The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-25
REGIINS BARROOM PAINTINGS
HOFFMAN HOUSE WINS From
crosse BARKLEY STOKES"

"ROSE BARkLEY STOKES"
Woman VINE Processes 20 he stOlesS widow
Ordered 90 Give Up "Faust'a Dream"
and Loves surprise" COmstoek
Once Ordered the Dream Removed.
The wanderings Of that large and some
what daring painting Of female forms
undraped, entitled "Faust's Dream since
| II hung on the walls Of the old Hoffman
| House barroom back in the sos, were told
before Justice Leventritt In Special Term,
Part w., Of the Supreme Court yesterday.
It's history came out In an action brought
by the Hoffman House, a corporation, 10
determine It's ownership and also the owner
ship Of another painting entitled Loves
Surprise It's companion on It's travels.
Claiming the two pictures as her prop
erty appeared Rose l.. Barley, young
woman Of we'll rounded form, with dark
hair and eyes, who testified In court that
she was the widow Of Z. 8. Stokes. She
said Mr.. Stokes had given her the two
paintings in return for money she had
lent him.
The paintings now reposs In the Hon-
man House cellar. They we're replevined
by the company just after Stokes's death,
and after Miss Barley, or Mrs. Stokes,
as she calls herself. had put them among
other effects in a storage warehouse. The
company gave a bond Of $50 600 pending
the action brought to determine owner
ship.
For the benefit Of the newer generation
Of New Workers the painting may be de-
soribed as a large collection Of nude females
In many different attitudes lowering over
the recumbent Faust, beside whom is Meph-
istopheles.
Cassius NJ. Reed, gray haired and rsverent
looking, told how the two paintings had
been purchased. Preliminary to that he
gave the history OF the Hoffman House and
corrected the idea that II had been named
for Gov. Hoffman. He said II had been
named for an oldtime friend Of his. Hoffman
an old New Yorker. He said that in 1887,
after Stokes had become his partner in the
hotel enterprise, they decided 10 spend
some money on decorations and went 70 q
picture auction, whore "Faust's Dream
was exhibited. Stokes saw the possibilities
and bought the picture, along with several
others.
Then one day. as Mr.. Reed testified,
Anthony ComstOck had a peek and told
Mr.. Stokes that he must take 1t down.
Mr.. Stokes didn't see i that way and there
was a long argument and much vtrtuous
indignation expressed. The storm be
came so severe that Mr.. Stokes had TO bow
TO the inevitable and the nude females
retired TO the shadows Of Mr., Stokess
apartments in the old Worth House, since
torn down 10 make room for the addition
10 the old hotel. Along with Il Mr.. Stokes
took Loves Surprise q smaller painting
less inclined 20 shock.
The wanderings Of the pictures after
this came out when Miss Barley took the
stand. She wore dark walking skirt,
with a white silk waist and black hat and
sable furs. She said she was 20 years old.
She gave her name as RosamuDd Ella
Barley Stokes, though she had signed
the papers as Rose Barley. She IL living
at present at the Carleton Hotel. She
said she first saw the paintings in Mr..
Stokes's room In the Worth House.
How did you happen TO go theref' asked
Lawyer Wray.
witness, who testified that this was in 1889.
"You were only IS years old at that time,
weren't your" Miss Barley admitted that
this was correct. She said that later she
went to the Worth house TO live. That
was In 1892 when Stokes sailed for Europe.
Miss Barley said that afterward Stokes
had house in Twenty-fourth street. She
lived few doors away. Stokes had the
pictures In this house Afterward he
moved them back 10 his rooms in the HOff-
man House.
A few years before Stokes died il was
testified, Stokes moved to a house at zoe
West Seventy-ninth street. He took the
pictures with him and hung them in his
bedroom Miss Barley also lived in the
house. She said she occupied the whole
house and 80 did Mr.. Stokes.
Several witnesses for the Hoffman House
testified In support Of the contention that
the paintings were the property Of the
company, and not Of Mr.. Stokes, and had
passed from one corporation to another,
In further support Of this a mortgage was
produced. given by the hotel ten years ago,
In which the two paintings were included
In the schedules Of property fled with the
mortgage.
Justice Leventritt, after hearing the evil
dence, gave judgment TO the Hoffman
House in the two suits, each in volvtng a
painting. lawyer John Delahunty, who
appeared for Miss Barley, said he would
appeal Mr. Wray said yesterday that he
didn't know what the hotel company would
do with "Faust's Dream" now that IL had
established ownership, but 1t Isn't likely
that II will be hung up again, at least not
while A. Comstock lives.