The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-01
WHO Is WRITER +?
Prominent Musicians Torment
ed by Anonymous Letters.
Their Contents Is Being Kept a
Secret.
AT LEAST 10 WRITTEN.
Supposed They We're Inspired
by Jealousy.
Prof. Penny Also an Object of
Attack.
RumOr That Prosecutions viii
Be Commenced.
At LEAST 12 WRITTEN.

Scandalous and in some instances
vulgar anonymous letters have been
received recently by more than
dozen of prominent musicians in To-
peka.
A married member of one of the
local music clubs is suspected. Warn
ing is to be furnished her by some
attorntA' employed by those who have
been insulted. If that does not cause
her to stop, what the victims term
'nefarious and outrageous practice, -
the federal authorities will be asked
to invoke the law forbidding the send
ing of obscene and threatening letters
through the mail. The offeuse is
punishable by a penitentiary sentence
Miss Gertrude Tracy, one of the most
prominent and accomplished musicians
in the city, received one letter according
to her own admission. But she abso-
lutely denied a disclosure of the con-
tents, of her suspicious concerning its
writer. Miss. Nina Thomas, Mrs. S. A.
Scott, Miss Marie Westerfeld. Professor
Penny and Mrs. George w. Parkhurst
are however known to have received
letters. All are of the same tenor and
are supposed to have been inspired by
jealousy.
1t is said one lady, who was made
the coptldante of many of the persons
who received letters, though she re-
FUSED to give their names saying that
1t would be a breach of friendship to do
so, stated in the course of her talk that
Mrs. Penny, the wife of George Barlow
Penny, the well known organist and
Choral society director, had also receiv-
ed letter evidently from a woman
whom all suspect. Mr.. Penny, accord
ing to the story, at once informed the
supposed writer that an apology would
have to be made at once or the law in
voked.
Won't Reveal Contents.
Miss Tracy was seen at her studio
and home, 1923 Harrison street. Up
on being asked concerning the letters
she had received she at once wanted
to know how the matter had become
public property.
cerning the letters, and that talk was
very common, she admitted that she
had received one letter.
"Yes," she said, I did get one let
ter. But I won't tell a thing concern
ing its contents While I suspect some
one of being the author I won't say
who"
What are you going to do about
t?" she was asked.
Let the matter die down, think,
she answered, although my mind is
not yet fully made up I do not want
to talk concerning it. 1t had better
be permitted to disappear of itself.
That is the best way to do. I simply
won't say anything about it
A prominent soprano singer was
called upon at her home. She was
asked if she had received any
anonymous letters.
NO she replied. st do not see
how my name was coupled with the
gossip further than that I was made
the cOnfdant of people who did get
letters. I know that about twelve
were written One young lady, un-
married. who is not a singer, received
four and a number of her friends re-
ceived letters concerning her. She
seems to have been made the brunt
of the attack.
Eve suspect a member of one of
the clubs having written all the let
ters An expert looked at them and
declared that they were all written
by the same person. Three or four
were very poorly written on the type
writer, and nothing about this was
found to link them with the others
further than that the makeup of the
writing was similar.
Due to Jealousy.
''The woman who wrote them must
be crazy. think that she is simply in
sanely Jealous. She does not like Pro-
fessor Penny because he does not recog-
nize her in musical circles as she thinks
she ought to be.
"A would-be singer" was the reply.
1T is too bad for the remaining mem
bers of the club. for they are all nice
ladies, and know nothing and have Moth
ing to do with her outrageous work. It
is simply scandalOuS and shameful.
What was in the letters?'
q will not tell that" was the an
swer. Professor Penny was abused,
while his name was not mentioned.
1t was limited that he was making
n 2 n hero in
town. Just think Of thai. Why his
mind is entirely engrossede with music.
He is living with the great musical
era of 1900 years past Mr.. Penny
became very much incenSed and very
much worked up at the charges"
What was done about it2"
Nothing yet that know Of, was
the answer, Except that some of
those who were attacked deemed it the
best thing to do to employ an at
torney to go and see the woman and
tell her what she is doing and that she
may get into trouble. It has to be
stopped. While we do not want to-
punish, because we feel sorry for her I
vet she must give up the practice. 1
am charitable enough tol say that she
is crazy.
Most of them were received some
time ago" was the reply. But they
are really only now getting to the sur
face. The majority of them were con-
cerning this young lady and were posi-
lively vile. Her friends received let
ters concerning her but they were kind
enough to say nothing about them. But
when the story commenced to leak out
a good many of the women came here
and told me about their trouble and I
find that this woman has written more
than a dozen letters.
will you not say something about
what was IN them2"
mo. that I cannot do" was the an