The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-16

Friday. June S. 1883, when George Freder-
ieks, proprietor Of the Theatre ComilUe
was slain by the hand of O-th Stein. the
brilliant young newspaper man
1t was all a horrible, pitiful, uunaces-
sary tragedy, which excited variousIy the
anger and the sympathy Of the commune
ty- While II happened only seventeen
years ago, the crime CT Orth Stein is a
story Of ancient days-so quickly does
time fly in Kansas City The young city.
rising to greatness from the bloody tur-
bulence Of the border attracted many re
markabIe characters Kansas City was
fun Of SWashbuckIing fellows. brilliant
but cratic. who did desperate things one
day and challenged admiration the next
They could rot flourish in the Kansas
City Of 1871 They thrive in chaos
OTth Stein was one of those characters
that thrive in chaos He came. mild as a
lamb. and displayed the traits of a tiger.
The tiger in Stein, the brilliant. well born.
intellectual young Indianan Ieaped forth
over c. trivial woman named Matte Hart
lein- There was nothing interesting about
her but sin.
IN those days the Theatre Comique was
a place Of national notoriety. Gamblers.
men of good education and breeding
criminals. adventurous youths far from
home, women fit only for a new mining
camp, were 5UmbIed together in the
search for brutal pleasures in that noto-
riOUs environment Blows and blood were
the height of sport. Fredericks, the muir
dered man. was respected as a good
sport a term Of high commentator in
those davs
Stein came to Kansas City in 1882 and Sc
cured work as reporter for the Star"
under the name OF John Bell. He vas
about twenty-five years old, tall and slen-
der, and Of an intellectual and diStin-
gulShed appearance He quickly made
reputation as an excellent newspaper man
and a young man Of great promise. Eight
months after his arrival in Kansas city
Stein was city editor Of the Star and
the central HSure Of laneEtable crime
The star Of Saturday. June g. the day
after the shooting, said Prom all the
evidence at hand Il appears that Stein and
FredeTiCkS We're infatuated with the same
wOn2an-One of those women whose infiu-
euce over man of the intellect Of Mr-
Stein can scarcely be understood From
all accounts il appears that the TWO men
met in the room OF the woman over the
Theatre Cpmique. FTederiCkS struck her
and made threats at Stein. who en-
and FTedericFs started down the stairs: at
the foot of the stairs the reports Of two
shots were heard and FredericIs met his
death An examination Of Stein $ revolver
shows that he had fired only one shot; as
to where the other shot came from is yet
unexplained
At first STEMS friends tried to believe
:hat he had killed Fredericks in legitimate
self defence, but soon the case looked
black and sinister. Ike grim. cold murder
No heaTtStriug OF innocence was left I'M
wrung by the Wild impulse of the slayer
when he pressed the trigger. The wife Of
Fredericks stood UP for her husband. de
spite that he met death while WTOnEing
her STEMS family tried to save him,
Frederick ) family demanded blood for
bloOd-beth aCtuated by love From La
fayette had come the young mans father
the noted lawyer, John A. Stein, and his
mother. and with bleeding hearts they did
everything that they could do for their
boy. He was snatched from the legal pen
atty Of his deed
The testimony Of the HartIefn woman
was against him. nevertheless by moving
heaven and earth on second trial Stein
was acquitted and left Kansas City.
Stein was one of the most contradictory
characters ever known in Kansas City
His mother asked a man who knew him
well in Kansas City If. In his opinion
Orth was 81 man of education
4 should say he Is highly educated. -
was the reply.
"OFth never had any educational adj
v5tntaGes in his life, said his mother.
He never stayed at a school never
studied. and his apparent knowledge is
amazing to Us
STEMS standards Of morality were of a
high order. but he applied them to the
other fellow With regard to himself he
seemed to possess no scrupIes whatever.
Touched to the soul by the devotion of
his parents. he treated them with cruel
disregard in his subsequent career Filled
with lofty sentiments he committed dis
honorable acts which possessed not even