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Show JOHN ARMSTRONG CHANtER. t Photo by Waldon Fawcett) I , TT, nmrjn i n-ni r. f. u, ,,Vli-' V. ; in - v::.-,-:..i:'-.A ,-J THE MISREPRESENTED MAD MAN OF THE MERRY MILLS. Charlottesville. Va., Jar.. 9. With-ir. With-ir. a few weeks in th llttlo city of Charlottesville, Va., tho (urtain will ro tip on another act in the strangest lonal case of the century the plctur-itque plctur-itque fight of John Armstrong Chan-ler Chan-ler (or Chaloner, a he now spells his ; i:ame) to prove hla sanity and win I back his fortune of a million and a ! half dollars. This handsonio young 1 millionaire onco the pet of the New York "400" and formerly the husband j of the brilliant Amelle Riven has al- I r.ady been declared sane by the courts j of Virginia, in which stato he maks , his home, and the courts of North ' Carolina, in which commonwealth ho j has extensive property interests. j Thus two triumphs already stand to the credit of this descendent of Char- t lotto Corday victories which assure him his home and his personal liber-' ty, but It. is the forthcoming or third legal duel w ith the bulk of his for- : tuno as the prize, the outcome of which ho awaits with all tho tension of n Monte Crieto ready to cry "the last one three." For, be It explained, explain-ed, the current proceeding, although their locale Is In the one-time homo of Thomas Jefferson in the uplands of Virginia, have as an object tho establishment es-tablishment of Chanoler's sanity In New York 6tate. It was in New York state. It may be remembered, and not In Virginia, where he had long resided, that this scion of tho famous Chanler family was declared insane. After proceedings, proceed-ings, charged to have been high-handed and certainly sensational, he was thrown into Bloomingdale Insane asylum asy-lum in the spring of 1897, and thero he remained until four years later, when he managed to make his escape ana returned to Virginia, where he was known and where he had no difficulty dif-ficulty In demonstrating his sanity to the satisfaction of the courts. Ever since his escape Chanoler has been fighting at long range to establish estab-lish his sanity in tho Empire state. For two reasons this plucky fight for freedom has been carried on in historic his-toric Albemarle county, Virginia, where the present hearings are to take place before the commissioner of the United States federal court In the first place, Chanoler has not dared set foot in Newr York stale on pain of being seized as a lunatic and hurried back to the mad house from which he escaped after so much effort Secondly, Sec-ondly, though by right a millionaire he is in effect penniless In ho far as Ms New York status Is concerned, for with his Imprisonment in Blooming-dale Blooming-dale his entire possessions in New York, valued at $1,500,000, were turned turn-ed over , to a "guardian," in whoso possession they have ever since- been. Thu denied the use of his wealth Chanoler has at all times been compelled com-pelled to wage his fight with somo eye to expense. The tale to bo. unfolded by Chal-oner's Chal-oner's testimony reads like a chronicle chron-icle of tho middle ages. Moreover, it Involves a number of names con6plcu. on a in the world of affairs. Foremost among these famous actors In the drama was the late Stanford White who later met a tragic death at the hands of Harry Thaw. White was an old friend of the man whose S3nity la now in question and It was tho notorious no-torious architect who, In the spring of 1897, came to Chaloner's Virginia estate es-tate on an ostensibly friendly visit; Induced In-duced the young millionaire to accompany accom-pany him to New York for a taste of the metropolitan whirl and when he got him there was. It Is alleged, large-; ly Instrumental in having him com- j routed to the Insane aayl.im. Startling as will be the disclosures ' of these hidden chapters in the life of Stanford White with side lights on certain other famous men, including the late Augustus SL Gaudens, the sculptor, they will be,'lf possible, exceeded ex-ceeded In Interest by the baring of the details of what Cbnloner'8 story suggests has been a bitter family lend of which Chaloner has apparently been the victim. The man who Is now fighting to gain recognition of his canity declares that the entire and combined Chaloner family has. all along b'-en arrayed against him anJ it was because of this attitude on Lie part of his brothers and sisters that he says he forpook the family name in Us present form and secured an act of legislature in the south, which enabled en-abled him to revert in the spelling of his name to its ancestral form of Chaloner. Chal-oner. It Is, Indeed, a distinguished array pose of all rnls property during hJ imprisonment In Bloomingdale. The domestic arrangements at "Th Merry Mills" are largely in the hands of George, a faithful colored man, who combines the functions of valet, chef and butler. Five farm hands, who occupy nearby tenant houses, complete the roster of the help on the estate. For all that there Is none of tho "down at the heel" look about "The Merry Mills,'' the estate is not kept up as are many of its neighbors In this favored fa-vored region. Although John Armstrong Arm-strong Chaloner Is by no means living In poverty, as has been pictured in some Instances, it must be admitted that he is in reduced circumstances as a result of the happenings of a dozen years ago. It is nard, for instance, in-stance, for a man who Is as fond of thoroughbreds as Is this Virginia country coun-try squire, to content himself with a couple of horses, when a near neighbor neigh-bor has 125 head. However, If Chaloner recovers possession of his fortune of $1,500,000 and an additional $263,000 of accrued income, there will be a wonderful won-derful transformation at "The Merry Mills." Almost every room in the Merry Mills mansion betokens the lterary tastes of Its master. The walls of the large library which opens to the right of the central hall are lined with well-filled well-filled bookshelves and the overflow of books and magazines and manuscript extends to the billiard room at the rear of the house. On the left of the hall Is the dining room, a stately apartment with a wealth of old mahogany mahog-any calculated to arouse tho envy of any collector of antiques. Conspicuous Conspicu-ous among the furnishings of this room is a magnificent sideboard that was brought to Virginia yvhen the old British barracks at Halifax were dismantled. dis-mantled. On the second floor are tho sleeping apartments and Mr. Cbalo-ner's Cbalo-ner's private office. John Armstrong Chaloner, as wc see him today on his Virginia estate, Is a splendid figure of a man. Slender, tall and erect, with the carriage of an athlete and a voice an actor might envy, en-vy, there Is not In his manner or In his conversation tho latter showing a wide knowledge of currents events and a keen interest lnthe world's affairs of this complex drama and am-n.? them is tho fourth brother. Col. William Wil-liam Astor Chanoler, formerly a congressman, con-gressman, and a sister, Mrs. Richard Aldrich, who as, MJes Margaret Livingston Liv-ingston Chanoler was the foremost Red Cross nurse during the Spanish-American war, ven the great aunt of tho misrepresented "mad man."Mrs. William Wil-liam Astor, that absolute ruler of New York's exclusive society, is drawn into in-to the story. The keynote of the charges that led to Chaloner's Imprisonment us a lunatic luna-tic and the charges that will be most emphatically refuted at the coming hearings, concern certain supposed features of Chaloner's life at "Tho Merry Mills," that being the name of his estate near Cobham. Va. The per-pecuted per-pecuted young millionaire now declares de-clares that his brothers w'ho sworo that they had seen these odd goings-on goings-on at the ''Merry Mills" never so much as Baw his Virginia property, but his denials have not dissipated the popular belief that an atmosphere of mystery' enshrouds the life of Chaloner Chal-oner on his plantation in the Old Dominion. Do-minion. It was to probe these vague intangible rumors that the writer recently re-cently visited "The Merry Mills." To sum up the observations of this visit at the outset It may be said that the present-day existence of John Armstrong Chaloner at the "Merry Mills" Is the typical life seemingly tho Ideal life of a man of the tastes and the temperament, the means and the requisite leisure to enjoy country lifo in the most perfect environment w-hlch America affords for this form of existence. The geographic and climatic cli-matic conditions could not well be im-. proved upon. Located In the picturesque pictur-esque Piedmont region, little more than a 6Core of miles from "Pino Knot," the Chaloner's home is near enough to the large eastern cities to insure all conveniences anl yet isolated iso-lated enough to enable restful quiet and seclusion when It is desired. "The Merry Mills" is distant about two miles from the little station of Cobham on the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad. Tho big yellow colonial house, with white trimmings. Is not as impressive im-pressive architecturally as many Virginia Vir-ginia mansions, but the convenience of its interior arrangement atones for any defects In exterior appearance. This stately house, surrounded by noble no-ble treos and set down on an estate of more than 400 acres, has been the home of John Armstrong Chaloner ever since ho came to the Old Dominion Domin-ion at the behest of Cupid. It need scarcely be explained that Chaloner is not a native Virginian. Like the other members of his family, he Is a New Yorker, and the train of events which resulted in his migration migra-tion to Virginia began twenty-one years ago. when, one August night In 18S7, at the Casino ball room in Newport, New-port, he met and forthwith fell head over heels In love with Miss Amelia Rives, the beautiful daughter of Colonel Rives of Virginia, former minister min-ister to Franco. Young Chaloner's resolutions res-olutions not to marry until he had reached tho age of twenty-flvft were bowled over in an instant. He followed fol-lowed Miss Rives to her home at Castle Cas-tle Hill, near Cobham, Va.. won her hand in marriage, and purchased the neighboring estate, which has ever since been his home. This estate takes Its fantastic name, "The Merry Mills." from an historic old mill located on the edge of the plantation. Mr. Chaloner does not at present own this old building, but he has an option on It and declares that if. aa expected, bo regains possession of his fortune, one of his first acts will be to purchase the property. According Ac-cording to tradition, this mill was, In the olden days, the rendezvous for all I the younger people of the countryside, who gathered to dance on' its expan-1 expan-1 elvc floor, and such was the reputation acquired that It came to be known nnl-. nnl-. versally as the "Merry Mill." In tlmo I this was corrupted to "The Merry ! Mills," and when Mr. Chaloner pur-; pur-; cha&ed his present country seat the ' name caught his fancy and he be-: be-: stowed It upon his newly acquired : holding. i Chaloner grew very fond of Virginia 1 countrv lifo and its magnetism re j malned unbroken although his ro-! ro-! mance with the woman known to fame ' as the authoress of "The Quick and I the Dead" did not have the traditional i "happy ever after" sequel. After ! about eight years of wedded life, Chaloner and his Virginia bride agreed upon a divorce upon the ground of I lncompatablllty r( temper. In the eyes of Rome persons an evidence of . Chaloner's supposed eccentricity is found In tho circumstance that he has been able to continue on terms of sln-I sln-I cere friendship with his former wife, I now the Prince TroubeUkoy, who. with her hUBband, spent a portion of the past summer amidst the scenes of her girlhood. Ever since his escape from the New York insane asylum Chaloner has kept bachelor's hall at "The Merry Mil!." which he declares will alwavs be his home, no matter how wealthy he may become. His constant corapan-i corapan-i Ion la Colonel Ernie George Money, a tall, athletic Englishman, quiet of ! manner and soft of voice, who acts for Mr. Chaloner In the dual role of sec-' sec-' retary and business representative. The relations of the two men are those of chums, and Mr. Chaloner gives Colonel Money the credit for having j saved to him "The Merry Mills." es- tate, when an effort was made to dls- i ' a. va.,' after which latter hour he re-I re-I tires and sleeps until ll o'clock in tho ; morning. Like Mark Twain, John ' Armstrong Chaloner does most of his llterarv work In a reclining position. This compulsory habit Is another heritage her-itage of those dreary days In the mad j house. to Justify the most fleeting suspicion , of Irrationality. A stranger meeting ; hlra for the first time Is instantly struck hy his remarkable resemblance, full face', to Napoleon Bonaparte. It was this facial resemblance, by tho way, that cost Chaloner four years of misery in Bloomlngdkli?. Always a student of the occult, he. on one occasion, occa-sion, entertained a number of Ma fripnds with a scientific experiment in wtlch Chaloner, in effect entering a trance, sought to have his face re: semble the death mask of Napoleon. It .was a harmless test, but Stanford White, who was present, thenceforth constituted hinibelf the busybody of this celebrated case and immediately took step to put his friend in the power of the New York alienists. Chaloner, today, lives much In the open. His homo In a clime where the air is mild but bracing, and the winters win-ters short and lacking in severity, affords af-fords a continual Invitation to outdoor athletics. Dally he goes for a long gallop on a handsome, seven-year-old sorrel mare, significantly named "Red-dress," "Red-dress," and during the warm months a favorite playground is the magnificent magnifi-cent swimming pool which he has had constructed on the estate a mirror-like mirror-like body of water one hundred feet in length, fringed with trees, and the shore of which Chaloner has already chosen as his last resting place. The mysterious millionaire of "The Merry Mills," whose pursuits are. for the most part, those of an author and a lawyer, finds, like many another brain worker, that he accomplishes most in the solitude of tho night. Alike to Alexander Graham Bell, the famous Inventor of the telephone, his office hours are from 10 p. m, until 3 of relatives who are to be held up to the public gaze as the alleged enemies of this Isolated member of the Chanoler Chan-oler clan. In the events that led up to the mad hou ejdiiode will be heard the names of Lewis Stuyvesant Chanoler. Chan-oler. lately defeated for governor of New York .state., and Wlnthrop Astor Chanoler. who as sheriff of Duchess county. New York, has been much in the public eye of late as the Jailer of Harry Thaw, flayer of that self same Stanford While, who figures conspicuously con-spicuously in this trageJy of two states. Parenthlcally. It may b remarked re-marked that at half a dozen' points does this mysterious Chaloner ca?e touch that other cause eelebre the White-Thaw tragedy. But there hav been other Chanolers who have had le6ier roles in the etory Chaloner tells |