The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-14
TOWN TOPICS BOOK, $4,000.
SuBSCRIPTIONS FOR 100 COPIES
AND no HOOK our YET.
Op.ratio ns Began Two Years AEO-As 10
"Anhericas Smart Set" for o. 900
You Get Your Name Printed In Every
Chaptcr--AhIe Thinks Of Telling All.

Chapter-Ahle thinks o. Teling ALI
yomore OF the we'll known persons who
have subscribed $500 for Americas Smart
Set we're found by the subpoena servers
from the District Attorneys office yesterday.
Ttey are pretty unanimously out OF town,
hut Assistant District Attorney Krotel
hos been asked to send picture OF Charles
UAhle the solicitor for the Society Editors
association who Is charged with attempting
to blackmail Edwin M. Post out OF $500,
,oa well known musician who IL travelling
in the West. A friend Of tho musician
,cldMr Krotel that he thought the musician
had met Able. If Able is the man the musi-
clan is willing to return to this city and as
.i,t in his prosecution.
# turns out that NJ. E. Wooster, manager
If he Society Editors Association. Is the man
who suggested the idea Of getting out -Fads
and Fances," biographical work, which
Torn Topics has contracted to publish
Wooster. Charles Stokes Wayne and W. L.
Daniels were taken to the District At
toyney's Office yesterday under subpoena
and examined by Mr.. Krotel. Wooster's
story OF his connection with the production
Of Fads and Fanciesr-which, by the way,
hasnt left the printers hands, although It
was subscribed for two years ago-interested
Mr. Krotel very much.
Wooster said that he was a solicitor for
subscribers for Fads and Fanciee.' Under
the agreement he was to get 90 per
cent. OF a II subscriptions. after the expenses
had been paid. The other 80 per cent. was
to be split up in thirds between Col. William
D. Mann, Justice Joseph M. Deuel. and
II nd I,atfco no,tAl
are directors in the company that publishes
Tom Topics.
Each subscriber for 'Fads and Fancies'
put up $500, Wooster says that when the
subscription list was closed about year
ago there had been about 1CQ subscribers.
which meant $4,000. Daniels, who Is
treasurer Of the Society Editors and score
tary and treasurer Of Toun Topics. oorrobo-
rated Wooster's statement about the work.
ing agreement on -Fads and Fancies,' but
he couldn't tell exactly why the book hasn't
appeared. Neither could Wooster. He quit
the thing about year ago and started the
Society Editors Associa ton. Justice Deuel.
in talk with Assistant District Attorney
Krote yesterday said:
when the subject OF getting out 'Fads
and Fancias' was preached. was in favor OF
getting out the finest thing In the printers
art. II was to show tho advance in the
printers art in the twentieth century.
Each subscriber was to select the hide
that his book was to be bound in. Hides
were imported from all over the world. and
in some cases out OF hundred hides In
spected only one was selected. There were
to he limited number Of copies Of the book.
- Or. ho -
been turned out, few extra copies for the
Congressional Library were to be run of
and then the plates were to he destroyed.
I don't exactly know why the book has not
been printed. as the subscription list was
closed some time ago.
About year ago Col. Mann heard that
some Of the overzealous solicitors for tho
book were using the name Of To,rn Topics
ss an argument for the sale Of the book.
Col. Mann wanted the book to stand on its
own merits and It was then decided that
Torn Topics would never again issue any
such book. Then Woostar conceived the
iGea that he would start book Of his own
called Americas Smart Set,' and decided
that 1t should have nothing to do with
Topn Topics.
Wooster told Mr.. Krotel that he organized
the Society Editors Association and the
only other person who had any interest
was Charles Stokes Wayne. He Ia the
editor in chief and managing editor OF To,cn
Topics. The Society Editors Association
was never Incorporated. nor was any state-
ment filed with the County Clerk telling the
nature Of the associations business.
1T was In the early part Of 1904
t11l ~
the association. went to Col Mann OF
Toun Topics, but he wouldn't have any
thing to do with It.. Then took Wayne in.
At first I got subscriptions myself. got
ten or twenty in Newport. Then 1 hired
two other men. A man We had In Chicago
was fired because he tried to blackmail
some one. In all we have collected go 900.
Mr. Wayne got 10 per cent. Of the profit
and got the rest. None Of the money
ever went to any one in the management
OF Torn Topics. don't know that Able
ever got as high as u 800 for an edition,
hut he was authorized to 60 as high as
$1,000. He got several Of those. That was
in the case OF a person who wanted to be
mentioned in every chapter Of the book
the edition calls for twenty chapters.
don't know how much was paid for the
first chapter. which il out. but you can $50
our books and accounts or anything you
want. At first Able got rs per cent. on
Subscriptions, then he got 80, and at the
end, when business wasn't so good. he got
10 per cent"
Daniels said that when Col. Mann de-
cllned to go into Wayne's scheme he took
hup, He was then secretary and treasurer
OF To'H Topics, and he thought Il was q
good thing. He had equal power with
'oi' Mann and Justice Deuel., he said. and
he did what he pleased. He put up 81, 900
with the understanding that ne was to get
bonus Of $500. He got his 81 900 back,
he said, and the bonus, except $500. He
was to be paid on the iirst contracts -and
when get my $500 I'm through" he said.
Wayne said that his income from the
editors was about S28 week w. l.. Allen,
who wrote the first chapter on Society in
New York. sent to Wayne for his manu-
script yesterday and got 1t back. He said
he didn't want to have anything to do with
the &c heme
Some OF Ahle's friends said yesterday