Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-30
zELLA'S $4O,0OO CHECK Truth as to a Valuable Slip of
 Paper Out. GOT IT FROM A GOULD HEIR How the Young Millionaire Managed to Get the Check From the Nicoaus
 Woman.

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 Much has been said and much written about this mystery. Several explana- tions, some of them clever and plausible, have been put forward But, as is al- ways the case. the truth is cleverer and more interesting than the fiction.
 George Gould's lawyers are now In Chicago taking dispositions which they intend to use in the trial of Zella Nico- laus's suit against George Gould for the recovery of the check which she alleges he took from her by fraud. The doings of these lawyers, who are thus preparing for the supreme court at Jersey City. next month, have revived the talk about the affair. And now the truth is out.
 Several Chicago mansions were hired and furnished by clubs of rich New Workers during the Worlds fair. These houses were occupied for stated period by each of the subscribers in turn. One of the heirs of Jay Gould's fortune was D member of one of these clubs. He had the right to a certain very handsome house for two months. beginning with the middle of May. 1893. While he was living there in splendor he met Zella Nicolaus.
 The joint heir of Jay Gould got on ex- ceedingly well with the beautiful blue eyed, baby-faced Zella, and by the 1st of July they were exceedingly good friends. In the first week of July he received check for 1000 from New York. It rep resented his share of the interest on Mis- souri Pacific bonds for the first six months of 1893
 This check represented the income for half year under the will of the late Jay Gould. It is not stated how the check, properly indorsed on the back by it's own CT, came into Miss Nicolaus' possession. She swears that 1t was given to her free ly. The owner says she took it. At all events the next day she appeared at the window of the receiving teller of the First National bank of Chicago.
 T wish to open an account" she said, 'and as a beginning I wish to deposit this check"
 The receiving teller took the check, looked at the amount, looked at Zella, looked at the indorsement, looked at Zella, then consulted with the cashier. The upshot of the matter was that Zela was invited into the private office of the president, John Walsh. He questioned her politely, acknowledged her offers to bring any number of people to identify her, and then regretfully told her that he would have to ask her to bring the Gould heir, whose name was on the face and also on the back of the check. Zella thanked him and went away.
 So she went from bank to bank, offer ing to open an account with the big check. And everywhere there was the same polite caution. She could not open the account anywhere. Every one wished a note from the Gould heir or the Gould heir in person.
 Then she decided to try New York banks She came to New York and be- gan her weary round.
 But you recognize the signature on the back" she said, impatiently, to one politely deprecating bank president.
 "Oh, yes," he said. "The signature is genuine, But-but--we don't exactly un-z derstand. You must really excuse us."
 Zella got rather desperate. She de- cided to take the check to George Gould So one morning she appeared at his offices in the Western Union, and sent in n note, saying that she wished to see Mr. Gould on a personal. family matter. She was admitted. and when left alone with George Gould. told him that she had check which she wished to cash, check that had been given to her by one of his family. She produced the check and handed it to him.
 George Gould glanced at the name in the line that begins pay to the order off and then turned the check over. He recognized the genuineness of the in- dorsing signature He understood in stantly what had happened and instant ly prepared to meet the emergency. His main idea was to avoid the unpleasant talk that Zella could cause and at the same time to avoid paying over $40.O0O.
 'I have not so much money here," he said, laying the check down on his desk in a matter-of~course fashion I'll just have this sent over to the bank. l see you have indorsed it-and 1t will be paid tomorrow. Meanwhile, you arc no doubt under some expense"
 And here he touched bell on his deski wrote a few words on slip of paper and handed it to the boy who had appeared. The boy presently came back with $5O0 This money George Gould handed over to Zella. She was captured completely. She thanked him sweetly and promised to call the next day. The check remain ed with George Gould.
 The next day Zella called, thinking the $40, 900 would be put in her hands She sent in her name The boy came back and said: MT. Gould is very sorry. but he is too busy to see you"
 When will he see me?" asked Zella, for the first time suspecting.
 "He will be busy all day" said the boy, returning a second time.
 Zella went away to her hotel and sat down and wrote to George Gould. She got no answer. She wrote again and yet again and again many times. And still no answer.
 When George Gould grew weary of her bombardment of notes he sent for his friend Byrnes, then at the head of the police department and a mighty power full person.
 George Gould told Byrnes the whole story. Byrnes admired Georges man.
 
 $500 on account.
 That was bad, very bad" said Brynes. Still. he agreed to do the best he could.
 He sent for Zella and proceeded to ''throw a scare into" her. as they used to call those underground proceedings in the good old days in Mulberry street The scare was most effective and Zella went abroad in a tremor.
 On the way over she had a good chance to think and she decided that she had made fool of herself. So back she came, almost on the next steamer, and renewed her attack.
 Byrnes was too busy about his own affairs to be of much use to his friends. Also underground Mulberry street was no longer safe and sure. and secret com mittees, smelling about, were danger ously near it.
 So Zella got lawyers and settled in Jer- sey City. and then formally began her assault. Whether George Gould will let the case come to trial is question that cannot be answered. He does not like the idea of a scandal that will involve one of the Goulds. Whether Zella will dare let the case go to trial is yet an- oth ,fn h ,tc