The Washington times., 1923-02-11

after looking the place over, she re-
marked:
"Well, this is hardly the kind of a
place to expect lady to stay in, is it?"
The authorities agreed with her that
it was not. So they released her on the
nominal bail of $4,000 and allowed her to
go home. There this remarkable woman
is calmly continuing the management of
the big lumber business and waiting UNI
disturbed for whatever action the Grand
Jury of the county will take when it meets
sometime next month.
Properly to understand the peculiar
problems involved in the case, it is neces-
sary first to consider the extraordinary
career of Mrs. Knox which her arrest has
revealed-her rise from the position of
poor but pretty trained nurse to that
of Lumber Queen" handling millions of
dollars yearly; her sudden development
of exceptional abilities as builder of big
business, communities and railroads and
her eccentricities as philanthropist, suf-
fragist, hostess and wife.
Old Colonel w. Fl. Knox had made his
millions in Wisconsin lumber lands, but be-
gan to look about for new wooded worlds
to conquer. His quest led him to the
virgin forests of Texas, where he ac-
quired thousands of acres of pine timber
lands in Sabine County.
His one son, Hiram. thought more
about race horses than he did about
numbering, and was generally off hunting
and fishing while his father was diligently
piling up money.
When they moved from Wisconsin to
Texarkana, where they could be in close
touch with their Texas holdings, the
Colonel urged Hiram to take little more
interest in the estate that he was some
day to inherit, and for time the son APP
piled himself to business and eschewed
his favorite diversions. Gradually, how
ever, Hiram back-slid into his life of in
doience.
His wife was in poor health, had been
so since the birth of their son Hiram, Jr.,
and pretty nurse was employed to at.
tend her.
Her name was Lillian Marshall, the
present Mrs. Knox
She was the oldest of five motherless
children.
Lillian was about twenty-three at the
time Colonel Knox engaged her to attend
his sons wife. She was exceedingly at
tractive, possessed an extraordinary
amount of physical energy, and soon be-
came very popular in the household. She
nursed Mrs. Hiram Knox back to apparent
health and in doing so won the hearts
of everybody that she was asked to stay,
which she did.
A few months later Mrs. Knox suffered
relapse, however, and died shortly after
ward. The pretty nurse. at the request
of Colonel Knox, continued to live as
a member of the family. He had OBJ
served that she showed signs of marked
ambition and business acumen and ability,
and decided that she would be the very
woman to marry his son, manage him and
get him to settle down to business.
He accordingly told her that he wanted
her to become his sons wife and step
mother to Hiram, Jr. She accepted the
responsibility. And so pleased was the
Colonel with the marriage that when he
died, shortly afterward, he left his estate,
worth SIC, 100000 or more, to Hiram and
Lillian; and to his own wife he gave but
home in Dallas and SIS 900 in cash to
last her the balance of her life.
Hiram and Lillian moved to the seat
of the Texas estate at Hemphill, and then
began the reign of the Knoxs in that Sec
ton. But instead of showing signs of re.
newed business activity due to his wife's
influence, Hiram devoted himself more
and more to his pleasures and his wife
seemed quite willing that he should do so,
as it gave her the opportunity to develop
and control things herself.
In fact, she seemed to encourage him
in his diversions in order that she might
have free reign.