Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-25

called In the suit brought by Judge Joseph
NJ Deuel. Of special sessions court against
Norman Hapgood, editor Of Golfers Week
ly, for criminal libel.
Declaring that his only occupation was SELL
ing champagne, Mr.. Lehr detailed several
conversations with Col. William Dalton
Mann, editor of Town Topics, concerning
the repeated references to himself in the
columns of that publication. He said he
frequently had begged Col Mann to omit
his name from the columns of Town Topics
both before and after his marriage, saying
he objected vigorously to being ridiculed.
Mr.. Lehr admitted he had signed n con-
tract to pay 81 500 for a copy of ''Fads and
FancfeS,' and that he was induced to do so
by seeing the names of many of his friends
on similar contracts. but that his own opin-
Ion was that if he should appear in a book
with the prominent men whose biographies
were to be published there 1t would make
laughing stock of him.
He argued with Col Mann on this point
and said the editor of Town Topics finally
agreed to leave his name out of ''Fads and
Fancies" altogether. Then he said he did
not pay the 81 500 required by the contract
as he had convinced Col Mann 1t was an
undertaking altogether too expensive for
him.
Why He Didn't Thrash or Sue.
When District Attorney Jerome asked Mr.
Lehr why he didn't sue or thrash Colonel
Mann when Objectionable paragraphs about
him appeared in Town Topics the witness
acted as If the idea had struck him for the
first time and he wanted to digest it. Final
ly he replied that he had never thought
of the thrashing proposition, and that the
matter didn't seem to be serious enough
for suit.
Mr.. Jerome read over the list of subj
scribers to lads and Fancies,' name by
NAME asking after each If Mr.. Lehr con-
sidered he would be made ridiculous by ap-
pearing In book which included such
prominent men In reply to question as to
whether his inmate modesty' prevented
him from having his biography In book
which included those of President Roose-
welt and former President Cleveland. Mr.
Lehr answered in the aff1rma tive. Mr.. Je-
rome read the names of Perry Belmont and
Charles M. Schwab together Mr.. Lehr
frankly confessed he believed he would ap-
pear ridiculous II he were in a book with
such men. Asked whether he meant either
one particularly, he said that he meant
both, more or less, but very much with
Mr.. Schwab.'
Why Creighton Webb Was Immune.
George Creighton Webb, also well known
in the ranks of the best society, was another
witness. He admitted to Mr.. Jerome that
he was one of the "immunes" when the
district attorney explained to him that this
word was applied to those on whom only
favorable comment was made in the col
umns of Town Topics But he asserted it
was not without great endeavor on his
part that he came to be included in this
IlSt, denying, however, he ever had given
money or any consideration to be favored
in this way. He said his name, some years
ago, had appeared in Town Topics almost
twice in every month, and that finally he
had called Colonel Mann and telling
him he was not public character had
a0aed 1t was intolerable to him to be sub
jected to such ridicule.
Colonel Mann, he said. promised him that
such eatment should cease, but he didn t
keep his word. He met Colonel Mann in
Europe last year and told him he intended
to go back to Bar Barbor, although -.e had
been driven from that place by the OBJ
noxious articles in Town Topics. He said
he did not threaten the colonel with physi-
cal violence, but said to him:
My back Is against the wall and my life
is becoming intolerable to me; you have
driven me against the wall and I will have
to take measures of certain kind and ma
ture,"
After this there was friendly converse
ton, In which Mr.. Webb told Colonel Mann
of the engagement of his niece. After this,
he said, no mention of him had been made
IN the columns of Town Topics, nor had he
ever given any other information concern
ing social affairs to Colonel Mann or to
Town Topics
A Man of Many Disguises.
Judging from the testimony of yesterday,
the star member of the Town Topics secret
service was one Robert r. Rowe, whose
operator at Newport. He confessed on the
witness stand that as a Newport contributor
to Town Topics columns he had found ma
teriaI in kilograms which passed through
his hands. This, however, was merely the
everyday routine work which Rowe did for
Col. Mann 1t was in his specialties that he
shone When Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish gave a