Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-13


laus obtained the check originally from
Howard Gould, when the latter was in
Chicago attending the Worlds Fair.
As the story is told, the $4,000 check
materialized in the settlement Of part
of Jay Gould's estate just before
Howard Gouln started for Chicago.
His share in this particular division
of a portion of his fathers es-
tate was $40, 900, and, to make the ac-
count on the books appear all right,
George Gould, as executor, made out a
check for this amount to Howard and
gave it TO him to diSpost. Howard,
however, carried this check to Chicago
with him. While there he met and be-
came fascinated with Mrs. Nlcolaus.
He was with her the greater part of the
time he was in Chicago, and before he
left he gave the $40, 900 check to her. .
George J. Gould got wind OF his
transaction in time to stop payment on
the check Mrs. Nicolaus presented it
at bank In Chicago, bnt when IL was
pronounced "no good" she came to
New York and sought an explanation Of
Howard Gould. The latter told leila
that he would set the matter rig hit at
once and went to his brother to know
what right he had to interfere
win the check. There was a stormy
interview between George and Howard,
the former declaring that $40, 900 was
too much money TO pay to any woman,
and expressing his determination to
never pay any such demand. Howard
refused to sever his acquaintance with
Mrs. Nicolaus and returned to her and
reported the result Of his talk with
George.
Then it was that leila saw George
Gould herself and threatened to bring
suit for the payment Of the check unless
the amount it called for was at once
handed over to her. George was obsti-
nate and sought the aid of Supt. Byrnes,
and the latter sent for Mrs. Nicolaus. 1t
is said that when she called on Byrnes,
aud he threatened to expose her past if
she annoyed the Goulds, she calmly In
formed Byrnes that no matter what her
past might have been, or what position
she might now be in, the $4,000 check
had been paid to her by Howard Gould,
and it was as much hers as though the
amount had been paid in cash. She
claimed that George Gould, after once
signing the check and paying it out,
had no control over it; that he was not
authorized by Howard to stop payment,
aud that George had finally obtained
the check from her in fraudulent man
ner.
This she explained by saying that
when she came to New York with the
check in her possession, and told How
ard Gould the circumstances, he had
endeavored TO get his brother TO with
draw the stop order on the check, but
after several interviews between her
self and George Gould, the latter told
her be had decided to pay her the
amount she claimed rather than
have any trouble over it; but, for
family reasons, be said he did not
want the check to go through with
her signature, so II she would give up
the check he would give her $40, 600 in
bills. This she agreed to do, and re-
ceived from George Gould two payments
OF $500 each. When he paid her the
second $500 she handed him the check,
suppoSing that he was going to count
out the balance of-the S40,0 George
Gould, she said, grabbed up the check
aud then told her to get out Of his sight
or else he would have her arrested as
blackmailer
Mrs. Nicolaus told tho superinten-
dent, so the story goes, that she had
witnesses to the payment of the check
to her by Howard Gould, Of her presen-
tation Of IL to the Chicago banks, and
wound up by telling the superintendent
that he did not dare to arrest her on
any such charge as George Gould pre-
ferred. She had done nothing for
which she could be arrested, and she
did not propose to leave the city until
the matter was settled.