Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24
THE KEARNEY OF SOCIALISM
speilsr Of Radical Ism, Reaches the End
o: His Rope
VARlEGATEO CAREER or WALTER VRooMAN
Divorce Proceedings Throws Light
On the Life of n Visionary and
the Financial Losses Of
HIS Dupes.

fact hat the wife of Walter Vrooman,
visionary and socialistic speiler, who ad-
vanced him S125,00 to promote his schemes
has begun proceedings for divorce In the
courts at Trenton, Mo. Kansas City papers
are more liberal in dressing the event, and
give Vrooman's career columns of space
without exhausting the subject. The Star
says:
1t is scarcely a year since Walter Vroo-
man, fresh from England, came to Kansas
City and began spending money so freely
hat IL astonished people who had known
him only a few years before as a rovine
socialist. who made his way from town to
town, lecturing upon dry goods boxes on
street corners. Hounded by the police
everywhere because of his anarchistic talk
this man returned to western Missouri with
seemingly unlimited capital. He bought
lavishly at the town of Trenton, Mo. In
Kansas City he bought stores right and
left. paying thousands upon thousands OF
dollars in cash. At Baltimore avenue and
Eleventh street he had a huge tent with
flags flying and a band playing and a dozen
orators beside himself to talk co-operat tor
to the masses. 1t was his band. and by
day it paraded the streets.
Paid ii Salaries.
He had large Offices in the Century build.
ing, and hired men at fine salaries. He
declared that his mission was to uplift hu
manity and put the world upon a co-opera.
tive basis.
In less than six months he spent $3.50, 600
II was the money of a Baltimore heiress
whom he married. She was a woman with
dreams for the betterment Of humanity
She saw in Vrooman the man whose mis-
sion 1t was to make her dreams come true
She married him, and gave him half her
fortune to put his scheme TO work.
She knows now. she says that Vrooman
was anything but a savior of humanity
that he was commonest clay, wise in the
art of deception. She hates him as We
hemently as once she adored him, and she
must have loved him we'll to have given
him so much money.
It is not because OF the loss of her
money that Mrs. Vrooman is so bitter. II
Is because OF other alleged acts of his
which wronged not only her, but others
For the last week Walter VrooInan has
been In retirement somewhere near wyan-
dotte. His wife, Mrs. Annie Vrooman, and
her brother, William A. Grafiin of Balti.
more, were at the Baltimore hotel in this
city. Walter NORMAN, It is said, out Of
NDASs Dpo6NN AA Nv WOW : = Ott
refused to see him. He will ge no more
money from her. She has yet $5oO.0OO and
her brother is worth 5000. 900, but they arr
done with schemes for uplifting humanity
and they are done with Vrooman.
Has a Glib Tongue.
Vrooman's capital through life has beer
a glib tongue and a real or pretended long.
ing to better humanity. He originated In
Kansas. His father. Hiram p. Vrooman
was the greenback candidate for governor
in 1880. When he was 16 years old Walter
Travelled to New York and back to Sar
Francisco, making his way on freight
AIM He has boosted since that he lived
for a week upon raw wheat.
Upon these trips young vrooman gave
chronological readings and talked social
ism. Arriving in town he would mount 9
box, declare that he was a phrenologisI
and invite some one to come up and have
his head examined. By this means hi
picked up a living. But his real mission
was TO talk socialism, and 1t smacked SC
strongly of anarchy that he was put ir
jail in Ottawa, Parsons and Fl. Scott, Kan
In Kansas City Chief Spears yanked hin
from a box on the market square because
IL Is said, he was preaching anarchy.
Vrooman next began preaching. He wal
pastor Of a Congregational church In Kan
sas City, Kan.
Later he took the stump in Maryland Il
help defeat Senator German. In tina
campaign he met Miss Anne Grain, ar
heiress, a woman of culture and refine
ment. She became infatuated with hin
and married him. Her father had been on,
of the wealthiest men Of Baltimore, who's,
estate had been left to his son William al
trustee. Miss Grafin's share of the in
come was 1880 a month. This entire in
come she gave to her husband for tn,
furtherance of his socialistic and cooper
alive schemes.
After More Money.
He told her, II is said, he must have tn,
principal as we'll as the income, and in
duced her TO go to law to have her brothe,
removed from the trusteeship of the estate
For five years the case was in rourt, ant
Mrs. Vrooman won. She came at once int,
possession Of three quarters of a million
dollars. Walter, Il is said, demanded hal
of 1t. She gave him one third of 1t, ant
with that he came 10 Trenton and Kansa
City and started his Peoples trust. tina
became famous all over the country. I
went TO pieces last fall, but Vroomai
saved all investors in It from financial loss
Before IT wen to the wall he bought Vi
all the stock. His wife was the only loser
Early In January OF this year vrooma-
went to New York to live. There his wifi
learned, she says, OF how he had deceive.
her. She came into possession of letter
that had passed between Vrooman and
person who, II is claimed. had gone TO Ne,
York with him and had returned later 4