New-York tribune., 1921-07-08
SWears "Helen''
Was Stillman
Guest ON Yacht
Tea. Chartreuse, Champagne
and Beer Served Society
Girl and Banker, Sailor
ON Modesty Will Charge
Mrs. Leeds Later Visitor
Hunt for Watch Ostensible
Cause and Her Alleged
Agitation Aroused Notice

Attorneys for Mrs. Anne Urquhart
Stillman, who were engaged yesterday
in preparing evidence they will submit
next week when the hearings in the
divorce suit of James A. Stillman are
resumed in Poughkeepsie, are confident
they can prove the Leeds angle of the
charges against Mr.. Stillman. They
have more than score of witnesses
who will testify to the alleged intimacy
of the banker and the former show
girl. The first part of this evidence,
it was learned from an authoritative
source, will deal with the marine phase
of the reputed association. Former
members of the crew of the yacht Mod
esty will offer testimony as to kissing
and drinking incidents which they say
they witnessed on board the Stillman
craft.
The story they will unfold before
Referee Daniel J. Gleason will date
back to the launching of the Modesty
in the spring of 1920. The first wit
ness will be former member of the
crew who signed on in Novem ber, 1920.
He will tell of the first guest who went
aboard the yacht when she came to
anchorage at the New York Yacht Club
pier, at East Twenty Street. Ac-
cording to his story Mrs. Percy Rookie
feller and Mr.. and Mrs. John H. Prem
tiss dined with Mr.. Stillman on the first
evening of his ownership.
On the following day Mrs. Leeds and
an unidentified girl are declared to
have had dinner with the banker. The
witness will swear that Mr.. Stillman
waited for the arrival of the two
girls and presented each with large
bouquet of flowers as they came on
board. On the next day, it is charged,
the banker boarded the yacht with a
slender young woman with dark au-
burn hair" declared by the witness to
be the mysteriol% Helen the society
woman named by Mrs. Stillman in her
the beautiful visitor and the financier
had sandwiches and tea on the yacht
and then went ashore, to return at
midnight, when they had "chartreuse,
one quart of champagne and two bot
ties of beer"
At II o'clock the next morning
breakfast was served for two, the sea-
man will say. On the afternoon after
the departure of Mr.. Stllman and his
guest Mrs. Leeds is said to have ar
rived, visibly agi+-stes4f~ and ostensiSly
the boat The witness will give his i'm
pressions of Mrs. Leeds's state of mind
at the time. He will tell that she
looked in singular places for the watch,
including the bankers stateroom.
Several other witnesses will resume
the story of the alleged intimacy be-
tween Mr.. Stillman and Mrs. Leeds, and
will describe scenes on shore. A chauf-
feur will testify to trip made by
Mrs Leeds to the Cafe de Paris. He
will swear that in place of the banker
a young man whose name has not yet
figured in the case accompanied her.
He will describe him as being hand
some, well-to-do and resident of the
East Seventies.
Another witness will tell of party
of three couples at the Castles blythe
Sea. He will also testify that the do
mestic life of Mrs. Leeds and the bank
er was stormy and that "they quarreled
q lot and drank much champagne" Sew
eral other witnesses will describe Mrs
Leeds as a devotee of clairvoyancy and
fortune tellers They will tell Of one
clairvoyant in particular who drew
down a $40 fee regularly for peering
into the future of the Century Roof
girl.