The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-03
HalIrOOm to Palace Is Youths
Spectacular Climb.
Weds Two Rich Widows Sin
Quick Succession"
MASQUERADES As NOBLEMAN
Former NewsbOy Now Mingles
With MiIliOnaires.
Court Asked to Probe Identity
of Young LOchnivar.

New York, Feb. 3.-Attorney John
F. Brennan of Yonkers, as special
guardian of a minor heir, filed in the
surrogate's court at White Plains,
recommendation that the court order
an investigation to determine whether
public policy does not demand reopen
ing of the will of Caroline Redfield
SAINT Cyr. If the special guardian
view is sustained by Surrogate William
A. Sawyer, objections may then be
filed to the codiciI whereby the in
heritance of a grandson, Henry Alex
ander Redfield, jr., was reduced from
100000 to $4,000.
This proceedings brings into court
the international mystery of the life
of Jean Herald Edward Saint Cyr, or
De Saint Cyr. This young man, of
many and marked social graces and
unknown past, buried his first wife,
the aged Caroline Redfield, last jan
uary. He astonished society of two
ME Armstrong Stewart Smith, the
wealthy widow of James Henry Isl
lent) Smith.
Beats Fiction Romance.
Stranger tales of adventure and ro-
nance never were conceived than the
episodes of Saint Cyr's life that be-
came relevant to the inquiry recon-
mended by the surrogate's guardian at
White Plains.
Jean Harald Edward Saint Cyr.
French gentleman and as such receiv-
ed at the White House and in society's
most exclusive circles, is none other
than a missing Jack ThompsoIl-John
Henry Edward Thompson-of Waco,
Texas, newSboy, hotel clerk, haber
dasher's salesman and chorus mani
This husband in prompt succession
of two rich widows, one more than
double, the other nearly twice his age,
lived in a hall bedroom of a New
Tandnr1nir ant ieyI
ago. He was a slender, blond youth,
apparently not more than 22-actually
only 25-not bad looking, nor hand
some; his voice rasping and effem
mate.
Failure as Worker.
Twice within a few months in 1907
he was dismissed from two New York
department stores, once for fighting
and scratching the face of a fellow
clerk, once as an incompetent. He
tried his hand as a chorus man, but
the theater did not suit his ambition
But there was a rich old widow stop-
ping, he said. at the Waldorf. She
needed a secretary. The young man
soon went to live in Mrs. Redfield's
home, then at Hartford, Conn. He
boosted that he would marry the rich
widow and have plenty of money,
Within a year and half he made
good.
Now the same Jack Thompson-"M
DeSaint Cyr''-resides while in New
York at the Ritz-Carlton, has his
meals served in his suite, mingles
with millionaires. and is a member,
since 1914, of the New York Athletic
club. He declares that he was born
in Trouville, France, forty years ago,
of a French father and Dutch mother,
and that he was independently rich
before he met Mrs. Redfield.
One of Exclusive Set Now.
On this supposed basis-and be-
cause he is the husband of the very
rich and socially prominent Annie
Armstrong Stewart Smith-he is en-
tertained by such families as Judge
and Mrs. Gilbert H Gary. the Brazil
ian Ambassador and Mime. Dagama
and many others of assured social
prominence. He is now at Palm Beach
occupying a suite of seven rooms at
the Breakers with his rich wife.