The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-24
MONEY VS..
MORALS.
Good People of an Illinois Town
Are ScandaIized
At the Course of Millionaire
Crane and Mrs. Stiles.
BOTH ARE DIVORCES.
Prohibited by State Law From
Marrying Again.
They Brave Pnblic Sentiment
and Capture a Big Part of 1t.

Chicago, Jan. 24.-The social life of
st. Charles, a suburb town, is sadly
disturbed over a new chapter in the
famous Crane-Stiles suit which has
Kept Chicago society astir for four
years and a fractional fight upon inter
esting lines has been developed.
Herbert P. Crane, millionaire, the son
OF the elevator manufacturer, was the
correspondent in the suit for divorce
Drought by Everett D. Stiles against
MS wife. Later Mrs. Crane brought a
Sult Tor divorce from her husband. He
blamed his mother-in-law who lived
with him and his beautiful wife and
their four children, and said he and his
WlIe had no sympathies in common.
All We're very well known in the fash
lonable and wealthy set of Chicago.
Mrs Stiles is the daughter of the
president of the Vanderpoel Electric
Light company and is a brilliant wo-
man of thirty
In her husbands divorce s1lit Mrs
stiles testified that Mr.. Crane had paid
some of her bills, but could not say
that he had spent $50, 900 on her in two
years She also admitted sending pO-
etc descriptions of her feelings to him.
Before the suits were decided Mrs
Stiles and Crane lived together in Chi
cagO and afterWard moved to St.
charles: Lavish splendor, entertain
ments for the town and large gifts of
money to local charities marked their
life in the suburb. Mrs. Crane finally
obtained a divorce from her husband
and Stiles obtained a divorce from his
wife. Under the provisions of the law
Crane and Mrs. Stiles were prohibited
from marrying again
The cases were appealed, and Crane
and Mrs. Stiles continued their life at
st. Charles. Two weeks ago a decision
of the supreme court was handed down,
stamping their conduct as immoral.
They have been, however the most
sk.,1
the town, and apart from living to-
gether, have been irreprOachable.
Crane began campaign for the IA
vor and Endorsement of his neighbOrS.
He started a petition for their approval
of himself and Mrs. Stiles as "desir-
able members of society" Mayor Ben
nett, the aldermen and more than half
of the voters signed the petition which
read in part:
I'VE are surprised at and regret the
recent action taken by the supreme
court of Illinois. Having found you
good neighbOrs and desirable towns
people, we request that you remain
with US, and it is we'll known that the
prosecution against you was instigated
by Chicago influence and was never in
dorsed or approved by the people of
St. Charles
The petition was regarded by church
members as a direct challenge to them,
and counter petitions were started
Mrs. BrainerS Wheeler, wife of the
the local branch of the w. G. Z. U.,tOOk
up the play for social purity and now
the town is in the thrOes of a social
war. The petition of the w. 9. T. U.
protests against the Crane petition as
AN assault upon the integrity of the
courts and of the state" and declares
it's effect will be to endanger the rep
utatiOn of our city for morality and
decency and we cannot let the idea go
unchallenged that St. Charles publicly
indorses violations of our most sacred
laws for the UNFOLDING of morality and
impeacheS the judgment of our courts.
Until the appearance of the Stiles
Crane petition there had been tac1t
agreement, even among ministers, to
give no attention to the case. Now the
Rev. DR.. George H Smith, OF the Con-
gregational church. is leading the fight
for the ministerial wing. In a sermon
he called the pair shameless, said they
were not wanted in st Charles ana
scored the SignerS of the Crane-StileS
petition so savagely that several with
drew their names.
Women and mothers of families have
taken up the fight against Crane and
Mrs. Stiles, and Mrs. Wheeler says on
four copies of their petition they have
upward of two hundred signatures, but
the leading officials and citizens are on
the other side
The battle light played in the Rev. DR..
Smiths eyes when he told why the
Crane petition was shameful He SAID:
If l thought that it expressed the
real sentiment of ST. Charles l would
be ashamed of the town. The example
of the Cranes has had bad effect on
our community; children are blinded by
their show of wealth and their fine
eouipages and morality gets a setback
bv their success. All the good people of
St Charles are with US in this hght'
and we shall not rest until the pair IS
forced to leave town
From present signs the battle is like
" to continue for some time.
Comes Back Lawyer.