The Washington herald., 1914-02-05
q -
BUTCH SAVED
BY FREE LUNCH
But for Its Presence IN Bar
He Would Have Left
City Hungry.
BROKE" ON DEPARTURE
"Millionaire-for-a-Day" Has 4 Close
Call in Auto Ride-Takes
Statue Away.
BROKE" ON DEPARTURE

out in the bar of the Sterling Hotel yes
ferday afternoon at O'Clock. an hour be-
fore John Jay McDevitt's train back to
wiikesbarre. was due to leave Union Sta
tion. So the miiiionaire-for-a-day' and
his retainers dined well before they went
away.
This feature of the reckless spender's
twenty-four-hour stay in the Capital was
overlooked. however. by the moying-pi
ture operators. who had missed nothing
else. including the boxing OF McDevitt's
papier mache statue OF himself. which
the United States government had re-
sretfuliy declined to accept rs q memorial
TO be placed with others in the coIlec-
tion Of sculpture at the Capitol.
Whether or not he had spent 1900 In
his last assault on fame. McDevitt GER
tafnly was broke" when he left this
city at s O'Clock, although hs had enough
left to pay Harry Livingston. whose
automobiles he had used during the day,
and. incidentally. whose skill as 4 chauf-
feur saved the wilkesbarre financier and
seven members OF the party from pos
sible injury in a street accident.
Accident In Averted.
Livingston was speeding the car TO
Union Station when. at New Jersey and
Massachusetts, avenues northwest. he
swerved to the left to avoid a street car
and didn't notice another approaching
street car and, moreover. an excavation
in the pavement While McDeyitt, his
two brothers, friends, and newspapermen
who were standing on the running-board
gasped and shut their eyes. Livingston
sent the car ahead and. by the neatest
bit Of driving that anybody present ever
had seen, shot safely out of what had
been q nasty situation.
After McDevitt's private secretaries re-
turned to thee Sterling Hotel. where the
millionaire-for-a-day'' WIS eating his
luncheon in bed. he received the dis
heartening news that his statue had been
turned down.
I'VE saw Speaker Clark reported the
secretaries, and he says the only way a
statue can get in is by being presented
by the State you come FROM
Well well take it back home with
u.s." replied McDevitt, not at all anil
noyed. I've had several offers for II
and guess it won't 90 to waste We have
people back IN Wilkesbarre that can ap-
preciate art
A policeman from the First Precinct
station called and said his captain
wanted to be assured that the million
aire-for-a-day wasn't going to start
anything. McDevitt' was hurt by the
police officials doubt and said SO. where
at the oficer went away seemingly much
relieved.
Makes Nsneross Speeches.
After that the a-day"
made numerous speeches in his room and
did other little things to attract attention
and maze publicity. but II has all been
reported in the afternoon papers and
there isn't enough Of this column left, the
managing editor says, to permit the COM
rzlA A. AH
Devitt's desires. However, enough space
can be spared to chronicle the fact that
Mr. McDevitt finally did 90 away.
The statue was boxed up in a pine
coffin. obtained in a hurry from a local
undertaking establishment, and loaded
onto an express company's automobile
truck in front of the hotel. The entire
proceeding was witnessed by a large
crowd OF people who were still hopeful
that they would see the notorious finan-
cier flash some real currency and the
usual battery of film makers They were
disappointed, and some were heard to say
that maybe the moving picture concern
TO- which Butch is working also will
be disappointed.
Asks for Money In Advance.
Well be that as it may. the express
man wouldn't take the statue until II |
was prepaid, 80 Butch" gave him three
81 bills and s.25 in dimes and quarters |
which the had to borrow from other
members OF the party. some of whom |
seemed dubious as to the wisdom Of
parting with their contributions. So |
the statue got away all right and then |
Mr.. McDevitt paid his hotei bill, s7425, |
and drove to Seventh street and Penn |
sylvania avenue. where Seret. Emerson |
and a squad of policemen were waiting |
20 handle the crowd which was expected |
TO turn out and listen to the spender's |
last speech in Washington.
II is too bad that more people couldn't |
have heard that speech. 1t was very
funny, but only about 100 persons paused |
at the corner long enough to listen to |
Mr.. McDevitts parting shots. But IL |
the speaker was disappointed in the size |
CT his audience he didn't, show II. and |
was still in high spirits when he bor- |
rowed his car fare back home from one |
OF his secretaries. bought a ticket, and |
boarded the s o'clock Baltimore and |
Ohio train.
1t was learned last night that McDevitt |
and his twenty-one friends bought eight |
dollars worth Of food in the Sterling |
restaurant during their spendthrift visit |
Johnny Trammel the elevator boy, says |
he is going TO frame the dollar bill that |
the financier gave him when several |
newspaper men were present. Johnny be-
lieves he has the only tip that Mr.. Nc
Dewitt handed out during his twenty
In this town.
ORIGINAL ~