Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-11
ONE GOOD SPENDER;
NOW CHARGED WITH
THEFT OF FORTUNE

Boston, July 11.-How Edward f.
Kinney, later charged with the larceny
of more than $22, 900 from a New York
firm, spent thousands of dollars in the
entertainment of Boston friends. with
an Oriental dinner and in other ways,
is described by a man who saw much
of Kinney while he was in this city
The story of the Persian dinner that
was given by Kinney one day last win
ter at the Hotel Lenox to a group of
a dozen friends reads like a page torn
from the Arabian Nights"
Mysterious and unknown though he
was, Kinney had no trouble in secur-
ing the presence of a dozen we'll
known eastern Boston men when he
announced this dinner. 1t was whis-
pered about that the affair would
eclipse anything of its kind ever held
in this city, and reports of the event
from men who claim to know what
transpired certainly substantiate this
rumOr.
The entire United States was
searched for gastronomic novelties by
the hotel management, while all the
available talent for stag dinners in
Boston was secured and more was
brought over from New York.
The price fixed by the hotel for the
dinner was 500 per plate, but the
final check presented for payment
called for 5000 more for extra expen-
ses, making a total of $1,4OO, so far as
this hotel was concerned. Kinney was
not satisfied with this, however, and
brought over from New York extra en-
tertainers, so that the expense for the
dinner for 10 men could not have been
far from 50 800.
While this was the principal enter
tainment that Kinney gave while in
Boston, he entertained on numberless
lesser occasions, either at the Lenox
or in his expensive Commonwealth
avenue bachelor apartment, always in
the most lavish manner with alb
solute disregard for money
1t was known that he fed his BULL
dog, 10 which he was greatly attached.
the best of sirlOin steak at SO cents A
pound, and that nothing was too good
for the many friends that he made
while here.
When Kinney planned the dinner
he stated to Manager l.. C. Prior. of
the Lenox, that he had given $500
dinner the winter before in New York.
to a small circle of close friends. but
that he wished for a better and moro
expensive affair this time.
1t was finally decided that 800 per
pldIc "Oulu d very nice din
ner, with something extra, perhaps. in
the way of entertainment Then came
the question of details, such as the
makeup of the menu, the number of
paid performers, the cigars, the wines.
the decorations of the banquet room
and the like.
For the dinner the red room of the
LenoX was selected. There decorators
worked for hours, finally transform /
ing the place into a floral bower. Not |
a bit of the original walls or ceiling
of the room could be discerned when |
the work was completed Vines of
southern smilax and cut flowers were |
everywhere TO be seen.
AT the far end of the room was a |
miniature stage arranged with cleo
tric footlights, a curtain, etc. At the
other end of the room was table ar
ranged in such a manner that all the
guests could observe the stage clearly
at all times.
On the floor OF the room were expen-
sive Turkish rugs and to one side was
an electric fountain that threw SPRAYS
Of perfumed water constantly. On the
other side of the room was a marble
fountain in which incense was burned
throughout the dinner
The walters were all garbed in
Turkish style, and when not engaged in