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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1909)
RICH YOUTH HAS "GONE THE PACE" Picturesque Career of Young Man with plenty of Money What Has Happened to Frank Snowden Ridgely Brown, Son of Maryland's Former Governor, Who Is Now Facing a Suit for Divorce, With Many Charges of Cruelty 'EV York. (live nn nv ornRO American boy, with out tho restraining Influ ence of n mother, $10,000 n year at tho ago of 14. and a million when ho reaction his majority, and what will bo his future? ThlB Is the Rtory of mich a boy whoflo young wlfo In about to halo him Into tho dlvorco court at tho ton dor ago of 21, ns related by tho Sun day World. This boy has faced many chnrges hotnlcldo among them but it la oxtromcly doubtful If ho has over pnssod through nn ordcnl bo dls tasteful as that which awaits him when ho answers to tho mnny chnrgefl of cruelty, ttfutnllty and infidelity IiIh pretty glrl-wlfo mentions in nor bill of particulars. Frank Snowden Ttldgcly Brown, son of Maryland's former governor, is tho unhappy youth who has sacrlllccd his brief and onco happy married caroor on tho nltnr of pleasure "Young Frnnk," ns ho Is familiarly called In Baltimore, ima boon ploasuro-bont slnco ho vrns a boy of ten, and hln plonsurcs, moro often than not, hnvo boon purchased nt torrlllb coBt. Ho has had his (ling, nnd whon. n boy of 17 ho wns blnBo and u satiated with .thognyotlcsof tho Old World thnt ho cast about for now sonsntlonB and new Holds to conquer. Llfo for him, oven then, wan ono mad whirl, nnd what ho did not know about tho "but torlly llfo" wasn't worth knowing. At Oatend ho wnB tho potted darling of women of title, nnd othorwluo, and It wns n prnnlc that ho played on ono of these whllo In her bath liouso at this gay resort thnt mado It nccossnry for his father to spirit him out of Franco nnd buck to Baltimore. Tho boy abhorred books and rnroly studied.. Ho hnd tho cholco of any university in America or Kuropo It ho would but Hay tho word, but instead ho preferred to run wild, do as ho pleased and glvo llttlo, If any atten tion to tho BtudloB proscribed for him by tho tutors his father engaged for lilni. , Started Work as a Reporter. About this tlino bin father nnd IiIb Bister, Mny Brown, who later married Gordon Hughes, a Now York lawyer, nnd slnco his death married Alfred Dietrich, whoso formor wlfo had eloped with Bonchley, ono of Alfrod O. Vnndorbllt'a stnblo mnnagors, planned n return trip to Kuropo. Frnnk wns engaged In paying nrdont court to a Baltlmoro girl at thnt tlmo, nnd his father told him If ho did not nccoiu'pany him to Europo ho would haveftd go to work. "Flno," said Frank, "nothing could hotter suit my purpose," At dinner thoisnmo ovonlng ho nnuouncod that ho had Joined tho roportorlnl Btaff of tho Baltlmoro American. Frank's nd vont into Journnllsm will long bo ro mombored in Baltlmoro, and to this day tho Boubrlquot of "Mllllonnlro Ro porter" clings to him, When Frank rpportod for IUb first day's work ho droyo up to the ofllco of tho Baltimore American In his beautifully appointed stnhhopo, with coachman nt his side and footmnn Heated on tho rumble. His horses, Brandy and Sodn, wore bluo ribbons, and Frank wns justly proud of his turnout. Tho "millionaire reporter" was told to nccompany another and humbler roportor on his rounds through llallimoro'B East side, but when ho saw that his protego intended to drlvo through tho ghetto In his beautiful equipage, the moro re porter balked and told Frnnk to meet him nt a designated police station, as tho street cars wero good enough for his. Tho pollcomon in the station houses visited that dny by Frank and his mentor still possess souvenirs of Frank's first day as a roportor, for ho scattered golden gifts with a lavish hand. Champagne for G. A. R. Veteran. That evening Frnnk was assigned to "cover" a banquet given Dy a locnl G. A. K. post. Boor wns tho only tip plo for tho votcranB, whoroupon Frnnk Invited everybody to hnvo chnmpngno wlthjilm. Accordingly n dozen cases woro ordered by tho Croesus scribe. Tho hotel proprietor later sued to ro cover tho price of tho chnmpngno. As n tipster to hla city editor on tho gay dog dolngB of Baltlmoro society Frank hnd no equal. So disconcerting did theso tips provo that frlonds of the Brown, fnmlly In tho Inner .circle of Baltimore society cabled to Brown pore to suggest some othor field of on donvor for hla youthful Bon, nnd this he did. Frank's journalistic careor, whllo brlof, was qulto as meteoric ns ovory othor thnt ho hns slnco launched out upon. It wns Just threo yenra ago that "Young Frnnk" saw nnd mot Miss Mnbol Michael of Baltimore. Tho two families do not movo In tho snmo sot nnd thoro wns opposition from both sides. Tho Browns had nlwnys moved In thnt social clrclo which was known fnr nnd nonr as tho "Brass Bnnd," whllo tho Michaels, In every respect tho Boclnl equals of tho Browns, bo longed to n moro cansorvntlvo olo mont. Frank's courtBhlp was brlof and nrdont. Serious opposition from both sides but sorvod to fan tho llnmo, nnd when Frnnk proposed to Mnbel that they elopo sho with somo noBiiuiion consented. Cloned In Touring Car. JtiHt before midnight on October 23, 190G, Frank nnd his flnncco Nmot by nppolntmont. His touring car was In readiness and wns geared up to ItB highest Bpoed. Frank was nttonded by ono of his mnny chums, whllo Miss Mury Grlsmor nccompanlcd Miss Mlchnol. Tho party bundled into tho nutomobllo nnd Frnnk Instructed his chauffeur to cut out for Now York nnd "got there ns soon na possible." Arriving In this city, thoy went to tho Wnldorf-Astorla, whoro Frank hnd apont much tlmo In tho hnndBomo sulto of npartmonts his fnther used to maintain there tho year round. Frank was nnxlous to hnve Rev. Henry M. Warren, tho hotel chnpluln, imirry him, and, finding thnt Mr. Warren was then living In West Ninety-fourth street, Frank, his fiancee and their at tendants repaired to Mr. Warren's homo and there tho ceremony was performed. Their marriage camo as a great sur prlso to their respective families, but the young pair wns Boon Installed In a beautifully appointed homo and many predicted that Mabel would mako her young husband more con-' scrvntlvc. Out her charges against him do not confirm this hope, His wife says he never settled down. In fact, ho becamo gayer than ever after his mnrrlago, If that had been possible. His chosen companions wero as gay as himsolf, although few if any of them had tho funds to squander thnt Frnnk over had"nt com mand. His escapades became moro daring each day, and "the governor," as ho is still called, was compelled to ndmonlsh and intercedo moro thnn once. Accused of Killing Child. Automoblllng wns this boy's passion and he wns ncvor satisfied unless ho was bowling through Hnltlmore's ten derloin nt top speed. His arrest was of almost dally occurrence, nnd when Baltimore awoko about eighteen months ago to be told that Frank's car had killed a negro child the night previous tho "I told you bob" got busy. It was not openly charged thnt Frank's car had killed the boy, but tho nowspapers hinted bo strongly at tho Identity of tho driver nnd owner of the enr that within 24 hours tho trail led to Frank's door nnd ho wns arrested and formally accused of run ning over tho llttlo pickaninny nnd then running nway without the for mality of stopping to nscertnln tho seriousness of the Injuries Inflicted. The parents of tho dead child re ceived $10,000 to drop tho case against Frnnk. This frightened Frank for nwhllo, nnd he did not break Into print again until his friend Lester Brosco, who had figured in nlmost nil of Frank's escapades, was committed to Mount Hope, a privato asylum for tho lnsano nnd Inebriates. Lester had been golng tho pace for several years and when his mind gnvo way none wns surprised. Frank sore ly mlsocd his chum nnd often motored out to the beautiful retreat on Churleo Strcot nvenue to spend nn hour with him. In tho courso of ono of theso visits Lester complained of his en forced confinement nnd begged Frank to dovlso some means of effecting his release. "I've tried that already," snld Frank, "hut tho courts won't Btnnd for It, so I guess the only thing I can do Ib to kidnap you." "Go as far aB you like," said LoBtcr, "but for Qod'B sake get me out of hero. I haven't had n drink for a month." Kidnaped Chum from Asylum. Tho next dny Lester, while out for his afternoon nlring In tho hospital HIS iYrS CHARGES THAT Tlfrt " grounds, eluded tho keepor, climbed over tho high fonco nnd dropped Into Frank's waiting cnr. Frank wns nt tho wheel, and ho let It out, nnd In nn hour or two wns beyond tho Jurisdic tion of tho Mnryland courts. And onco moro It became necessary for Brown poro to get busy nnd square things for Frank. Monnwhllo Frank's affairs at homo hnd boon going from hnd to worso. His wlfo says she was loft much to herself, for Frank wbb so busy with hla other frlonds nnd associates thnt ho had llttlo or no time to dovoto to his glrl-brlde. Frank's gny frlonds of both sexes wero ever welcomed nt tho youthful Browns' homo that Is by Frank. Among thoso, his wlfo snys, woro many nctors nnd actresses, nnd then It wnn thnt Frnnk conceived tho Idea that ho would llko to enter upon n Btngo enroer. Ho Joined tho stock company con ducted in Baltimoro by Georgo Faw cott, nnd wns glvon small parts, Tho verdict, of Frank's mnny friends nftor witnessing several performances In which ho npponrcd was that hq was far more capabto of steering hlB nu- tomoblle, or tooling his coach and four than of playing roles upon the stage, no matter how Inconspicuous they wero. Perhaps It wns the Inconspicuous ncss of theso roles that Induced Frank nfter n try nt n pnrt in "Cyrano do Dergcrac" to abandon the stage aB n' profession. His wife was deeply hu miliated at this venture, and Bho did nil she could to dissuade him when ho told her that ho wanted to bo nn nc tor. This, sho Bays, brought down hlu wrnth upon her pretty and youthful hend, nnd from then on trouble came thick nnd fast for her. Wife Tells of Midnight Orgies. It is the alleged midnight orgies nt hor homo thnt MrB. Hrown most bit terly complnlncd of in her bill for di vorce. Frank nnd IiIb Tenderloin friends, sho declares, would wander Into tho liouso at all hours of tho night and from then until tho grny dawn make night hideous for her and her nolghbors. It was impossible for her, she declares, to make her escapo from tho house, ns Frnnk would In sist upon her presiding nt tho tnblo nnd serving him nnd his guestB with whatever tholr fancy dictnted, desplto tho unscnBonnblcnesB of tho hour Then, too, Mrs. Brown asserts that Frank preferred her to bo nt tho head of tho tablo during theso bacchanalian feasts, Inasmuch aB she mado n good target for his ribald jests or tho plat 's or glasses ho chose to hurl nt her. Sometimes, according to Mrs. Brown's complaint, tho glasses wero empty, but moro often thoy contnlncd cham pngno, for Frank was over Jealous of his roputatlon ns a "wlno opener," nnd ho would novcr for n moment hnvo it thought nmong IiIb Tenderloin friends that anything elso but chnm pngno graced his tnblo or his wife's bathtub, for that matter. Another sport of which her husband wns passionately fond, Mrs. Brown chnrges, had to do with n most vll-lalnouB-Iooking nnd snvngo bulldog which Is ever at Frank'B heels. Mrs. Brown nssertB that whon Frank was especially deop In hla cupB ho would set tho dog on hor. For some renson, Mrs. Brown declares, tho dog ontertnlncd n violent dlsllko for her nnd wns only too glud to do his master's bidding. Finally Driven from Her Home. It wns tho dog oplsodo that proved to bo the parting of tho wnys. Whllo In n drunken frenzy, Frnnk, it Is chnrged In tho complalnt,B0t the dog on his wlfo, nnd It attacked her bo savagely that sho fled In her night clothes nnd novcr returned. That wns Inst January and since then, she vows, Frank hns not contributed a cent townrd her Biipport nnd this In tho face of his wife's statement that ho had torn nnd cut up nil her lints, gowns, lingerie and pretty boots and slippors, just prior to having the bull do; chargo hor. Mra. Ilrown Bays it Is hick of homo Influence that Is responsible for her husbnnd'fl waywnrdneBs, nnd alio further nvows thnt "tho governor" la mnlnly responsible for this. She do clnrea that ho hnB nlienntod Frank's nffectlona, nnd now sho Is suing the governor for henrt balm to tho tuno of $100,000. In tho mean tlmo Frnnk la continu Ing on his morry wny. With nniplo funds nt his command, and with tho prospect of sharing with his sinter the several million dollnrs Gov. Brown is Bnld to possess, young Frank has n lively future ahead of him. Will ho reform? ABk his wlfo. H Use of the Eyes in Rending. Most people, according to the Opt! cnl .Journal, believe that tho eyes in rending follow tho letters In n steady movement clenr ncross tho column but if tho reader's eyea aro watched cloaoly whllo in action It will bo seen that thoy mako a series of jumping movemontn, onch jump corresponding to about one-hair Inch of letters. This shows thnt reading Is done moro by words thnn lot tors, nnd that tho words nre rend without having to look d rcctly nt them. A CHERRY FOREIGN HAND A Japanese Hy Adachi (Copyright, by J. D. Westward from tho Cascade of Nunnblkl, through the ever-shifting tracery-work of pines and wild avx leas, you can see, if you would climb n quarter of a mile, on a spring day, a stretch of land thnt looks moro llko a dream than the actual solid footstool of God. That was her homo; thero wo snw her. Hor environment wns common her dress, her cottngc, tho pcoplo nbout her, yes, tho people cBpoclnlly. But nil these common things, because of hor, seemed to mo ns If 1 saw them on tho canvns of Millet or Rembrandt. Sho wns n part of tho landscape, nnd if wo Bay. of tho cnsomblo thnt It Is just llko n picture, I do not know whether tho Higher Artist would take It ns n compliment or riot. Doscrlbo hor? Botter ask mo to pet rify a droam. Her lips? Ohi ono folds his hnnda on IiIb left side when ho Bpenks of them. , Not satisfied with her success In this, her fair masterpiece, Nature placed her In the rustic surrounding to heighten all tho charms of tho girl through tho touch of that potent ma gician called surprise. Yes, candidly, I wns surprised, and so was Mr. Sid ney White, who was, with mo. Mr. Whlto Is an American who has spent moro yenra of hla llfo In Paris nnd abroad than under tho root of his mother. Ho wns nn artist, an ar tist who, as ho confided to mo onco, wan trying hla best to fnll ns much. That Was Her Home; There We Saw Her. j in lovo with n woman aB ho was with Art. Tako my word for it, ho had that something thnt goes Into 'tho making of n true nrtlst, thnt all-absorbing something which mado him by turns a- fool and n god; ho hnd that idolatrous adoration for tho beau tiful; that contompt of overythlng common. In ordor to picture his meeting with tho girl, you must fancy nn nrtist facing Art mado flesh and beating In n woman's heart. In addi tion to this, you must tnko into ac count thnt poignant sense of surprise ns keen ns that of a man who finds n diamontP'ln tho dirt. O Tome wns her nnmo. O Tomo becamo an objeet of, study to Sidney. Then, a short tlmo afterwards, tho object of study not only nrtlstlc but also From tho very start O Tomo wob n thing of benuty to him, and in tho courso of tlmo n Joy forover ns well. When, therefore, nbout a month afterwards I went up to his studio I was not surprised to sou it converted into n hugo multlfaccd mlr rorof O Tomo every poBo"of her figure, every expression of her fea tures, tho Innumerable blondlnga of her many moods, wero caught In nil tho concolvablo cunning of colors. , "Am I really as pretty as that, Whltc-san?" "Very, very much moro beautiful, mademoiselle!" "And my hair and oh, but my eyes, are thoy softly droamlng ns thoy nro yonder?" "Thnt? Why, that la nothing but a shadow; that is nothing but a pic ture, llko a picture on a templo wall, a plcturo of a goddess, you know. Ono can look nt n picture, not the goddess tho original Ib too daz zling!" O Tome, who wns not sure whether she understood thla poetic ambiguity of tho artist, smiled aa if to say, "Tho best thing I can do for you Is to pretend that I bollovo nil thnt you say." . "But, really, Whito-san, does your humblo maid please hor master, then?" "Hush, Bwoot ono; you should rath er Bay that your slave worships his Ideal." "What do you think I havo found now, old man?" ho asked mo ono day bb ho burst Into my den. Dropping my brush nt tho suddenness of his entry nnd interrogation, I answered: "Hollo! you? Why, I havo not tho slightest Idea." "Well, sho Is not n beautiful study, but sho Is oh bright as a Buddha's eyes I mean her mind. You ought to conm nnd bco her." Y.es, I found out that sho had learned mi ny nn English word, "Sny tho first sontonqo I taught you for us, O Tomosan,'" White said In Javanese. I - BUD IN A Love Story K.innosuKp Ltpplncott Co.) Then tho ollvo velvet of her cheoktr becenmo a warmer color, and a smllo made her Hps llko nn opening bud. Then slowly sho snld, "Ilovo you, Sidney." Tho last syllable was In the merry ring of her laughter. I saw him often teaching her Eng lish nnd French. In thoso happy hours ho looked like a mnlo mothor mad with ecstasy ovor tho first falter ing words of his baby. Ho was very proud of her; and day by day she rewarded him with tho discovery, of tho hidden treasures of her simple heart. Twlco winter chntued water; twlco spring sot it freo nnd gave it songs; twlco chrysanthemums decked tholr llttlo garden; nnd thoy fanned away two Bummers Thoy wero too much In lovo to think of marrlago if that were possible. Those wero happy days for him for her. Then thero .enmo a llttlo piece of paper Into that studio to that nest, to Bpcak more correctly, of Art nnd n couple of spring buds. Upon thnt paper was a mcssago that camo from . the othor aide of tho world. Slnco tho receipt of It Sldnoy White was juover the same man. And poor O Tomo only, wondered. It waB rudo, to her Japanese way of thinking, to ask many things of n man, nnd then,' if ho loved her, ho would toll her all she ought to know without hor over aaklng. So she was silent sad,, be cause ho was sad. "Como with mo, O Tomo-san," ho said to her ono morning. "Where nro wo going?" "I have found a nest for you. And I want to boo if you llko It or not." And they wnlkod up tho hill sldo of Kobo City. "You boo, swoethenrt," ho ,cx plained to her, "I havo always thought that you would llko to have a cottago all your own. And 1 think I've found It. Wo'll furnish it ns you llko, and there you can do whntever you want. I will, como and soo you thero very often, nnd we won't bo bothored wltn pcoplo who como to my studio;, for I am going to keep my studio as It is." They saw- tho cottage, whoso ver anda laughed full-mouthed towards tho entrance of tho famous Inland Sea of Japan. O Tomo was delighted with It. It was arranged that everything would bo put In ordor within a weok, nnd nt tho end of thnt timo .0 Tomo was to movo into it. , "But why don't you move your studio, too? i miss tho pictures so much," she snld to him. "Oh, sweetheart, you will hnvo nil tho pictures you want. You see, I don't wnnt any of my studio friends bothering us nt tho cottago." It was nbout seventeen days since, Sidney White received a cablegram stating that his parents would bring out his wlfo with them to Join him in Japan, where he seemed" to bo mak- . ing such n prolonged study. Sidney expected them soven days nhoad. O Tomo wns to move to her new cottngo four days hence. She could speak English fluently now, and nothing charmed tho artist as tho honoy words from hor Hps. Her head nestling- in his breast, hor left arm around his neck, nnd the fingers of her right hand going nstray In tho mnzo if his hair, making tho long, wavy locks ripplo llko tho golden surface of a Bunllt sen, sho wns mur muring: "Dear, you havo such pretty hair; it's like the hnlos of saints you paint." Thoro was tho sound of many stops in tho hall. The housemaid never al lowed anyone to enter tho studio without seolng If the nrtist were ready to rocoivo a visitor. But this tlmo the Btops camo steadily towards tho door of tho Btudlo. Just as O Tomo leaped off tho lap of Sidney tho door flow open. Thero was n vigorous swish of a Bklrt. "Sldnoy!' exclaimed a stronger voice than tho dreamy melody of O Tome'B throat. And ho wnB lost bo hind tho flutter nnd whirl of foreign millinery. A resounding kiss. "Great Heaven, Kato!" gasped., n husky voice. A surprlso party, my boy!" shouted hla father In the door-way. "Wo did surprlso you! hn! ha! ha!" Mrs. Whlto released him at last, Sho turned round to slgnnl the old pooplo to follow her example. The slim figure of O Tomo stopped her eyes. At onco they flashed back at Sidney and found him nshy, all In a tremor. Something hard ontored tho bluo of her laughing eyes. "Pray, who is thnt, Sidney?" Her volco sounded llko tho breaking of an icicle. Sidney wns a human flnmo In nn ln Gtnnt. Ho stnramered. "Hiisbnud, for Heaven's Bake" crted tho lady, and then, turning to O Tome roughly: "Who nro you?" "I am Just his model, mndam," Bho said qulotly in English with her head down. Mr. Whlto wnnted to paint mo." Sho wnlkcd out noiselessly. Thnt was tho last time Sidney Whlto snw O Tomo. Yes, ho Is hunting for her now over hunting. But I think ho would find an lnsano asylum loug beforo lib would find O Tome. V