The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-28
she SAYS 'NO,SIR.'
Della Stacey Refuses to Return
Senator Poole's Ring.
Prima Donna of ssThe Beauty
Doctor - Is Defiant.
ENGAGEMENT BROKEN.
She Had Promised to Wed the
Aged Politician.
Changed Her Mind and He
Wanted Presents Returned.

worthy of comment.
That is what took place in the history
of Della Stacey, prima donna of THE
Beauty Doctor at the Grand this week
No breach of promise suit has been filed
yet, though there is still time for that;
the case so far has merely reached the
state where the man demands the return
of his diamond ring and the payment
back Of certain funds which. he declares,
the lady secured on notes, which he
afterwards took up.
OF course, being a spirited and high
minded young woman, Miss Stacey re-
fuses to return the diamonds, ana she
also denies the claim that she eyer OBJ
tanned a cent from the man, but says
that she has paid the notes aforesaid
and has them in her possession, duly
cancelled, to show for it. The fact that
the man is a state senator doesn't worry
her at all.
the meshes of the law yesterday when a
man who said he was an attorney rep
resenting another attorney, whose name
he said was TillotSOn, called at her room
in the Midland, with typewriter doc
ument which he thereupon thrust at her.
Miss Stacey was entertaining a little
group of friends when the interruption
came, but she followed the man out
into the hall and asked him to read the
paper, she with rare legal acumen re-
fusing to receive it. The man duly read
1t, and she thus learned that 1t was a
formal demand from her former fiance,
Senator J. H. Poole. of Denver, for the
return of one diamond cluster ring, CIV
en- her as a pledge of their now frac-
tured engagement, also for the payment
forthwith of 5000, which. the paper sta
ted, represented the principal sum of
four notes for $50 apiece. which he, the
senator aforesaid, had paid for her. she
having borrowed the funds thereon
when she was hard up last summer.
Miss Stacey, who is the typical. tall.
statuesque blond" that figures in the
melodrama, turned a Scornfui face on
the man, and told him she had nothing
to say Then she declared that the SEN
ator had given her the ring, as gift
and not as a loan. and that she intend
ed to keep it in memoriam. at his re-
quest, of happy days that We're Fur
, thermore, she said that she had paid
those notes herself, and that she had
the cancelled documents to show for IT
The man threa tened and caioled. but
Miss Stacey was firm. Finally, there
were threats of attachment and various
other sorts of suits. and Miss Stacey
began to see herself tied up in the
courts instead of figuring as beauty
doctor nightly and at matinees in va
rious towns other than kansas city.
So she compromised by asking the man
to call this afternoon, saying that she
would in the meantime consult Fred
Wright, the company manager, as to
what she should do. This she did. and
| Mr. Wright after hearing her state
ment, told her to stick to her nerve.
and stay it out, promising to see her
through.
/ In her dressing room at the Grand
last night Miss Stacey laughed when
the matter was brought up. She is a
very pretty woman. in her early TWEEN
ties. whose ideas of the stern realities
of life are not very ponderous. so she
thought it a Joke.
10 nothing m the claim " said
she cit is true that I was engaged to
the senator. He is over 60-about three
times my age-and l have known him
/ for some years. We became engaged
last snrine and the engagement tasted
| till about the time of my seasons open
| ing this fall. He went east TO see me,
and visited my mother and me at At
| lantic City and everyone knew that we
were engaged. There was no secret
about it. AS he had known my family
for several years, no one thought any
thing of it.
but he went into the law book busi-
ness in Chicago, and wanted me to give
UP the stage and help him. He is a
Methodist, and has rather strict ideas,
and he didn't like my stage aspirations.
had no desire to be book agent, and
told him so. We had a little quarrel,
and parted, early in the fall. And I sent
back all his gifts, which included Jew
els trinketS and the like, except the
cluster diamond engagement ring. This
saying that 1 should have it till did
marry, anyhow. And am / still single
| oh, yes; there hasn't been time for any
thing else since the breakup; it was too
recent.
LAS for the notes, it is true that I did
borrow 5000 last summer; neeGed the
money. But he did not sign the notes,
nor did he pay them. Yes. his influence
helped me to get the money on them,
but that did not make him responsible
for them or their payment in any way.
took them up. and have them, duly
Cancelled and paid, in my room now"
.Will there be a breach of promise
case?"
Not unless he brings it You see, ]
broke the engagement" said Miss stacey
with somewhat sad smile. My friends
say that l ought to sue him for wound
ed affections, but that bars me-
WAS the order for the ring properly
signed?"
"Oh, yes; the signature was his al
right. But do not think he has any
right to the ring, and shall not give i
up
The second act in this little drama
of stage and political life will be played
this afternoon, when the attorney re
turns with the order for the ring Othel
acts may come, too, before the nnat cur
tain.
| A special dispatch from Denver says
Senator J. H. Poole has shaken the dus
of Denver from his feet for good ant
at the same time the question Is dSkeu
Has he also shaken his engagement
with Della Stacey?' The announcement
that Senator Poole has left Denver fol
good comes as a surprise to many OF hi'
: friends and acquaintances-
! TT was stated by his relatives las
night that he would never return tt
Denver. but that he is now in New
york city. His friends in this city know
: nothing of the difficulty with Della Sta
cey, the actress.