The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-28
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me that she was in the stand. wanted
to take a look at her and sought her
out She was then in company with
three well known women and TOOK
good look at her. She struck me as De-
ing more interesting than pretty ana
from a subsequent talk that had with
her, l should say that she is bright
without being sharp has only COM
mon place education, but makes the
most of this. 1 met her husband ana
was introduced to him. The latter, IN
turn. presented me TO Zella- Without
knowing anything of the case L should
saw that Mr. Gould was never taken IN
by the woman. Mr.. Gould is too bright
a man to allow this child adventures
to enmesh him. Superintendent Murray
knows all about the case. ] think, and
you had better have talk with him
YES" answered Mr. Murray, II
know the woman. The christian name
leila b. which the Nfcoiaus is known,
is a, contraction of her baptismal name
Rozella. She was born in Wabash
Ind. twenty-one years ago, to Mr. and
Mrs David Lyle. Her parents are and
always have been poor, hardworking
people. When IA years Of age the child
sought and obtained employment in a
dry goods house in Wabash As she
grew Older the town Of Wabash became
too slow for her and she moved on to
Logansport. From Logansport she NOV
ed to Joliet and here met the man who
subsequently married her. William
Nicolaus, then a, member Of the firm Of
Nicolaus & Nicolaus. Mr.. Nicolaus in
dulged his youthful bride in every thing
and her extravaganza is said to have
well nigh ruined him. Certain il is
that he had to get out Of business, and
is now q travelling man in the employ
Of Arnold Constable & Co.. Of New York
Their married life was a short and
tenptuous one. and an action for di-
vorce, based on desertbon, finally ter
minated it. Thereupon leila met and
married AL Ruhman, a horseman. now
in the 7nisfit clothing business In Chi
cago. They went to Troy and were mar
ried on Dec 81, 1893. They lived to-
gether less than six months, leila Sc
curing a divorce in Muscatine, Ia. June
13, 1894. Since then leila has been firt-
ting about on two continents"
1t was during the worlds fair IN Chi
cago that the Nicolaus fitted across
the path of George Gould in New York
That Mr.. Gould gave the woman mon
ey he admits. He denies point blank,
however. that he ever gave her the
check for $40, 900, which leila claims he
subsequently took away from her. Mr.
Gould, in a statement made in New
York on Dec. 5, 1898, had this to say:
Il never gave the woman a check for
S400 or for any other amount. 1t is
evidently a scheme to eNtort money
from me. The woman first came TO
me a short time ago and claimed to
know several prominent Chicago people
with whom I am acquainted. According
to her representation she was here with
out money or friends. She wanted to
get back home. she told me, and said
She was induced to come to ask me
for pass. AS rule / never give pass
es to women, but out of pure sympathy
for thesirPs position, L did decide TO
help her and 1 gave her enough money
TO take her back to Chicago in comfort
Within a week She came back to my
office and said that her departure for
Chicago had been delayed and confessed
that she had been forced to spend part
Of the money had given her to live on.
Thereupon gave her some more money
but when she came back again, a week
later, declined to see her, because 1
had then become convinced that she
was not telling me the truth. This is
all that know of the woman"
If there ever existed a check for s40,-
the signature of George Gould, the pa
pers in the case do not state so. Here
1T was commended that it was certifi-
cate of deposit. The story from the
camp of the Nicolaus woman has it
that the piece of paper was given by
George to Howard Gould, as the result
of some business settlement. This sub
sequently found It's way into the hands
of leila and the latter would have the
court believe that in getting the paper
away from her George had acted as an
intermediary between the woman and
his brother Howard.
Ex-Superintendent Of Police Byrnes
of New York, after the suit against Mr.
Gould was instituted by leila, looked
the woman up, and this is what he said
about her:
Il have become thoroughly acquaint-
ed with the woman. She worked her
cunning ways on a prominent Chicago
man a short time ago to the tune of
several thousand dollars. There is not
the slightest doubt but that this is a
case of blackmail. pure and simple. 1
am perfectly satisfied with what know
personally of the case that Mr.. Gould's
relations with Mrs. Nicolaus are just as
ne has represented them to be. Mr..
Gould is one of a thousand prominent
blackmailers. He has done the manly
thing in determining to fight the case
instead of listening to proposition to
compromise the matter. The Nicolaus
woman has been in my office and have
looked her over carefully. She is a re-
markable woman and awakens a IA
vo1'abhe impression at first sight. Con-
fidence in her is apt to increase on fur
ts1er acquaintance. 1 studied her close
~ while she was answering my Ques-
tons, and quite unconsciously found
myself beginning to sympathiZe with
her. I knew that she was telling me a
pack of lies and yet so forceful and
apparently sincere was she that l at
times lost sight of the fact that the wo-
man / was talking to was telling me
that which / knew was untrue. She has
tears that are ever ready to flow and
she can change from joy to sorrow in
the twinkling Of an eye. She is mar
vel Of deviltry hidden behind cloak Of
seeming purity. She is indeed, a re-
markable character, talented, pretty
and interesting. and for this reason is
one of the most dangerous persons /
ever met"