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Show )LD SCANDAL INVOLVING BEAUTIFUL VIRGINIAN IS DUG UP BY SHOOTING OF HORSE TRAINER OF A. G. VANDERBILT I When Frederick Fickinger shot 1 1 tad slightly wounded Charles H. I tWibion at a New York horeo show I le aroused a furore in certain cir- I cles which to the rest of the world II Msuuies the aspect of a mystery. At I jthc same time, the assailant revived I pathetic tragedy of romanco gone iong. : The motive which Fickinger. a Private detective, gave for his as-ault as-ault on the farm manager and horse trainer for Alfred G. Vander-I Vander-I til call" back to mind the tragic j Itory of rioren. e Schenck, once note, Virginia ln.-auty. who died last i Jenu.uy from the etfeet of e:irs of fi lBi':iiiMii. It wn-, to avenge her I Tung, Fl.kiner said, that ho Dieant to ''ill Wilson, the man with i .lrt! whom she eloped in 1006, only to bo cast off a little later to live on the charity of strangers. But the investigators in the case hint at another side of the shooting shoot-ing and the motives that may be behind it. Recently Fickinger had made repeated re-peated threats that ho was going to expose the double lives of men and women whose names are known all over the world The only letter bearing on such matters which ho carried at tho time of his arrest was ono to District Attorney Whitman, in which ho offered to expose bribery brib-ery and perjury in the case of a wealthy man trying to divorce his wife on framed up evidence. rhe man In question," the letter said. 11 5PWPi5 "wanted to marry II prominent actress ac-tress after securing the divorco from his wife and tho evidence was to bo secured at any cost and with great expedition." Other material In the possession of Fickinger which appeared to bear upon his threats against society so-ciety men and women was long lists of addresses Some were reputable and some were most disreputable. It is a part of the mystery to find the connection between these things and tho motive which tho prltsoner himself ascribes for his docd. Fickinger would have 'be world consider him In the role of knight errant. Remembrance of tho onco beautiful and vivacious Fiorenco Schenck ho assigns as the mental force Impelling him to mako the attempt at-tempt on tho life of tho man who caused her downfall. As ho fired at Wilson ho is said to have shouted: "You ruined Fiorenco Schcnck's life; now I am going to gel you " According to PIckinger's story ho had been hired by Wilson to put Bliss Bchenck out of the way. Instead In-stead of carrying out the desire of his employer, he says, he fell In Io e with the unfortunate young woman and tried to help her and reunite re-unite her with her family who had disclaimed her. following the elopement elope-ment with Wilson. Ho maintains that it was through his efforts that her father took her to the old homo In Norfolk where she died last January. Jan-uary. "I I ' f l HlHl I I Thus is added another chapter, a sort of afterthought, to one of life's romances which did not come out right But whllo tho romance ran along the great highway, there was guyety and brilliancy to Spare With unusual charm of blue eyes and blond hair and all tho dclltrhts commingled com-mingled In tho manners of a Southern South-ern beauty, Fiorenco Schenck as an accomplished horsewoman, In a few brief months caused comment on two continents and flitted from gayety to gayety. Following a ceremony in London which led her to believe horself the wifo of Wilson, the trainer of Van-derbMt's Van-derbMt's horses, the future promised emly a continuation of tho round of pleasures and social conquests. But the future's promises were shattered shat-tered when the couple returned to America, and on tho pier lu New York Wilson cast the girl from him and denied that he had murrlod her. A little while after, Wilson's wife appeared and protested there could have been no binding marriage mar-riage between her husband and Miss Schem k. There was the stage for tho unfortunate un-fortunate beauty, disowned by family fam-ily and the man she believed was her husband. Later there was only the charity of strangers and tho Bio dragging out of a life wrecked by dissipation. Ju few hours after af-ter Ik r death came a court decision deci-sion permitting nor to prosecute a suit against Wilson to vindicate her good name. The grievance of the wronged woman, says Fickinger. became his own. Brooding, helped on by prolonged pro-longed drunkenness. It is believed, brought en a mania for revenge. Obliging. Visitor (at seance) I want to talk with Mr. Brown. Attendant What Mr. Brown? Visitor I can not remember his first name, but he is only lately do-ceased. do-ceased. Attendant (formerly a department depart-ment store worker) Please show the gentleman some of the latest shades of Browns Harper's Weekly- i! |
