The Washington herald., 1914-04-04
FAIR "SPENDER'
UNDONE.BY BILL
Claim Of Washington Jeweler
Ends Mrs. Edith Wilson's
Meteoric Career.
TAXI BILL FOR sl,6oo
Securities that Covered Debt to
Harris N. Brown and Others Prove
to Be Newspapers Only.
TAXI BILL FOR s1,6OO

/ New York. April Anew and amazing
disclosures of the endless chain Of credit
which Mrs. Edith Wilson. little soft
spoken woman OF thirty, is alleged to
have woven through the agency Of "se-
curities" in a strong box. which were
nothing but bundles Of newspapers and
railroad time tables. have come thick
and fast
On Wednesday the strong box in the
vault of the United States Safe Deposit
Company. at 20 Liberty street, supposed
to contain Mrs. Wilson's first mortgage
railroad bonds worth s1oO,eoo. was opened
on a court order obtained by the Globe
Indemnity Company.
This company had guaranteed the pay
ment OF = jewelry bill for A,2oo, due Har-
ris n. Brown, of Washington, ID. C..
from Mrs Wilson. The surety bond was
issued after the indemnity company had
been guaranteed against loss by the per
sonal representatives of Mrs. Josephine
]. Lawrence. who lives at the Plaza
Hotel. and who Is well known socially.
Taxi Bill for $1,000.
Supplementary proceedings to discover
any hidden assets that Mrs. Wilson may
have had were begun in the City Court
by the Norton Universal Taxicab Com
pany. which has a judgment Of 500
against her. At the same time another
action for s1,eo0 for taxicab hire while
Mrs. Wilson was in Narragansett Pier.
R. l., last summer. was begun.
Detectives are seeking Mrs. Wilson
| everywhere, as the indemnity company
says II fears that Mrs. Wilson has Sc
creted her securities and fed.
The career of Mrs. Edith Wilson. who
/ says that she is the widow Of Mr.. Henry
Wilson. a vice president of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, has been one Of luxury
since she took up her permanent resi-
dence at the Knickerbocker Hotel in the
spring of 1872. Always she has lived
in most lavish fashion. with excellent So
cial connections. In her conversations
she is said to have spoken Of Vincent
Astor, George Gould and Herman Oel-
richs by their given names.
Brown Demands Payment.
Although she appeared at times to be
pressed for funds she always managed
to bridge the chasms until a few weeks
ago, when Mr.. Brown. of Washington.
demanded payment for his jewels She
was living at the Biltmore Hotel in a
suite of rooms costing SIS a day at the
time Mr.. Brown attached the jewelry
and Mrs. Wilson appealed to Mrs. Law
renee. who had aided her last summer
at Narragansett Pier. Mrs. Lawrence in
structed her agents to aid the woman.
The result was a surety bond which re-
lieved her OF the attachment.
Then. il is asserted, she left the Bilt-
more Hotel without paying a bill for s409
and leaving behind her scaled packages
and baggage, upon which the MOTEL swore
out an attachment. Whether these pack
ages contain real valuables or only more
newspaper clippings is not known.
In March of 1872 Mrs. Wilson returned
| to the. Knickerbocker and lived there for
six months, spending, the management
said yesterday, at the rate OF A,oO a
week, exclusive of the cost of her cpart-
ment, which was 5000 per annum.
During the last month Mrs. Wilson has
! been seen much in the company OF
Charles Keller, of 81 West Thirty
seventh street. Mr.. Keeler was not in
! the city yesterday.
Just what action can be taken against
Mrs. Wilson, in case she Is found. Rich
ard K McGonigal. assistant secretary
| of the Globe Indemnity Company, said.
has not been determined yet. but every
effort to find whatever assets she may
! have will be made