New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-13
HERBERT M. CLAPP SHOT
Wife of Heir to Mason, the
''ShoebIacking King" Held.
QUARREL OVER A WINDOW
Struggle for Revolver in Sleep
ing Room-He Has Figured
in Various Episodes.
EBy Telegraph 10 The Tribune. ]

IBy Telegraph 20 The Tribune.l
| PhiIadelphis, Dec. 12.-Herbert Mason
Clapp, grandson Of Mason. 1.-The Shoebiack-
| ing king and man about town. Is in
| hospital with a bullet in his head and Is
| likely to die and his beautiful young WIG
| is under bail of $500. charged with having
shot him. According to the police, tue
couple uuarreIIed in their Steering room at
| $50 this morning, and Mrs Clapp jumped
| out of bed seized q .A-calibre pistol and
shot twice at her husband. One bullet Went
| wild. smashing & mirror, but the other
| crashed through CIapps mouth, emerging
near the left ear.
At first the family and q physician who
| was called in attempted to conceal the
facts, saving Clapp had been drinking and
was suffering from nervousness, and had
| accidentally inflicted the wound. Clapp is
thirtv-eight years old and his wife is TWEEN
| ty-three.
! When the physicians at St. Joseph's Hos
pital notified the police that the wounded
mans condition was serious Mrs Clapp
was taken to the institution by two police
men and a magistrate. AS she appeared
| before Clamp he cried Take her away.
| Take her away.
She said she would get me, and she
did, said Clapp she is the best one 1
| know with Six-shooter,' he added. "She
| is not afraid of gun, man or the devil.
| Her name was Marie Leakeil, and she was
a manicure in g. Market street hotel
! 1t is alleged that Clapp struck his wife
and that the shooting followed.
| hearing which was to have been given
Mrs. Clapp this afternoon was postponed
Until the extent of her husbands injuries
are known.
Awaked for Quarrel, Says Wife.
! After being cross-examned Mrs. Clapp
| said fhst the shots were fired while she
was trying to wrest the revolver from heI
| husband. The police report that Mrs. Clapr
| said that her husband awoke her for the
! purpose OF quarrelling with her. She said
| he drew a revolver from q holster which
| he kept under his pillow and threatened tc
! kill her.
| She tried to get the pistol from him, she
| said, and in the tussle It was exploded.
| She said she was so excited that she did
not know how many shots were fired and
| did not know who pulled the trigger. but
believed that her husband did. The police
stated that the wound is of such nature
1t could hardly have been seIf-inficted. but
! that the bullet must have been fired in
| front of Mr.. Clapp and at some distance
Mrs. Clapp said She and her husband
quarreiled last night over the question
| whether the bedroom window should be
opened or closed. Mrs. Clapp said that she
wanted the window closed while her hus-
band desired it open.
Clapp has had a career which has fire.
quently brought him before the public. He
inherited the "B1acking Kings fortune
through his mother, and Is said to have an
income of 5000 year. -Four years ago
his first wife, who was formerly Miss Mary
Post. divorced him in New York, receiving
yearly alimony Of $500 and the custody of
their child. Six months after the divorce
Clapp married Marie Leakell, of this city.
In August. 1905, they went to Texas, where
Mrs. Clapp left her husband because OF his
alleged abusive treatment. She went to
New York, and Clapp followed her there.
causing her arrest. The case was dis
missed, however, and they we're temper
arily reconciled.
Last December Mrs. Clapp brought suit
against her husband for absolute divorce,
charging cruel and harbarous treatment.
Later they were again reconciled.
"Made Broad Street Speedway"
In the year and half or so ne spent in
Mr.. CIapp made a reputation for the num-
Der OF times he was arrested for breaking
the automobile speed laws. On one occa-
sion he drove his car into 8 machine that
was standing at the curb and was arrested
for Safeguarding q policeman who asked
him his name and address. On various
other occasions he hailed before a
magistrate for what the police called turn
| ing Broad street into q speedway, and in
fact became so well known In this respect
that he was threatened with q revocation
of his motor license If he persisted in dis
regard of the statutes.
Mr. Clamps earlier career before he BE-
came so well known to the traffic squad,
| was also marked by sensational incidents,
| including an attempt by a pseudo friend to
| fncarcerate him in q Southern insane
asylum and steal his handsome steam
yacht, and an encounter with q United
States government Waterman, which
| threatened for a time TO send him TO the
| Atlanta pententiary on a charge Of con-
| tempt OF court.
| Il appears that in the lawsuit that en-
abled him to keep out of the asylum and
TO regain possession of his yacht the craft
vas placed In charge of Waterman ap-
| pointed by the United States Court of Nor
! folk, \ a. Mt Iiapp tTled 10 take the
yacht out on the bay for a sail one day
! and the Waterman refused permission.
Clapp is said TO have assaulted the watch
man That person went 70 the court and
entered q complaint, but the matter was
/ finally compromised.
! a lawsuit With Thomas De Witt Cuyler
over fee Of $500 which Ciapp refused
to pay and which was won by the attor-
ney after a hard fought trial, was also
among his early adventures
| AIR. Clapp has maintained a fine stock
farm at F.rdenheim. where he has raised
biooded horses. especially those suited for
cavalry purposes.