HIRED TO MURDER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16510, 22 August 1921, Page 6

HIRED TO MURDER.

AN AMERICAN SENSATION. THE STILLMAN CASE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Reuter’s Telegrams. (Received August 22, 8.40 a.m.) NEW YORK, August 20. A sensation has been caused through the publication in a Kansas City newspaper of Samuel Harris’s confession that he had been hired to murder Mrs Stillman, whose husband was formerly president of the National City Bank, New York, and who recently failed to obtain a divorce. Harris said that a rich New Yorker promised £SOOO upon her death, and advanced a substantial sum for preliminary expenses. Harris said that the plan was frustrated through his confederates becoming involved in a minor crime. MIND OF A MILLIONAIRE. HAPPINESS LOST BY LUST FOR POWER. A remarkable psychological study of the modern American millionaire is contained in a statement made to reporters by Mrs Stillman, wife of tlie multimillionaire banker, reports the New York correspondent of the “ Daily Express.” This is the first time she has spoken for publication since Mr Stillman began his divorce suit, of which all America has been talking for months. Mr Stillman accused his wife of misconduct with a helf-breed guide. Fred Beauvais, described as “ the Indian Apollo,” and said that Beauvais was the father of her 3 T oungest child. Mrs Stillman made sensational charges against her husband in connection with numbers of unnamed women. The interview was given at Poughkeepsie, where she is awaiting the resumption of the Court proceedings. She said:— “Mr Stillman has many good qualities', but he is abnormal, like many men in Wall Street. He is not the only one of his kind. The fault appears to be with the life they lead down there. It is a constant struggle for power. It turns these men from their equals. In their moments of rest from business they turn to inferiors, because they want nothing to do with their equals. “It was thus with Mr Stillman. That is why he filled his yacht with women —was it eight or ten?-—and would have nothing to do with his own family. Such women as these are mere phonographs for the expression of certain emotions of such men. “ Air Stillman’s eldest son refused to shake his father’s hand after learning his way of living. Think of it! Doesn’t that show there was an abnormal condition in Air Stillman’s mind? “ Then Air Stillman started to destroy his own home and fling the wreckage over tho world. 1 mean what I say, for 1 have had letters of sympathy from as far away as .Japan. This is unpleasant for me to say, but it is true. That is why I say it. “ The man of great wealth strikes at the foundation of his home. li" tlie home and family can he crushed in sucli a manner, what is to become of civilisation? Despite everything, I think that what I am passing through will be of value to women of the world and to society, because if this thing that Air Stillman is trying to do can be done it will be an encouragement beyond measure to the woi'lcTs ‘ Radicals ’ (Bolsheviks). Already j aople are pointing to us as people of high position, and they are asking what is to become of them if we are allowed to wreak our wills on the world regardless of the ethics of morality and everything we are supposed to uphold. “ When I consider what Air Stillman is trying to do the thought comes to me that lie is worse than the Bolsheviks. It is not hard to appreciate the feelings of those Socialists who would stone us for permitting these things to be. It is certainly not my doing; yet I could scarcely blame anyone who did attack us under tlie circumstances ; but remember that Air Stillman is not the only person indulging himself in such reckless fashion.” Airs Stillman was asked whether she was really making a fight for her children . “Yes,” she replied. “The children, of the rich really have such a good time

that they have no individuality. They have no opportunity to develop themselves. As 1 think of it 1 am convinced that the rich are not really happy. They cannot be. “ l'o have eighteen servants does not mean happiness. The constant deference of servants is sickening. It becomes a bore. 1 am an individualist. J consider myself equal to anybody in my family. 1 feel that equality should bo recognised in all men and women who have attained it bv equal work and worth.” Returning to Air Stillman, she described him as a woman hater. “To crush me,” she said, “ would delight him. Wall Street is full of men of his type, who believe that no woman has an equal right to life, much less to happiness and least of all to equalitv. American gentlemen of normal mind, rich or poor, do not treat the women of their families as my husband treated me. Hie time is not far distant when tho people of this country will refuse to tolerate such an attitude ou the part of rich and powerful huz-