New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-11
Sthonts Letter
Called Wife
Blacknnailer.
Mrs. Thomas Reveals
Marital Woes of [. r. T.
: Head i'm Answer to
Suit for Sl,OOO.OO
Asserts Widow
Was to Blame
Killed Her Husbands
Affections Previous to
"Alienation,'' Is Charge

Mrs. Amanda c. Thomas, friend and
principal beneficiary under the will of
Theodore P. Shonts, former president
of the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company, through her attorneys.
Shearn & Hare, served upon Mrs.
Shonts yesterday an amended answer
TO the Sl00o000 alienation suit filed
in the Supreme Court by Mrs. Shonts.
Her original answer was a general
denial of the allegations. Mrs.
Thomas not only goes further in her
defense, but undertakes to show thai
the affections of Mr.. Shonts, which it
is charged she alienated, We're de-
stloyed by Mrs. Shonts herself prior
70 1911. Mrs. Thomas sets forth that
The differences between husband and
wife began when Mrs. Shonts insisted
on the marriage OF her daughter
Theodore to the Due de Chaulnes, who
sirs Thomas says was IAN impecunous
French nobleman OF unsavory charac-
ter and reputation
1t was Mrs. Shonts who negotiated
this marriage, Mr.. Shonts opposing it.
Mrs Thomas says.
In proof of the unhappy relations
hat existed for many years between
Mr.. and Mrs. Shonts, Mrs. Thomas
included in her papers a letter written
by Mr.. Shonts on May 49, 1911, to
his daughters, the Duchess de Chaulnes
nd Mrs. Marguerite Bingham.
Tells of Shonts's Unhappiness
This letter, written in the Office of
the president of the 1nterborough. sets
forth more graphically than anything
hat heretofore has been told or writ
zen about the startling situation that
existed in the Shonts family. In it
Mr.. Shonts pathetcally and with
broken heart pours out his husbandiy
woes to his daughters, whom he as
.ions. at the same time inviting
continuance of theirs toward him.
lntimating that perhaps Mrs Shonts
was not in her right mind when she
aid so, the late railway official tells
OF an attempt by his wife to extort
s',0UO from him on pain of certain
publicity. He tells OF an alleged sys-
tematic campaign OF vilifcation by
his own wife ana assures his daughters
that all the sacrifices he made were |'to
all your girlhood years with pleasure
ard your later years with the sweetest
memories Of YOUTH The letter from
iather 10 daughters follows:
NY Dear Children: I still call you
children, but as matter Of fact you
are grown-ups and must discharge the
duties of grown-ups You keep asking
me what you shall do. / cannot tell
you. From June till December of last
year kept writing you how i'll have
oeen-that | was growing older and
that | greatly needed attention.
told you that | could afford to
keep but one home and said if your
hearts prompted you to do i, how
happy would be to have you come
over here and make US a real home. |
IN tiff your friends and interests and
happiness were in Europe-to be honest
ana frank enough to say so and would
kno" now 20 plan for myself here, but
that | would continue all | could spare
considering my heavy Indebtedness
here for you to live on there.
Demand for Property
What was your answer to all my
appeals? You stayed away and your
mother came over here. Her first
overt act was to demand possession
oi ner property, part Of which she
inherited, but most of which | gave
her Immediately wrote you what she
had done What was your answer? In
piace Of resenting it and denouncing
nsr action as an outrage, and after all
me sacrliices ] have made to protect
and build up the property, you each
wrote po4.tc note saying you would
urge her 70 be prudent
incn your mother began systc-
matte campA gn Of vjllfication and
SANDER against me-a campaign Of lies
100 low and vile for decent people
csen 70 repeat. wrote her that her
H~n Doctor said she was mentally IN
balanced, which was the kindest in
'rTpretation which could possibly be
p0, on her conduct. What then hap
pened 4 carefully prepared note Of
ddmonitlon and advice was received
rom Marguerite which, in vicw Of the
'ac's | had gone 10 90 much pains TO
aefoant you with, read IKE colossal
impudence
Realizing. however. that for NAM
1esfs you nave lived almost exclusively
*itn your mother and always under thc
p.'ec' influence II her perverted ideas
., nc, and have brcathed thc atrnor-
pnFfe 81 deceit and hypocrisy shc every
HN''e created, ! nave beer patient and
l'hsidcraie Of you even when you huI,
ne NOS. ai~ays hoping that goa woul
~ LINE a"aken TO the true si:uati IN
shn learn - io@e and practice ruth
.3.ne&E and sincerity in ali thinqs and
-1sn Ill people and appreciate those
qu&htles in others above everything
s% IN the world This il still my
,,ppe' and should H. eyer die wil then
~ rean7 ~ give up the struggle, and,
rsrtDfoKcn, die With IT,
~ Inf HS JoVr mother IL rnncerr cd
Nc>elnssa sasz .Iss.nj