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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1906)
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 10, 1M8L HISTORY OF SCANDAL IN SENATOR PLATT'S FAMILY IW THst scandal In the family of United States Senator Thomu Col lier Piatt of New York ever reaehes the courta there will be the greatest kind of a shaking of dry bones, not only in Ma fam..y but alao of other. Sensation haa followed sen aatlon alnce the marriage of the meed senator to the dashing Widow Janeway and more than onoe aha haa been pitted against the clever Bona of the senator and each time the woman haa won. Now again is the fight on and the out nmc ia one to be watched with Inter est. Long before the wadding of the widow to the senator. Washlntgon was aston ished by the magnificence of Mre. Jane way's entertalnmenta at the natlon'a capltaL and they caused no end of mom tip, for shortly before ocoupylng the mansion on I street at which Senator Piatt was a frequent visitor Mra. Jane way had been a clerk in the Congres sional library. The gossip became so personal that even her daughter left her and entered the home of the dea conesses in New York. There she re mained until after the wedding of her mother to the old senator. The wedding of Senator Piatt and Mrs, Janeway was sensational to say the least. The announcement of their engagement had been made by the widow and the date set. The, eons of the senator immediately started to pre vent the wedding, but the woman foiled them at the last moment A friend of Mra. Piatt the other day told the story of the sensational marriage and de clared that Mrs. Plattt had frequently boasted of how she bad bought it about. This friend said: "Mrs. Janeway had persuaded the old senator into sn announcement of their wedding for October 16. 190J. and waa at her homo in Washington celebrating her triumph with a few Intimates, There were midnight banquets at her hand some home Platt'a gift in I street, which kept the neighborhood awake till daylight. "But suddenly the house was closed and the Widow Janeway hurried to New York City. Taking rooms at the Hol land house she summoned the surprised senator to her presence. Mra. Janeway Tipped. "Mrs. Janeway had been tipped by a watchful friend that a plan waa about to defeat her matrimonial scheme on the very threshold of Ita fulfillment. She knew that the sons of the senator, unalterably opposed to the marriage and ronveraant with every Incident of her life In Washington, had evolved a plan to aava their father from the alliance. 'Their acheme waa to spirit the pros pective bridegroom out of the way for a few days while, with his avowed con sent, they would bring pressure upon the Widow Janeway to force a financial compromise. "It was news of this acheme that brourht Mrs. Janeway in hot haste to New York. As the wedding had been jiubllely announced for October 1C. the arrival at the bride-to-be a week in ad vance of the date caused no surprise. "But the old senator, pledged to the relume of his aona. was astoniahed and completely unnerved by her sudden ad vent. She gave him no time to re cover: no opoprtunlty to confer upon the unexpected development with his sons and their astute legal counsel. Her summons was peremptory: " 'Come to me this moment or you will rue your disobedience to your dying day.' was her demand upon the sena tor.' "He meekly obeyed the summons, and, before he left Mrs, Janeway' room in the Holland house that afternoon, the service had been hastily performed that made them men and wife. "In boasting of this exploit." con tinued the Informant, " Mrs, Piatt dropped no bint aa to the means she employed to bend the senator to her will. " 'It took me only a moment to con vince the old reprobate,' said Mrs. Piatt, that there waa no escape for htm, and that he would be forced to marry me without another hour of delay.' "Her manner In telling this Indicated clearly that certain facta or documents In her possession rendered the aged senator powerless In her handa. My! How she laughed as she told me how the poor old man begged for delay. If only for an hour! She refused to give him a minute, and before he realised what had happened a messenger had been dispatched to summon the min ister. "Poor old Piatt went through the mockery of a wedding that followed like a man In a daae. "But even a bitterer humiliation was In store for the senator. The service waa barely over and the officiating minister had Just bowed himself out of the room, when the triumphant bride touched the bell and ordered a car riage " "Oet Into your overcoat, sena.tor.' she ordered, "and take me down to the conference.' Senator Piatt fairly stag gered under the shock. It waa the first Intimation that the determined woman knew of a conference of her enemies called for that very afternoon at the senator's office. "The sons had Instructed their lawyer to be present with a complete draft of the agreement, which waa to be forced upon the Widow Janeway. Piatt had consented to sign It, and a day later the surprise was to be sprung upon Her. Knew the Whole Game. "But she had been informed upon even more in the game and had timed her capture of the senator so as to at tend the conference of the afternoon in her position of bona fide bride. ' Senator Piatt, powerless to delay his enforced boldal even by an hour, was equally powerless to avert the humilia tion of his Bona So together they drove to his office at No. 49 Broadway, where the lawyer and one of his aona waa In waiting. On the table lay the agreement ready for signatures. "Mrs. Piatt's own description of the amasement that greeted her entrance is graphic. She told me the lawyer aank back speechless for a moment in his armchair, while the senator's son's lower jaw literally dropped In astonish ment. ' 'I have come for a glance at the fa mous agreement, gentlemen,' said the dashing visitor In a voioe of honeyed sweetness. It satisfied them that all was well; that the old senator had done even more than they had aaked and had won the lady to a sensible view of the situation. "Regaining his nerve the lawyer bowed gallantly, raised the copy of the agreement from the table and placed It In the outstretched hands of the sup posed widow. Raising her veil, she swept the typewritten lines with eyes that sparkled with triumph. ."Suddenly she ceased reading, smiled In the noted lswyer's face, and In In nocent tones aaked : "' But what have I do do with all this? The only woman named here la a Mra Janeway.' " "Quite right, madam,' replied the mystified lawyer, and aa you are Mra. Janeway you will be' - tacjbdjadfBBfy " Why. how utterly ridiculous.' inter rupted the lady, 'hew eeuid you mass 9mmm aaaaaaWwaW H Photo on the left shows lira. Thomas C. Piatt, who, it ia said, ia trying I to get a divorce from Senator I mlffi, Thomas C. Piatt, but which was Wm ' f denied her. In the center ia Sen ator Thomas C. Piatt, and on the right Mra. Francis J. Carmody, whoae husband, Mra. Piatt says, waa the one that started the marital BP -: I tangles. I 1 I turn of events, sat glaring at hla wife I with lack-luatre eyea. Helpless with I ' 'T " " ' ' amasement, Colonel Carmody did not .jM budre from hla chair. Hut the senator's H ( i- kv SSta. stepdaughter waa equal to the emerg- a ji ' Jk bbsbW J ency. She waa upon her feet and at H M s i HKspBjrV fffflal BaaV M ner mother's side before the weapon AH iJ I hjn- aaaHaaawaaaJflCeVB Btwjia-BBatr could be discharged. Wresting the re- saaaar TamidP'Ti ay TifffaW SSSySyHWrml!lll, volver from her hand she dashed It to mmm'tl9yr7yWr7f2rj)J- jt?IHV'mK!f7&4Yltm tkssW A ffcAjtTykj&r1rlC& 'fxfnLJKBaV the Boor, crying li Colonel t'armodv sPaY 'rvarai!TMV?rv Ml! VSviwv J'! TTVfi" . '. ?T.iv "Francis, take that "thing away and M"Xsae4avJ afa-tY sjA mAW&j(&A-& rroro &r- z?a vs a. s-Vfi Mde qulckr " roiro &r Asf ipuFotW. such a mistake? I am Mrs. Thomas Collier Piatt.' "For one moment, as Mra Piatt told her story, you could have heard a pin drop In the alienee of that office. Then, as the truth dawned on the lawyer, he tore the copy of the agreement into shreds and strode to the door, exclaim ing: " "Madam, why didn't you say so at first.' " Coach marteHedgee Employed. ; This was the first time Mrs. Piatt foiled the senator's sons and aince then there haa been continual warfare. The sensational trip to the Pacific coaat which now figures In the scandal waa opposed by them aa waa also the em ployment of Coachman Hedges, but in every Instance the woman has won. The Coachman Hedges plays one of the staller roleT fn the scandal Hn was an expressman and the ease with which he handled one of Mrs. Piatt's big trunks attracted her attention. Soon after this he waa installed in the Piatt household, where he remains today more aa a companion to Mra. Piatt than as coachman. When Hedges first came to Tioga Lodge he wore the livery of a aervant. This soon gave away to a sort of seml Uvery. which later disappeared aa the frequent rldee with Mra. Piatt Increased, until eventually the young man dressed in the smartest tweeds. It was the trip to the Pacific coaat when the neighbors realised what an Intimate per sonal position Hedges occupied In the Piatt household. When the party ar rived at the special car they were Sur prised to find Hedges on hand, dressed in the latest style of a traveling suit, giving directions and welcoming guests aa if he waa the one who waa giving the trip. In the party were Mra. W. K Busby snd Mrs. Osy Robertson and both ob jected to a servant mingling familiarly with the guests, but Mrs. Plstt In formed them that Hedgee was going on the trip as the "senator's man" and added that a livery would be too eon aplcuour. This explanation waa ac cepted and the trip commenced but the guests were astonished when Hedges, waa given a place at the table with the guests. "Of course, you ladles will not ob ject to the presence of Mr. Hedges at table?" queried the aenator'a wife. "You see. we are such a little party," she added, while her guests sat In silent wonder; "and It would give so much trouble to serve Mr. Hedges separately." Hardly knowing what to think of the situation, the two guests bowed a voice less assent, while Senator Piatt, from the head of the table, atared straight before him in atony silence. Entertained aa a Guest. Mrs. .Piatt carried her point, and throughout the trip, covering SO days, Mr. Hedges played the role of touriat without a hitch. Notable men all along the route to San Francisco entertained the aenator'a party, and the name of "Mr. Hedges" figured In the published reports of the banquets and luncheona. Through It all Senator Piatt aald but little. Mra; Busby and Mra. Rob ertson, sympathising Tlth their hoat, said nothing at nil. In different cities, where the party stopped to see the sights, the coach man Was the escort for Mrs. Piatt and her gueata. Senator Piatt, ageing per ceptibly from day to day, waa left alone often at the hotel. While In San Prnnrlscn he kept nightly vigil in hla room at the Palace hotel, while Hedges, in fault leas evening dress escorted those of the ladiea who wished to see the sights. The details of these nlghte in the California capital may be told if legal proceedings are brought. There were midnight trips to China town, peeps at various phaaea of Ban Francisco's underground life, and rides through the sleeping city. The present Mrs. Carmody, then Miss Margaret L. Snow, accompanied her mother and Hedgws on a few of these night trips, and after marriage she told ner husband ths sights she had witnessed. It is said that Colonel Carmody's out spoken Indignation marked the begin ning of the friction with Mra Piatt and the preaent unearthing, of the scandal In the Piatt family. Hedges Oeta Gay. During the trip home Hedges at tempted some familiar remarks to Mra Busby, who resented them and Mrs. Piatt swore to be revenged for this slight on her protege. Soon after New York wsa reached Mrs. pisti went to the office of Mr. Buaby at the later borough Realty company and there ac cused Mrs. Busby of attempting to steal Senator Piatt's affections. Mr. Busby appeared to believe the story, although he never for an laatant doubted hla wife. He knew some conspiracy was on foot and determined to make Mrs. Piatt acknowledge she waa endeavoring to blacken Mrs. Busby's name. . Mr. Buaby Srat held a conference with Senator Piatt and a meeting waa ar ranged ef all those Interested at Tioga Lodge. Colonel Carmody was sum moned to this conference by his fiancee, Mlas Snow, the daughter of Mra. Piatt. The conference took place aa arranged, but lt was attended by some dramatic Incidents; but prior to the meeting there turn of events, sat glaring at hla wife with lack-luatre eyea. Helpless with amasement. Colonel Carmody did not budre from his chair. But the senator's stepdaughter was equal to the emerg ency. She was upon her feet and at her mother's side before the weapon could be discharged. Wresting the re volver from her hand she dashed It to the floor, crying to Colonel Carmody: "Francis, take thatmhlng away and hide It, quick I" Cantiody. hurried away with Mra Platt'a revolver and hid It under a mat tress in an upper room. His fiancee soothed her hysterical mother and led her from the library. Senator Piatt, helpless wltneaa of the extraordinary scene, was completely unnerved. But he sternly repulsed the consolation offered by Colonel Carmody and retired to his room. The conference of the Platta and the Buabya waa held and the charges made by Mra. Piatt were refuted by her own daughter when she waa cross-examined. Even In the face of the overwhelming evidence In the shape of affidavits from members of the party, Mrs. Plait would not admit defeat, but suddenly brought up the name of Coachman Hedges and ?f ' '" awastafi BawJaal Lama -s'sJrawa! aa aav aaaaS a aass ev rr V BlT I aaaawaV JaaaBBwY KJJbbbI lJaf ad WW VuT Sanaa! WWSOCf, fffmwV aft 1 I J. K. Hedges, Mrs. Piatt's Coachman, Who Will Be Arrested if He Appears in New York. The Upper Picture Shows Tioga Lodge, the Piatt Country Place at Highland Mills, New York. was a seneatlon.il scene between Sena tor Piatt and hla wife, which waa wit nessed by Colon-d Carmody and Miss Snow. The senator told of the confer ence he had arranged, but before the worda were fairly past his Hps Mrs. Piatt waa upon her feet, white with emotion and erased with passion. "So you hava planned this humilia tion for me. nave you, you old repro bate!" she cried, snaking her clenched hands In the senator s face. "But you shall not do It. TH kill myself first, before your hateful face." Daughter Averts Suicide, Her hands sought I he bosom ef her evening gown, and an Instant later the barrel of a revolver was pressed against her temple. Senator Piatt, stupefied by tiia tragic told a story that put Mra. Busby In an unfavorable light. Busby pronounced the new charge a "damnable, lie" and demanded that Hedges be produced at the conference. Coachman Refutes Mra. Piatt. The coachman waa uahered Into the room and In a shaky voice aaked to be excused, explaining that he "didn't know nothing about nobody." Busby, however, waa determined to settle the matter. Mrs. Platt'a charges were re peated and Buaby demanded the truth. "Why, It's all nonsense," stammered Hedges, with a furtive glsnce In Mra Piatt's direction. "Your wife la a perfect lady and treat ed me civilly nothing more," continued the unhappy coachman, edging toward the dour. That ended the investigation, and Sen ator Piatt, awaylng feebly on his feet, moved forward to press Mr. Busby's hand. Look at i that," cried the senator's wife, wttlramocfctng laugh: "see what an apology for a map I have married." Later that night Mra. Piatt was heard In angry controversy with Coachman Hedges. She was denouncing him for cowardly failure to back up her story, while he. by way of excuse, was plead log: . "That's all right, but how did I know that Busby didn't have a gun with him?" Hedgea Still Employed. it Is said that Hedges was discharged that night by Senator Piatt and that the order waa promptly countermanded by the senator's wife. Hedges remained at Tioga Lodge, ueconjpanied Mrs. Piatt to Washington last winter, waa her un liveried companion there on long drives and at luncheons In public places, and Is today In hla old berth at Highland Mine Colonel Carmody'a marriage to Mrs. Platt'a daughter waa duly solemnised soon after that tragic sight at Tioga Lodge. At that time Colonel Carmody. so hla friends allege, waa completely under Mra Piatt's Influence, believing In her implicitly, supporting her loy ally. Doubt did creep Into his heart on the very eve of the wedding, his intimates assert, but his bride hsd promised him to live entirely apart from her mother, and he believed her. The marriage fol lowed. Within three weeks "armody had learned more of the secrets of the transcontinental tour, and faith In the dashing mother-in-law had turned to grave distrust Personally, he urged the dismissal of Hedges, and from that moment, so his friends say, he was marked by Mrs. Piatt for speedy ven geance. .The public la' familiar with recent de velopments, how Mrs. Carmody sudden ly left her husband, without a word of explanation, and how the huaband haa since been striving to communicate with her. Hta letters have been returned unopened by Mrs. Piatt, and his. mes sengers are refused admission to Tioga Lodge. Mra. Piatt's Career. The career of Mra. Piatt ranges from the village beauty to the wife of a United States senator. She was born in Portage Lake. Maine, and her beauty In her town waa famous. She was known as "Pretty Carrie Thompson." and while still In her teens wss married to a traveling salesman named Snow. Two yeara later, following the birth of her daughter there waa a divorce and Mra. Snow went to New York. There aha waa taken III and her phyalclan was young Dr. Theodore Janeway. It was love at first sight and when she recovered her health the fair divorcee and the doctor were married. Dr. Janeway died In 1897. and the atlll young and handsome widow met Sen ator Piatt. The fruits of that meeting were made apparent when Mra. Janeway and her daughter appeared In Washing ton aa employes of the congressional library, the former at a salary of 10 a month and the daughter at $10. The Christian name of the widow had been changed from the pkiln Carrie to the more euphonious Lillian. The first Mrs. Piatt's health had broken, and the friend nftenest st her bedside In the Arlington hotel was Mrs Janeway. Office hours over at the Congressional Library, the handsome widow, modestly gowned, would hurry to the alck room and minister to the wants of the slowly dying woman until far Into the night. It waa ao touching a picture of de votion that public attention waa com pelled. But worldly-wise Washington soon ceased to wonder at this disinter ested friendship. The chsnge In pub lic sentiment came when Mra Janeway suddenly dlsesrded her modest gowns and blossomed out In toilets of amaslng richness. Diamonda and Silka. Still she remained at her post In the Congressional Library. She worked among the books with handa literally ablase with costly gem, and her plain est office drees waa a masterpiece In lace aad velvet, worthy ef a Worth or a Ferlx. Her private brougham waa the smartest In Waahlngtnn, and her friends were statesmen of large meana Mre, Piatt died December II. laoi. and the Widow Janeway turned her at tentions openly to the aged senator. She sold her ' brougham and drove to and from her work dally In the sena tor's carriage. She moved Into spacious apartments directly opposite the Arling ton hotel. About thla time her daughter sud denly left home, came to New York city, threw herself Into religious work and became a deaconess of the Protea- tant Eplacopal church. Another cloud appeared upon the hortson of the Widow Janeway a awe at thla time In the person of Miss MM C. Wood, still another of Senator Platt'a protegee, who later threatened him with an action for breach of promise, saade . public his letters, and compromised at a fat figure. Miss Wood held a 11.(0 position ta the postoffloe department at Washing ton through the senator's Influence, lived In expensive style, went aad came as ahe pleased, and announced herself aa "the future Mra Thomas C. Piatt." All thla time the residents ef the ex clusive section In which Mra Jane way lived were watching the construc tion of a handsome residence on I street, within a atone'a throw of the Army and Navy club. Not until its completion waa the nnme of the owner disclosed. It ,waa Mra. Janeway. Senator Piatt's money settled all hills and furnished the su perb dwelling from cellar to garret la sumptuous style. Mrs. Janeway took prompt posses sion and entertained extensively. It la true that society shnnned the I 'street house, but guests were readily found to crowd the splendid parlors. Young girls were especially numerous at these gath erings. So were senators and congress men without their wives. Mae Wood Appears. By this time Mrs. Janeway had re signed her position in the Congress ional Library, and rumors were afloat of her approaching marriage with Sen ator Piatt. For a time Mra Janeway aald nothing; then she openly announced her engagement to the senator, and he meekly ctiiii'liuied lira uewst Meanwhile Miss Mae Wood, bark from Europe, read the announcement In the dally papers fixing the date of the wed ding. Filling a satchel with the Piatt love letters she hurried to this city. But she arrived too late to defeat the plans of her successful rival. Mlas Wood threatened suit, published the love letters and frightened a com promise settlement of many thousanda of dollars out of the old senator, but the Widow Janeway's triumph . could not be annulled. Mra. Piatt's first reception st the Arlington hotel waa a memorable fiasco. It was preceded by an exodua of women who had notified the hotel management that Mrs. Platt'a arrival would be the algnal for their departure. The official Hat of guests at the first reception In cluded every prominent man and woman In the official and social life of Wash ington. As a matter of fact the actual total of gueata was under lad. Thereafter, Mrs. Piatt haa each sea son held only such receptions as her position actually compels Miss Snow, now Mra. Curmody, gave up her religious work In New York and returned to her mother when the mar riage with Senator Piatt waa definitely decided. Joys Of Bangor. A large ripe. Juicy and toothsome strawberry wss brought late the ofaee of the Bansor (Maine) ivuimerrlal the other day. The berry was picked by frank Heuudy f Bangor, and no the same atalk wsa anothae large berry last beginning to ripen. At test! From the Boston Transcript. "Yawn. It massages jour throat," Is the recent Injunction of a phjalrlan. At last we discover ths osea of sermon snd muatcat comedies. A Deep take. i. the deepest lake . In the world Is believed to he lake Kalkal. In SlberU. Nine thousand sqosre miles In area, or nearly as large as lake Kris, it la -i.ouu to a.vuo iee asep. so that it contains nearly aa much water sa lake Superior. Absent-Mlnded. Froso Tales. "Toe have three pairs of glasses, pie feasor?" "Yes; I ass one to resd with, one to see at s dlatsncs aad the third to Had tae other two." Boea Wot "Measure Up." . Xraos ths . Jtsw York World. Attorney-tieneral Moody, as a substitute for Secretary Tsft on the t'nlted States supreme bench: looks like short measure. Latest photo of Miaa Blanche Leroy Shoemaker, the Naw York heiress, who haa spumed the Duke da Choiaeul Praalin, the taSwd of one oldest families in Prance, because the duke s grandfather during s I of jealous killed his wife, during ths reign of NapoUon II L