The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-28
PAY $4,000 OR JAIL,
ORDER TO ATWATER
Aviator Who Married Senator
Platt's Widow Faces Cell
for Contempt.
RESULT OF BANKRUPTCY

Unless he turns over $4,000 to his
referee In bankruptcy by September J..
William u. Atwater. an aviator ana
husband of the late Senator Tom Platts
widow. will he committed to jail for
contempt of court. An order to that
effect was issued by Judge Julius N.
Mayer in the United States District
Court yesterday, in spite OF Atwater's
protest that lie was without funds and
depended on his wife for spending
money.
In tho bankruptcy hearings before
Special Commissioner william Tallman,
Atwater testified that his wife. Mrs.
Lslnan Janeway rPratt Atwater. had
made him give up aviation because she
feared for his life. and MS he had no
other means of earning n livelihood, he
had become the manage OF Mrs. At
waters estate. He had to go to her, he
said. for all his money.
Atwatcr turned his pockets inside out
for the Commissioner. and showed that
he only had 81. That, he said. had
been gwen TO him by his wife to help
defray the expenses of his trip from
Central Valley. y. Y. where the At
waters live. Outside of that, he said,
his only assets consisted Of So cents in
bank and an interest in his grand
fathers estate. contingent upon the
death OF his mother.
- The SIS. 900 which Atwater Il ordered
70 turn over is thought to be all that is
left of the proceeds of an aroun the
world hying trip made by him In 1912.
1Io took his wife with him on that trip
and made a numbe of flights in Japan,
for which he II said TO nave been paid
from $4,000 to Sc, 600 a fight. lie was
decorated by the Mikado for his skill
and intrepidity. Atwater's referee in
bankruptcy. who first ordered him TO
turn over the $1,000. estimates that the
total profits from the trip must have
been between 500. 600 and SO 900.
Atwater In a recent interview said
he had really lost money on the trip.
He was asked one day by several resi-
dents OF Central Valley. he said. how
many thousands he had made out of his
flying trip around the world. and by way
of a joke he answered $4,000. more or
less" This was repeated In earnest, he
said. until it reached the ears of the
referee.
Referee Anthony in his report to the
United States District Court asking tina
Atwate he punished for contempt. says
the alleged bankrupt's testimony was
indefinite. unsatisfactory and unworthy
OF belief. Atwdter was adjudged in
contempt some time ago and paroled in
the custody of his counsel pending a
motion To have the order requiring him
20 pay $4,000 set aside.
Judge Mayer in denying this motion
yesterday continued TO hold Atwater
in the custody of his attorney, Henry A.
Wise, until September l. when the
money must be paid or Atwater must so
20 jail.
Atwatcr did not say whether his wife's
aversion to aviation had prevented him
from carrying on his work in the move
ment to perfect the air defences of the
country. lie WAS appointed a member
OF a committee selected recently by the
American Society of Aeronautics TO CO.
operate with the Naval Advisory Board.
o. which Thomas Edison is n member.
Atwater went into bankruptcy IN June.
1914, with assets of S1,49l TO defray
debts amounting TO s4,SS7.