The Washington herald., 1914-12-27

Austria Hungary, the frs
, Grand Cross of the Order of Elizabeth
ever conferred upon a woman not con
nectsd with a royal family.
Mrs Frederick Courtland Penfield
wife Of the American ambassador tc
Vienna, is the woman who has gained
this distinction. No one seems at al
surprised over It either. Mrs. Penfield
has never lived an ordinary moment in
her life. Everything that has happened
TO her can only be described in superla-
tiyes.
She was,one Of the wealthiest babies in
the world. She married-the first time
one Of the wealthiest men In America.
Her father died and left her one of the
largest fortunes that ever descended to
q single individual. She successfully
fought one Of the greatest Withdrawing
cases ever brought before an American
court She personally managed the
largest chemical business in America and
managed 1t with an amazing degree Of
ability. She married one Of the most
distinguished of American diplomatists
and with him took one Of the longest and
most daring honeymoon trips ever made
BY q woman.
As the wife Of the American ambasss-
dor 70 Austria-Hungary when the war
broke out, she 90 distinguished herself
among the hundreds Of other women who
are endesyoring to aid the victims Of the
war as to attract the personal attention
Of the dual monarchy's ruler and to win
the much coveted and precious Elizabeth
order.
Mrs. Peuield gave all her time and
used her great wealth unsparingiy In an
effort to aid, not only the soldiers, but
the families of soldiers engaged In the
war. That she had an immense fortune
to use does not mean 30 much as the
fact that she used It unstintingly. From
her husband she inherited $50, 0,000, 200.
From her son when he died she inherited
81 900, 900. From her mother she in
herited $S, ,000, 900. And lastly, from her
father she inherited a round $50, 900 900.
As it happened the fortune Of $780,
600, 900 originated in a quinine sugar
coated pill. 1t was the capitalization of
with the sweet"
William Weightman, Mrs. Penfleld's
father, came to America when a lad and
found employment in the large labora-
tories in Philadelphia Of John Farr, an
uncle. Weightman had worked hard and
became one Of the leading chemists of
the world. The sugar-coated quinine
pills gave him his start to this great
wealth. II was protected by enormous
duty and made him one Of the wealthiest
men in Philadelphia. In time he became
sole owner of the largest drug labora-
tories in the world.
He boosted he never smoked, or drank.
Though 90 when he died he seemed much
younger. His fayorite saying was 81
made my money by hard work; why
should give it away?'
But he died and, as the saying goes,
he could not take his money with him.
He was aware of that fact and he left it
all to his daughter, Mrs. Anne Walker,
now Mrs. Penfeld.
Thereupon Mrs. Jones Wister entered
the case. Mrs. Wister had as her first
husband, William Weightman, Jr., and
she sued for part of the fortune in be-
half of the two children of Weightman,
Jr
The story of Mrs. Wlster is one of
She was Sabina d'Invillers,
daughter of a family related to French
kings. She has been a beauty from girl
hood. is brilliant woman and a great
society favorite. She was favorite with
her first husbands father. Mrs. Wister
asserted that a codicil to the will be-
lueathing $1,000 to each of her children
had been destroyed and that Mrs Walker
eXerted undue influence over a failing
Did man to make a will entirely in her
favor.
The case came to trial and it looked
is though Mrs. Wister were to win her
suit. Then came the little scrap of yellow
paper. 1t was a single sheet of yellow
paper, about five inches wide and six
inches long, close ruled across and
engthwise. 1t was written full on both
tides and bore a notarial seal. It was
Ind it NYas handed by them to Mrs.
Vister's lawyers, who read it and
ur1ed pale. It ended the case.
What did the yellow slip contain? The
question has been asked a million times.
Nothing to say" has been the invariable
Inswer Of both Mrs. Walker and Mrs. -
Vister.
Its contents, however, are supposed to
efer to the personal relations existing
'etween Mrs. Wister and the dead pill
maker. She has said he wanted to marry
Ter at the time she was engaged to wed
ones Wister. The yellow slip supports
ne Of these assertions. 1t goes into
etafls in the matter, tells of arguments
nd methods employed. Whether it is
he writing of a disappointed jealous
uitor or the memoir of an angry old
nan, 1t closes by saying it is his desire
hat Mrs. Wister never obtains one penny
his estate. The exact details may
ever be known for the will never has
cen copied and today rests in a special
teel box of safe deposit company
gainst the time another contest may call
forth.
Mrs. Walker took hold of her fathers
usiness Immediately after his death.
he was as shrewd as the father and
'om the day she knew anything about
le world she was a business woman.
he became the wife of r. ]. C. Walker,
Williamsport, Pa, before her fathers
cath and lived in the little Pennsylvania
ty but always took an interest in the
lsiness of her father. When her hus-
and died she made her home with her
ther.
After the will contest, Mrs. Walker
sposed Of her fathers properties and
owed to New York. There she furnished
,iatial snartments. moved all her
'eclous paintings and statues into them
I'd prepared to break into the "ex-
Irsiva sci -