Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-30
STl[[MAN QUITS
DODG|NG CAMERAS
Millionaire Banker Abandons
Underground Tactics in
Entering Court
TACITURN, HE FACES WIFE

Poughkecpsie. n. Y. June 30
Gross examination Of James A. Still
man, wealthy New York banker, was
resumed today in the divorce suit ne
Instituted against the former Fiji Pot
ter.
The millionaire abandoned his Mt
tempts to evade photographers, which
proved unsuccessful yesterday. although
he entered and departed from the
building through a cellar trapdoor. This
morning he alighted from q taxicab at
the front entrance Of the building in
which the case is being tried and with
his attorneys walked swiftly through the
door.
Mrs. Stillman was already inside,
comforting with her attorneys. 1t was
reported that they would switch their
quizzing of Mr.. Stillman to his rela-
lions with his wife. as he refused yes
teriay to answer any questions regard
ing his conduct with other women on
the ground that it might tend to in
criminate him.
Today, il was said. John f. Mack
guardian ad litem for Guy Stillman.
would question the banker along lines
bearing on the paternity of the child
whom Mr.. Stillman branded ne illegti-
mate.
Are you the father Of a child born
TO Florence II. Leeds?"
THIS question was hurled at Mr. Still
man yesterday by attorneys for his wife
Every one in the courtroom leaned
forward and pin could have been
heard to drop as his answer was breath
lessly awaited.
IT refuse to answer on the ground
that II would incriminate me" he
finally blurted out. His face was n
picture.
The man who had charged that Guy
was born Of Fred Beauvais. the Indian,
had been confronted with the supreme
question OF whether little Jay Leeds.
the child of his chorus girl friend, was
not in fact his own baby. and this is
how he had met the question.
Who Named Yacht Modesty?
Dogged and defiant, the banker
sweated and struggled for almost three
hours on the witness stand yesterday
afternoon under cross examination.
The superlative surprise OF a day
filed with surprises was the fnanCier's
absolute refusal TO answer any Qurs-
tions dealing with his secret life with
Florence Leeds and other women.
The blunt. unqualified reason that
he gave for this refusal was that 10
answer any such question would tend
10 incriminate him. He admitted he
would be incriminated even if he told
who christencd his yacht the hodcsty
Facing him. across the table where
Referee Daniel J. Gleason presided
sat Mrs. Stillman. staring at him
hxedly and with no sign of emotion on
her fresh young face. She studied him
tat ,,,tu ctr up
creature that had been netted after
long search.
Crawling" Says Mrs. Stillman
Their eyes did not once meet. but
that was because he. and not she,
wished it so. For she looked at him
% steadily, so searchingly, that OBJ
servers wondered whether by sheer
magnetism she were seeking to bring his
gaze TO meet her. but if so the effort
failed.
Mrs. Stillman's comment at the end
Of the day was:
"Mr. Stillman is running true to
form. II he had an open character he
would come out openly and say, Yes,
I did these things, instead of crawling
behind refusal to answer"
Mr.. Stillman entered the courtroom
through the underground route, so that
be could escape the curious stare Of the
eager multitude and the clicking shut
ters Of the cameras, but in this he was
not entirely successful. When he was
excused at o'clock he hurried back 10
the basement, with q group of detectives
who have been his bodyguard for some
time.
He remained in the shallow of tn"
boiler room, where it was very warm
but every once in n while a detective,
mopping his face with a handkerchief,
peeked out to see If the coast was
clear.
Poses for Photographers
1t became less so every minutes, how
ever, as a few people stopped to see
what made the detectives pop out 40.
and then others stopped 10 see what
they had seen and then some one caught
sight Of the banker perspiring in q
corner OF the boiler room.
After that it was almost riot The
multitude, from whose curious gaze
the banker has often said he " ished TO
be protected. was waiting when the de-
tectives finally told him that it was safe
to leave the sweltering heat Of the boiler
room.
A dozen moving picture and still
cameras clicked and hummed as the for
mer banker walked up the cellar stairs
and started toward Union street, with II
detective on either side Of him and a
hank employe marching along in front
A taxicab with engine running was
waiting, and into this the former banker
leaped and sped away.