Rock Island Argus., 1906-07-21

nation that gave so many brilliant GRE
ations to the world, and knew that
Stanford never forced his attentions
where they were not wanted.
Two or three times he was credited
with offenses against the moral law.
One of these he personally described to
me. \ girl of the stage, without good
looks, brains or any quality that might
be> expected to interest Stanford, was
taken i'll. She was earning SIS a week.
A woman that Stanford liked told him
of the case. He sent the sick girl,
whom he had never seen, to the hos
pital, paid her bills for six weeks and
sent her mother, who was dependent
on her, $50 Il week The mother was
thoroughly familiar with all the cir
cumstances of the generosity, but be-
cause Stanford was rich she attempted
to blackmail him. Rather than public
ly explain the matter Stanford paid the
woman some money-how much it was
doesn't matter. 1 know all about this
case because 1 helped arrange it for
him, though l urged him to have the
woman arrested.
when he was engaged on his work
he was oblivious to anything and ev-
erything else. He would not be dis
turbed. 1 have known Stanford to
work eighteen hours day steadily for
week and never leave his studio in
the Madison Square tower. / have
known him to reject hundred invita-
tions week to just such functions as
he was supposed to attend every night
if you believe the stories told since he
was murdered. He was a genius, with
n great many eccentricities, but there
was nothing mean, petty or venal in
his quest for the sort of play that rest
ed his brilliant mind. Beyond every
thing he was no prosecutor of virtuous
young womanhood, as the people who
are attempting to create sympathy for
his murderer would have you believe"
OF Stanford Whites relations with
stage women one of the most expert
enced theatrical managers i'll the Unit
ed States, and one who is respected
everywhere, furnishes some informa-
ton that shows White to have been
anything but a prosecutor of young
women who might attract his fancy for
the moment.
Il knew of Whites fondness for the
women of the stage if they had any
wit or were entertaining" said this
gentleman, "and l can recall several
who tried to force their charms on him.
He loved a beautiful woman. Who of
us does not? If woman could dance,
had grace, unusual beauty, could sing
or was particularly entertaining White
might give a supper for her and her
friends in his studio, but he soon tired
of any particular one. He was never
serious in his attentions, and he usual
ly paid good round price for his en-
tertainment.
He cared no more for money than
you care for cobblestones. He was
prodigal in his gifts to a pretty or en-
tertaining woman. / have known him
to slip a 500 bill in n bunch of roses
to be presented to n woman just be-
cause he admired her dancing or sing
ing. l never knew him to take woman
away from Il theater. He came in his
carriage, and if he had arranged par
ty at his studio he sent carriages for
such women as he desired for guests,
but he never accompanied them. He
was too nervous and active to spend
any time in q theater.
Il have frequently known him to
theater, leave them in box and go to
his studio to work. He never failed to
return and escort his wife home. He
was so restless that he rarely remained
at home after the theater. Hundreds
of nights he has gone to his workshop
and put in the entire night in design
ing or creating some feature of decora-
ton. His play house was the play
house. He found his rest there and
with it's people. His charities to these
people were manifold.
''I'll wager that Stanford White as
sisted more stage women in distress
than any other man in this country.
And as for forcing his attentions on an
unprotected girl. that is sheer non
sense. If a woman didn't know her
business on the stage Stanford White
never wanted TO know her off the
stage