Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-08
COP ONCE RICH
PENNILESS
Former Lieut.. Vaughn Sey-
eraI Years at TottenviIle, S. !.

John Wilbur Vaughan, formerly a
lieutenant attached to the 99th pre-
cinct police station, TottenVllle ana
often referred to in the department
as the millionaire cop, is waking
the streets Of New York broke and
without a home. Vaughan, who was
retired by Police Commissioner Wal
do several months ago, has even his
pension of $1,125 year a tied up in
alimony proceedings. He was at the
Tottenville station for several years
and lived on a farm at Huguenot.
He is well known on this end of the
island.
II had nearly a million dollars
once" said Vaughan today, and nov
| have no place to rest my head to-
night. I walked the streets all night
because l had no place to Sleep
Vaughan blames his financial
downfall to his marital troubles,
which have been aired frequently in
the courts since 1901, when his wife
entered suit for separation and was
awarded $40 a week alimony.
Il married Miss Mary Summers
Itw~enty-six years ago." said the for
mer lieutenant today, and for a
time we lived very happily. l be-
came a policeman and was shortly
made a detective sergeant by Big
Bill' Devery, who always said / had
too much business ability to be a
policeman.
Devery's Real Estate Agent.
81 acted as Devery's agent in a
number of real estate transactions
,,l,al -otfol h orloar,n nrnAta Than
II began dabbling in real estate my
self. First l bought property in In
wood on which 1 made a lot, of
money. Then, although 1 was still
a policeman, I began doing a lot of
real estate business in New York. ...
Il put my fifteen year old son in
charge of my real estate business in
the Bronx and he did more business
than any other real estate broker up
there.
"Of course, l was behind him in
all the transactions. Commissioner
Bingham thought / was too active in
the business and transferred me to
desk duty In Staten Island, but /
still made money.
Zone of my first big mistakes was
to turn over to my wife a $4,000
house, allowed her to use the in
come for pin money. Then / took
charge of the handling of a 100000
estate, but as I could not spare the
time to attend to 1t, I let my wife
collect the rents, and that Melted
her 5000 a month extra.
81 gave by wife a fine farm at
Saugerties, N. Y, in the Catskills,
and fitted 1t up magnihcently. Why,
l even gave her a $1,000 saddle
horse that came from the stables of
j. Pierpont Morgan.
Had to Work on Farm.
Twelve years age she left me and
sued for separation. The courts
awarded her $40 a week. I paid that
for a long time, in addition to letting
my wife have all the property l had
given her. In 1903, she wouldn't
even let me come into my own
house and I had to live In the sta
ton house. She had me arrested
for nonsupport. When the case was
tried, Magistrate Crane threw it out
of court. Then l refused to pay her
any more alimony.
"In 1904 1 was driven into bank
ruptcy because all thte money I had
was In my wife's name. l retired
from the Police Department as a
lieutenant on June IL, with a pen
sion of $1,125 a year. / was with
out money and had to go down to
Summerville, N. j., and work on a
farm to keep myself until the first
payments on my pension was due.
"a few days ago 1 drew a draft
on the Department for the first pay
ment, and the draft came back with
a paper attached showing that the
money had been paid to my wife by
order of the court because / was
behind In the alimony 1 had been
ordered to pay her. I even had to
borrow enough none to come to
New York. Now / haven't ever one
cent"