Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-23

rms " the llith OF series OF aftlclcs
telling Fiji Stillmans own story. They
will appear exclusively in The Bee. The
sixth article will be published Friday in
both morning and evening editions.
Copyright. 1891 by Daily News, New York.
When Fiji Potter walked to the
altar of Grace church with James
A. Stillman she was gratifying the
ambition of one of the most force
full figures in American finance
James Stillnan, sr.
She had never heard anything but
vague rumors about the elder Mrs.
Stillman then, and as the first months
of her married life wore on, she be-
gan to wonder what had been the
fate of the woman who was always
abroad"
In the iron will and dictatorial
rule of the elder Stillman she soon
discovered the reason.
Her mother-in-law, whom Fiji
Potter had never seen and has never
met since, was the first victim of
the Stillman family's determination
to suppress their family troubles
at the price of the mere happiness
OF woman.
Elder Stillman Parties.
Mrs. Stillman had been Elizabeth
Rumrill, daughter of a prosperous
jeweler downtown. She was won
by the great fnancier when he was
a rising young business man, before
the 400" had ever heard of him.
In the years which followed, while
Fih Potter's mother was making
social history in New York, the elde>
Stillmans were building up their i'm
mense fortune.
But the business Of creating for
tune did not take all Of Mr.. Stillman's
time. He too. like his son, had a
yacht, although he did not call it
the Modesty. While his quiet, diff
fident wife was engaged in bringing
up her FIVE children, Mr.. Stillman
spent much time aboard the good
ship Wanderer. whence strange ru-
mors came to New York.
Like his son 80 years later, Mr..
Stillman entertained chorus girls and
society women generously. Rumors
spread rapidly, but almost the last
to hear of the parties aboard the
Wanderer was Mrs. Stillman.
She was the mother of FIVE chill
dren-James, Chauncey, Ernest, 1sa-
bel and Elsie. She risked her hap
piness on one throw. Going to her
husband, she asked him to give up
his mode of living.
Sends Wife Away.
Fifi Potter Stillman bears witness
to the fact that it was dangerous
thing to do. The result was the
domestic situation which New York
society used to call "the Stillman
mystery"
The financier was then power
in the money world, and had built
up for his family a beautiful estate
near Cornwall, N. Y. Here the
climax of his wife's MISFORTUNE
came, in May of 1894. here was
an episode-a Irritation, a friendship
Mrs. Stillman befriended
a young country lad. As a pretext,
it was enough. The Stillman ulti-
matum went forth.
Mrs. Stillman must go abroad
never to return. She must not see
her children again. Scandal was to
be avoided; nobody was to know
what had happened. Mrs. Stillman
was gentle, Victorian woman. She
obeyed.
Taking with her as companion an
old friend from Syracuse, she said
goodbye to her children and dis
Mother Was "Abroad."
Everything in New York moved
smoothly for the Stillmans. Mr..
Stillman built the marble palace at
9 East Seventy-second street; his.
daughter, Isabel, began to 60 about
in society; Jimmy" Stillman was
graduated from Harvard and joined
the best clubs; and all the time
the banished wife wandered over
the world with her one companion,
hiding her unhappiness. Nobody in
New York knew what had hap
pened to the Stillmans. Presently