The Washington times., 1921-06-11
FATHERIN-LAW OF
ST|LLMAN FLAYS
BANKER FOR SUIT
James Potter, Just Home From
Abroad, Furious When Told
Details of Legal Battle.

NEW YORK. June Thames Brown
Potter, millionaire father of Mrs..
"Fin" Potter stillman. came to know
for the first time today all the
bitterness which has been injected
into James A. Stillman's suit for de-
cree.
Abroad Mr. Potter had seen only
brief reports of the action. 1t remain
ed for his daughter herself to reveal
in detail how far her husband has
been carried by his determination to
be rid of her.
For moro than an hour Mr.. Potter
sat beside the bed to which a severe
cold has confined Mrs. Stillman for
three days. His was the part of lis
tener. He had just arrived from Eng
land.
Mr.. Potters naturally rudy cheeks
bore a deeper flush when he came
from the sick room.
Later he said
"I cannot understand how q real
man could fight a woman-any wom-
anon such lines.
What have heard is almost De-
yond belief. The tactics which have
been used against my daughter ars
worse than contemplate. 1t is heart
breaking to realize the suffering she
has been through and that is still in
store for her.
Il shall stand by Mrs. Stillman
to the end. Everything that Ia
within my power to do for her I
shall do. 1t Is idle to say / do not
believe the charges which Mr.. Still
man has made. / know absolutely
they are untrue.
Mrs. Stillman is wonderful.
wonderful woman. She was a won
derful daughter and a wonderful
wife. Her courage Is marvellous to
me-
II Mr.. Potter had formulated
plans in connection with the suit,
he did not reveal them. He would
talk no further on the subject. OBJ
viously deeply moved. he turned the
conversation to James A. Stilinan n,
jr,. the favorite grandson whom he
calls Bud"
'Lud.' who is seventeen, has tenn
porarily quit prep school to be near
and to comfort his mother. Since
his grandfather last saw him. near
ly two years ago, he has topped
SIX feet. A splendid athlete. he
mas trpsdened in proportion.
Mr.. Potter e1pr- .Esesl delight at
the boys appearncn- His enthusiasts
TIC comment was:
Absolutely fit! There's no inner
youngster In the world than Bud I"
1t was late afternoon when MIR.
Potter arrived at his daughter
apartment at 80 Fifth avenue. He
bad been delayed at the pier for
several hours. Mrs. Stillman. ad-
vised by her physicians to remain in
bed, had sent her secretary to meet
him.
Mr.. Potter himself, a brother OF the
late Bishop Potter, figured in a divorce
case which attracted wide attention
twenty years ago. His first wife, VIII
him for the stage in the late sos.
For years She co-starred with Kyrle
Bellew.
1t was not until 1900 that Mr.. Pot
ter got his decree. Suing in Rhode
Island, he established the fact of de-
sertisn. In 1904 he married the pres
ent Mrs. James Brown Potter, who
was Miss May Handy. Of Baltimore.
The first wife, who is Mrs. Still
mans mother, continued to call her
self Mrs. James Brown Potter. Under
that name she appeared in London
music halls and. finally. in vaudeville
in this country.
Existence OF two Mrs. James
Brown Potters" was a source of much
embarrassment Efforts to persuade
the first wife to stop using the name
professionally were blocked when h.
attorneys demanded s250,Oo0. They
asserted 1T was her greatest asset.
OF recent years, however Mrs. Pot
ter No. i has been living in retire.
ment on the Isle of Guernsey. She and
her daughter. who took the side of her
father when the two separated, have
long since been reconciled.