The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-21
ZELLA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
She is Now Common Integer of the
Prescribed w omec of Colorado.

Denver July 21-Zella Nickolaus, the
woman who gained worldwide notori-
ETY. few years ago by suit IN which
she sought "a generous slice of the for
tune of Howard Gould, has been resi-
dent of Denver for some months past,
and is now visiting with friends at Col
orado Springs. The history of the wo-
man is well known, particularly that
part of it in which she figured in the
courts and the newspapers in connec-
ton with her attempts to get money
from the GouldS. She had been a dash
ing favorite in certain circles in New
York city in which unlimited money is
spent for Sensuous pleasures, and in
some manner claimed Howard Gould as
one of her victims. Whatever merit she
had for her claims, her plan of pressing
them was daring
She brought suit against Gould for
breach of promise and asked damages
in the sum of several hundred thous-
and dollars. The action cause an i'm
mense sensation al the time, and the
press of New York city, and the en-
tire country, for that matter, was filled
for months with the details and de-
velopments. leila Nickolaus, with her
aunt and other relatives who figured in
the case, had their histories told in mi
nutest detail, and every movement Of
the woman was watched and reported.
After the event had ceased to attraCt
attention in New York it was suddenly
revived in Chicago during the World $
fair, when leila and Howard met
again
An effort was made at the time to
settle the pending litigation, and How
ard Gould gave the woman a check for
$50, 900. Then George Gould interfered,
stopped the payment of the check and
the whole story was threshed over
again The upshot of it all was that
leila suddenly sailed for Europe and
spent several years travelling on the
continent. 1t was generally supposed
that the money for the trip came from
the Gould Golfers, and after society had
Speculated over the matter for the
proper length of time celia was drop
ped for some new scandal. Reports
came from abroad that the woman was
studying for the stage, and then again
she was billed as a concert singer who
was to startle the world. Even this
sort of gossip had its run, and for u
couple of years but little has been
heard of leila NickoIaus.
During the carnival last fall a wo-
man arrived in Denver from Paris and
took up her residence at a downtown
house. She had a large collection of
gowns from Worth's and attract at
tention as the most stylishly gowned
woman in Denver. She answered only
to the name of 'Maysie," and refused
to give any part of her past history.
Late in the fall she went to San Fran
cisco and spent the winter with the
prescribed colony A few days ago she
was recognized on the street by for
4ner New Yorker, who announced that
she was none other than leila Nicko-
laus. The woman's friends heard of
the reported recognition and sought
some informa ton from her She re-
fused to either affirm or deny her iden-
tity, and a few days after the matter
became current gossip suddenly left
the city, stating that she was going to
New York Since her departure it is
identity as leila Nickolaus have been
secured. Instead of going to New York
the woman stopped at Colorado Springs
where she is now living.