Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-05-22
A STRANGE STORY
Millionaire Pierce Tells on Witness
Stand of the Deeeneracy
of His Son.

A special to the Houston Chronicle
from Newburg, N. Y, says:
Henry Clay Pierce, famous as the
head OF one of the STANDARD Oil sub
sidiary companies and many times a
millionaire, told an amazing story of
! his son Roy's extraordinary life and
views of matrimony in court here to-
day. Twice the young man attempted
to check his father, when he said $685..
600 year was refused to his actress
bride.
/ Roy Pierce married the beautiful
Betty Chapman, whose romantic ca
reer has thrilled Europe and America
alike Effort is now being made to
have this marriage annulled.
Theron Pierce, a brother of Roy,
and a number of alienists, including
DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald, DR.. Charles
H. Dana ana DR.. William K Draper,
also testified Although aware that her
fate, as coupled with that Of the mill
ionaire's son, lay in the balance here,
Mrs. Pierce did not appear Instead
she contented herself with issuing a
brief statement in New York.
My son." said the father, told me
in December that he had met Mrs
Chapman in Paris in 1908 and in this
country later. He said he had mar
red her, knowing her previous life
and character. In fact he said a
woman of her type was more agree
able to him.
1.-The question is said my son,
how much will you give me to make
up to her for what she is losing by
marrying me?'
Then my son told me she was get
ting $4,000 from another source which
she would lose if she accepted my son,
and she did not feel that ii was well
to let the money slip away from her
until she was certain of as much
through him.
81 told my son she was dragging him
down and pointed out the necessity of
his giving her up. He told me that he
was satisfied. He said he wanted her
and demanded that at least $4,000 a
year be settled upon her as his wife.
Il refused absolutely to have any
thing to do with it and then he told
me that she had said she could get
$500 a week by returning to the stage
and using the name of Pierce and the
facts of her marriage. He said she
would do this unless a change took
place.
"At that time Roy was taking from
thirty-hve to forty drinks day and
from forty to sixty cigarettes
daily. In the evening, after | had told
him that my decision was that there
would be no concession to this woman,
my son was found unconscious in his
room as the result of an overdose Of
I'VE sent for physicians, and after
a great effort on their part his life
was saved. This was about January |
of this year. Then he renewed the |
subject of money.
AT that time he declared that he |
must have the money, and must know
in two hours. | refused to give money !
to him, and Roy said he could not live !
without her and that she would not |
live with him unless he gave her
money freely. He did not come down |
to dinner that evening, and at 9 |
o'clock, as he had not been seen, a
visit was paid to his room.
The doors were locked. Repeated
knocks failed to bring a response and /
the door was broken in He was again
in an unconscious condition. Physi- /
clans were called and they worked ,
over him the entire night before they
we're able to bring him out of the /
condition he was in because
If the drugs.
I'm his room at that time was found
l diary he had kept. telling of his love
md affection for Mrs. Chapman, with
| record of the places they had visited