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burin aIS THE WAGES OF SIN.A SAD STORY BUT A BEAUTIFUL SERMON.rhe Pathetic lAto Story of Alice Snell Mcliren—Money- Could Not K«cover fch«s Name She Had Lott—-Her FaceFamiliar*FEW days ago a young woman died among strangers, almost alone, in a hospital m New York city, with whose name and escapades the public were a few years ago well acquainted. It is the old, old story—the infinitely pathetic story—of a charming, weak little woman and her undoing, a story that repeats itself almost daily— yet with this difference, that in this case the victim was a woman whose social standing was unexceptionable, and whose beauty was always remarkable, even after its girlish radiance had been forfeited. Alice Snell McCrea Green, who died, was a daughter of the Chicago millionaire, Amos Snell, whose brutal and still unavenged murder is one of the few sombre incidents connected with her early career. I recollect Allie Snell as a pretty little girl, with big brown eyes and golden curls, bubbling over with innocent fun. The Snells were not of the exclusive circles, but the beauty of the daugh-ters—Alice being the younger—and their immense wealth gave them a social standing. When Alice married young McCrea she was hut a child— not over sixteen—spoiled, perhaps, but not more so than half the petted daughters of newly rich parents For a few years the MeCreas were conspicuous socially, and Mrs. McCrea was a favorite. She developed into a beautiful woman and possessed, such power of mimicry that she would entertain a roomful of people by the hoar. No OBe knew where the trouble originated, and until the separation occurred there were a few aware of dissensions in the McCrea household. Suddenly Mrs McCrea and her two children left the family home, and a little later news came that All3c McCrea was BUlng for divorce, that she had taken a residence in New York, and was preparing for fho stage As though she were almost a victim of dementia, Mrs. Snell McCrea, as she was now called, began to be known for her unconventional, showy appearance, and for escapades as varied as they were disparaging to•Mr. Green to withdraw from .the firm, to which he immediately agreed. The only explanation vouchsafed by Douglas Green and Mrs. McCrea was that the marriage was a joke. But a few days later they were recognized on an outgoing steamer an old Chicago friend. They appeared upon the passenger list as Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton. Meantime the real Mrs. Green—bom Miss Tewksbury, and a niece of ex-Gov. Straw of Net* Hampshire—began suit for divorce, secured her rights and received the custody of her children. Meanwhile Douglas Green and Mrs. McCrea—called by courtesy Mr. and Mrs-. Green—remained on the other side and for a time Jived in great seclusion-One evening about six years-ago, while dining at the Cafe Voisin, in Paris, I noticed the forlorn appearance of a pretty woman who sat alone at a table opposite.Her face seemed familiar, yet I could not place it; I said to a member of our party that it seemed strange to see a young women alone and apparently so out of harmony with the surroundings of a gay French cafe. Presently she looked up and my friend said in an undertone’ “Why, isn’t it Allie McCrea?”Tt was indeed the shadow of the little girl I had known in happier days.She was always slight, but not thin;DOUGLAS GREEN, now she was emaciated Her brown eyes were eager, wistful, infinitely sad. The cosmetics on her face emphasized the hollowness of her cheeks and the weariness of her bouI.She made no attempt to recognise us, and presently she was joined byDouglas Green. The Incident that followed was undoubtedly one of many similar occasions. I shall never forget it.Mrs. McCrea had evidently told her coin panion that wo were at the opposite table, and Green, after a few mo-ALICE SNELL M’CREA.AAAher reputation. She -was but two and twenty, and had. been the heroine of numerous adventures. Her old friends bad sadly crossed her name off visiting lists and were forgetting to recognize her upon the streets, when she reached the climax of her eccentricities by her so-called marriage to Douglas Green, an undivorcee’ man, husband of a lovely wife and father o£ two charming high, children. Mrs. McCrea was stoppingat the Hygeia hotel. Fort Monroe, where she was known as a pretty divorcee, and received much attention from the officers, it is said, but was avoided by the ladies. Suddenly, one Sunday morning, Mr. Douglas Green and Mr. J. O. Ayer, son of the fashionable Mrs. J. C. Ayer, a member of New York’s Four Hundred, appeared also at the Hygeia These gentlemen made inquiries for Mrs. McCrea, and shortly after they with Mrs. McCrea and a Mrs. Brandt, went to drive in an open carriage. They went to the house of a colored preacher and were married, Mrs McCrea giving her condition as that of a widow', and Douglas Green his as a widower. It was the intention to keep the ceremony a secret, but the colored preacher took the certificate to the county clerk for reeord and within a few hours the affair waa public property. New York society was interested because It involved a member of the exclusive set. Men of business who had connections with Douglas lt;Green—notably his partner, Mr. Arthur .,R Bateman—publicly expressed theirJgnfttion. Mr. Bateman requestedlemonts' conversation with her, came toward usOur host, who had known Mr. Green, when he saw him approaching turnedto us and said: insist that if lt;youknow this man you shall not recognize him.**Mr. Green came to our table and said, “Good evening, all.”Out host arose and. ■without returning the salutation, said: “Do you wishto speak with me; if so, I will arrangeto see you at some other time.”Every other member of the party diligently studied the menu, Mr. Green understood the situation and retired,2t was a trying, awful moment, and we women were truly sorry, yet we felt that this man had insulted each of usAfterward, at night, I used to see Mrs McCrea walking about the gayly lighted streets, looking wistfully into the windows, a picture of wretchedness, accompanied by a woman whose appearance was not reassuring. Mr. Green was not with her, and there were rumors of differences.I began to realise what the existence of the type so well known in Paris, the “femme declasse,” must be. The woman who by her own act has put herself away from other women, who has made herself an object to be Ignored, and, too often, insulted.Whatever Allie McCrea’s sins, they were speedily, terribly punished.For two or three years little was heard of Douglas Green and his companion. Occasionally some one would tell of haying seen them in some remote quarter of the earth,' and it was always the same old story of unhappy wandering. Meanwhile ‘Will McCrea, who had secured the custody of his elder child, married the widow of John Lester, the stepmother of young Mrs. Philip Armour. This marriage gave Mr. MeCrea social prestige, and the little son of Allie McCrea became a pet of the Armour family. There wore rumors, after Mrs. Douglas Green secured her divorce, of a legal marriage between the eloping pair, but whether this was solemnized I do not know,A few years ago Douglas Green reappeared, and shortly after “Mr. and Mfs. Douglas Green” installed themselves In a New York apartment. History repeated itself; the little woman who had seen so many men at her feet and was envied by her own sex because of her beauty and her wealth found herself ostracized. At Sea-bright a year or so ago Mrs. Grden once more appeared, still pretty, with winning manners and plenty o£ money, but the odor of the mock marriage was about her. Seabright recalled. Of late Mrs, Green lived at the Windsor hotel. The man and the woman who had left everything for each other have long been less than strangers.A week ago last Thursday Mrs. Greene, whose health has been for some time failing, was removed to Dr. Cleveland’s hospital, where it was found that her chances of life depended upon a serious surgical operation. A few hours later, after great suffering, Alice Snell, in the early prime of her womanhood, still beautiful, possessed of great wealth, lay dying among strangers.When it was seen that she could, notrecover her mother was telegraphed to Mrs. Snell came to New York, too late to see her daughter alive. On Monday, with great efforts to avoid notice, Mrs. Green’s body was taken back to Chicago, where it was buried m the family plot at Graceland.It is the record of a wasted life. It does not differ from thousands of histories of other women who have wrecked themselves by an irretrievable step.This little woman paid her penalty She has expiated her folly by suffering and her pathetic death, and in her old. home her mistakes will be forgotten by those who Icnew her in tho sweetness and charm at her girlhood. —Delia Do Molle.SPIDERS INVADE A HOME.Millions of tho l.'eits Drive Out a Mainefttmllr.Mrs. Julia Pierce and daughter Emma of Southport, Me., have been driven out of their house by an unaccountable visitation ol SDlders.whicli to tho number of millions awarm lu every crack and cranny between the partitions, in the floors, fences, outbuildings, windows, doors and on the walls everywhere ouside and in. They called in a physician about two weeks ago to ascertain what it was that was causing 1h«*m so much discomfort, they being bitten or slung by something,they could not toll what. The bites were very painful, hut yielded readily to treatment Every effort that could be thought of to get rid of the pests has been made, and several hundred dollars’ worth of furniture has been, destroyed, but in vain. Finally they appealed to the board of health, which, after investigation, ordered the house vacated. Health officers are now considering the advisability of destroying the buildings, in which case they will probably he paid for by the town or state. The spidors are said to have been brought in some clothing from the south, and it is thought they may be a species of tarantula. A live specimen has been sent to Prof. Robinsonof Bowdoin college.HE SHOT ELEVEN MEN.Below is a portrait of Adam Hammer of Beaver Dam, Wis., who recently while armed with a shotgun fought a score of men and wounded eleven before be was brought down by a rifle shot fired by a sharpshooter recently discharged from the array. Hammer had been considered somewhat erratic and had been made the subject of many jokes in tho Romell Manufacturing company’s plant, where he worked. One day last week, as told in the Blade, he got real mad and resolved to do some shooting. The district attorney - deferred the preliminary hearing, owing to the man's injuries rendering it un-ADAM HAMMER, safe for him to be taken into court. With the exception of Michael Nei-mann, who has over 100 of the little shot in his arm and one of his hips the Injured men are all hack at work. Nelmann will recover without any serious consequence*.fG(11chonmAI J On IWJAiXThjAin0AtJI lt;1 ThCweThiancbult;plaLonIln. a fIs i od{ wil ■j lursrInfimefroiAblabotcarcedmeYoiHatheOnthetwethearebeIngr!njthei\IAAIThuweethe]No a uthisdegihunat viadaiandtaklt;dlttheetitt
Newspaper Details
Fredericksburg News
Fredericksburg, Iowa, US
Thu, Dec 15, 1898
Page 4
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CA, USA 27 Feb 2022
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Fredericksburg News
