The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-19
FROM REAL LIFE.
Robert Chambers Novel May
Cause Libel Suit.
Evidently His Characters Have
Parallel in New York.
HAMMERSLEY HEIRS
Apparently Counterpart Of the
Authors ''Seagraves."
Attorneys Now Considering
Grounds for Action in Court.

New York, Aug 19.-Robert w.
Chambers, the author, may be sued
for Islander because of his latest novel,
1.-The Danger Mark" So, also, may
the publishers of the Saturday Even
ing Post, in which the story is at pres
ent running in serial form. Relatives
of Louis Gordon Hammersley and
Katherine Hammersley, young heirs to
the so million dollar estate of the late
James Hooker Hammersley, believe, 1t
is said, that those children are being
portrayed by Chambers as Scott Sea-
grave and Geraldine SeagraVe in his
novel.
OF the Seagrave children, in the
story, each has an inherited weakness.
The girl shows hers by soaking Jumps
of sugar in cologne and eating them
during her childhood days, and later
drinking too much champagne and
too many Scotch highballs: The boy
in the tale. falls in love with his nurse.
The parallel is plain to any one who
knows the story of the little Ham
mersleys Here is an instance:
The Seagrave children lived in an
old mansion at Fifth avenue ano
up in utter ignorance of their vast
wealth and were taught to believe that
Kathleen Severance, their nurse. own
ed the place and provided Tor their
1ndL Was llAC WASH ~ NAA~N-
grandfather, who left the money.
Where Hammersleys Live.
The Hammersley children live in a
mansion at Fifth avenue and Eighty
fourth street. They have always been
taught that Mrs. Sarah Lowry, their
nurse, was the one who provided for
them, and that they were only ord1-
nary American children. They do not
know yet, it is believed, that they are
very rich Their father, j. Hooker
II wished them not to.
In one way, the fictitious SeagraVe
children differ from the real Hammers
ley children. The former were depicted
as twins. the latter are really separated
eldest. But that is only a trifiing diff
ference; here is another strong
parallel:
The little Seagraves, having no par
ents. were financially dependent upon
the HALF Moon Trust Company pre-
sided over by elderly Mr.. Tappen.
When expenditures were to be made for
the boy and oirl, the directors usually
met at the Seagraves' mansion
The little Hammersley orphans have
always had their affairs administered
by the New York Life insurance and
Trust company, presided over by elder
concern, when financial matters arise,
usually visit the Hammersley mansion
and there settle matters.
Society People Wondered.
The likeness between the imaginary
young milIionaires and the real ones
know the Hammersleys. in the very
first installment of 1.-The Danger
Mark which depicted them In lonely
grandeur in the big Fifth avenue place,
guarded by the nurse, who kept even
playmates away from them. lest they
hear the forbidden message-that they
We're immensely wealthy.
That picture, the one of the testy old
gentleman of the Half Moon Trust
Company gravely debating about Ger
aldine's undergarments and SCOTS new
gun, caused many a nod of apprecta-
ton and then many grin of amuse-
ment- Some one within the last few
days informed Mr. Field, the Ham
mersley children's uncle. of the parallel
and he gave instructions yesterday to
Attorney Mann to look into the mat
ter
Mr.. Mann declined to say whether
or not-after reading the story as far
as it has been printed-he thought it
was libelous. In the last installment
of the tale Mr.. Chambers depicted his
SeagraveS as grown up and minghng
with an idle, drinking. flirting set of
society folk on a great game pre-
serve. Geraldine has inherited a taste
for intoxicants and is afraid of her
self Scott has fallen in love with the
nurse and is determined to win her.
In the case of the nurse there is
quite a difference between the
fictitious kathleen severance ana
the real Mrs Sarah Lowry. Miss
Severance is shown as young and
beautiful, only few years older than
Scott. Mrs. Lowry is middle aged and
quite old enough to be Louis Ham
mersley's mother. Mr.. Field. the
uncle, said today. eff Mr.. Chambers
has drawn his characters from my
wards, and has attributed to them |
evil traits. such as drinking and fall |
ing in love with nurses. he will have
to answer at law. The HammerSleyS
have never tasted a drop of liquor. |
They are too young to know any |
evil"
Cortlandt Depeyster Field. who is |
an uncle of the Hammersley children |
by marriage and is one of their |
guardians, admitted today that he had |
notified the attorneys for the Ham |
merslev estate. chief of whom is |
Henry H Mann of this city. to ex-
anime 1.-The Danger Mark and see if |
any part of it is actionable. Mr.. Field |
said he saw a very close parallel be- |
tween the fictitious Seagrave children