Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-24

men Ut ledSl III TINS Glass w no saw no par
ticular reason why they should help to keep
the colonel supplied with cigarettes, collar
buttons and other luxuries, and who suf-
fered under the scourge of Town Topics In
consequence. 1t also demonstrated that
there has been a regiment of immunes" on
the colonefs books, made up of those MEM
bers of the Manhattan smart set who either,
because they We're friends of the alchemist
or had contributed money or tips, were
never spoken of unpleasantly in the col
umns of the colonel's publication. Harry
Lehr, the monkey-dnner man, was one of
these, according to the testimony. and he
was Endorsed by Col. Mann as an earnest,
badly-treated young man who supplied val
liable information" Mr.. Lehr had paid
$500 on account of a 81 800 subscription TO
"Fads and Fancies, the now famous
money-extracting shotgun with which the
colonel and the heretofore silent Justice
Deuel., according to their own letters went
cunning for 'coons.'
Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry.
The appearance on the stand of Commo-
dore Elbridge T. Gerry as witness for the
defense was one of the three sensations of
the day in trial which from the very first
has been on sensational features Next In
Importance was the testimony connecting
Harry Lehr with the publication in the
office of 'tipster" of society scandal and
last, but hardly least. was the production
of. the immune list, containing the names
of those about whom nothing unpleasant
was ever written. Col. Mann was appar-
emily surprised and not noticeably over
joyed when Commodore Gerry appeared on
the scene, for the commodore was one of
the few men of his class who was able to
resist the Establishments of the Mann-Deuel
method of approach.
Commodore Gerry told of having received
two letters from Judge Deuel., one announc-
ing that the judge was in immediate con-
troll of "Fads and Fancies, the other laud-
atory of Col. Mann and explaining that, al
though some bitter paragraphs concerning
Mr.. Gerry had been printed in Town Topics,
he was still needed as the foremost sub
scriber to "Fads and Fancies, and that the
work was being pushed forward quietly and
guardedly The second letter Mr.. Gerry
mentioned was received after he had de-
clined to become subscriber and had
spoken to the solicitor, Moses Ellis Wooster
as he described it, somewhat emphatically.
Certainly impressively."
long list of these persons was given by
Charles Stokes Wayne, who had been the
managing editor of Town Topics for many
years. and who seemed perfectly conversant
with the methods of its conduct. He said
there were nearly fifty of them. He named
a dozen himself, and, aided by Mr.. Shep-
ard, mentioned nearly score more of
names. He could tell of no reason why the
persons mentioned should be treated only
in a laudatory manner other than such
were the directions he received from Col.
Mann.
Mr.. Hegeman and Mr.. Vanderbilt
Much amusement was caused when Mr.
Wooster was asked as to his endeavors to
obtain as subscriber for "Fads and
Fsncies" John r. Hegeman, who is now
the president of the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company. The witness declared
that Col. Mann, in talking about Mr.. Hege-
man, had asserted that he was IAN old
bandit who for many years had been rob-
bling widows and orphans but on the heels
of this according to Wooster. Col. Mann
nlensely wealthy, was representative citi-
be included among those exploited In
"Fads and Fancies.'
Another strange story was told by Rob-
ert A. Irving, who assisted Wooster in So
Letting subscribers for the work which
Col. Mann has declared he intended as a
monument to his life work. 1t was to
the effect that going to Newport to In
terest Cornelius Vanderbilt in the enter
prise he had called on him in his home
there, and that while talking with him he
heard a noise which aroused in him sus-
'picion that somebody was in hiding behind
the curtain separating the room in which
they were from another.
According to Irving. the fear that an
eaveSdropper was near at hand ended his.
negotiations. He admitted that IN seeking
to have a wealthy ri1n Subscribe for the
work he had always presented the fact
tor. that the circulation of Town Topics
was world wide. and generally called at
tention to the friendly manner in which
the man sought for as a subscriber had
been spoken of in its columns. In fact. as
he said, he frequently presented the project
her a{r,<r n