
Setback, who had acted in amateur per-
formances and had been told by her friends
that she was a good actress, went on the
stage to support her husband and baby.
She played an engagement with Milton
MOBILES and was connected with other the
atrcai companies. While she was weeping
in melodrama John was hustling for job,
and he secured one. In March, 1897, he went
away on a trip and failed to return.
Previous to this there had been domestic
dlft1cultieS, and at one time their little boy
had been kidnapped, supposedly by ennis
saries of Peter Van Setback. At the time
in private school in Westchester county.
New York. He was taken away from this
institution by the father last summer, but
Mrs. Van Setback recovered him.
1t was the letters of her husband that
won Mrs. Van Schaack's case. the verdict
of which has just been set aside She had
produced in court and identified by Mrs.
Van Setback was one written by her hus-
band to his sister, Mrs. Jennie Simmons, in
1882. In this letter he referred to certain
slanderous statements which had been cir
culated in Chicago concerning his wife, and
declared his belief in her innocence. Con-
corning an anonymous letter he had re-
ceived, making charges against his wife, he
said: The man who wrote 1t must have
devils hoof and towards heart" Other
letters were produced showing that John
regarded her as his sweetheart" his "dar-
ling" his baby mine" and other sweet
possessions for a great many years.
Last summer John went home and had
talk with his father The elder Van
Setback succeeded in gaining from John
promise that he would leave his wife and
again John fell to writing letters. He in
simulated that his father was willing to pay
as much $1,000 if Rione would agree to
a divorce and give up the child. If Mrs.
Van Setback ever gets the money she is
after the stage will lose her. 1t is said to
be her intention to star in a society drama
81 l,n,s lf
this city stands ready to put the drama on
and guarantee that it will be success. He
figures on playing a long and profitable
season in Chicago, whether he does any
thing on the rest of the circuit or not.