The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-12
SOCIETY WOMEN
As KIDNAPPERS
Awful Battle Is On, with Eliza
beth Dougherty the Casus
Belli.
New York Sun Special Service.

Philadelphia, Nov. IN othing less
than The Hague court Of arbitration
will bring peace to- the warning house,
holds of A. j. Drexel Biddler and w.
Hinckle Smith, according to the So
ciety view of the. present awful bat
tie that is raging over Elizabeth
R n9sghRaTdty n assa first Ms a by
now by the Biddles. Both families
give out their story.
The latest news is that Mrs. Biddle
still holds the disputed maid, but is
being outfanked by a force of society
women who are fighting desperately
for fear their maids may be taken.
Mrs. Smith, declares that not long
ago Mrs. Biddle made similar raid
and secured cook from another fash
This has! added to the apprehension
According to Mrs. Smith, until last
Monday she had maid by whom she
set GREAT store. OnesFday last week
Ethe Smiths telephone, rang and Mrs.
| Smit asked if the maid could
come to the phone. Mrs. Biddle, it is
claimed, made telephone call and
asked the girl if she would not leave
Mrs. Smith and come to her. The
maid agreed to leave.
| Inc Glrl Rema1n6u.
Mrs. Smith, however, offered counter
inducements. Then the girl agreed to
remain for time.
"A little later. in the afternoon Mrs.
Biddle telephoned again. Mrs. Smith
answered the call, and the electricity
on the wire for time took a back
seat at the sight of the sparks that
flew between Bryn Mawr and Phila'
delphia Mrs: Smith asked Mrs. Bid
| die if the latter realized what she was
doing in tempting the girl to leave her
place and explained she, could not let
/ the girl leave at once. -
Z. Mrs, Biddle replied that she wanted
the girl at once, and that was al!
there was about it. ~ -.
Mrs. Biddle finally induced the maid
to visit her that evening, and the CIR
told Mrs. Smith that she had beer
urged to remain Mrs. Smith told the
story of the earlier events of the strug
gle for the maid as foregoing, ane
continued:
"All this simply was outrageous, an6
I told Mrs. Biddle SO in the plaines1
kind of words. Some months before
Mrs. Biddle had enticed a cook away
from dear friend of mine, and
thought it was time a stop was put
to such occurrences.
r. Wrote Warm Letter.
I ''I wrote MI. Biddle letter-a pref
:: Ety warm letter. s The first thing he die
was to call me up by telephone ant
tell me he had placed the letter in thu
hands Of an attorney.
81 just laughed. Well, I. though
the matter was going to rest for ;
while, but that afternoon, while I wa
giving bridge whist party to a mum
Der of woman friends, the Drexel Bid
| dies drove up and took the maid ava.
with them. It was pretty exciting, an
of course all my friends wished t
< know what was the trouble, and
: told them.
"For my part it is not so muc
= the incident itself, as the arrogan
manner. in which the capture of tn
/ maid Was; carried thru that made m
=. ~kzThere should be a law against sue
r stirring up of discomfort. In Franc
J. and Germany, Mrs. Biddle could nc
have done such thing.' -"
Mrs. Biddle laughed at the allege
kidnapping. tsShe said: "That mai
q had worked, for ! me for seven year
let her go for a time while wa
: to come with me-. ~
to come to me-. = - :>&