The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-10-04
Years in GermanBy Ambassador James Watson
100000 THEPRICE
OF M|LL|ONAIRE'S
MXEDLOVE AFFAIRS

NEW YORK. Oct. 4.-The payment
OF 100000 as heart balm to Mrs VIII
helmlna Meyer Mayo. who for twelve
years enormously believed herself to
be the legal wife OF Virginia St Ju-
liam Mayo, millionaire radiator manu-
facturer Of New Haven, has come a.
the climax OF a love tangIe that in
volved four women and one girls sui
eide
A supreme court jury awarded to
Mrs. Mayo these damages after half
an hours elaboration.
Mayo and Miss Meyer were married
by a Moravian minister in Erooklyn
in 1904. Mayo -was\then drawing an
annual salary Of $4,000. Then he in
vented a radiator. nd made millions
from It. His counsel. in Miss Meyers
suit. insisted that the verdict should
be based on what Mayo was earning
at the time of the marriage twelve
years ago. and not on his present in
come.
Many Women Involved.
The troubles OF Mayo revolvsd about
dozens OF women. Among the prin-
cipals were:
Mrs Florence Weeks MAYO. OF
Scranton. Pa, Mayo's legal wife, to
whom Mayo was married a quarter Of
century ago. She obtained a a.
vorce year ago.
Lillian May Cook, a pretty sixteen
year-old stenographer, in Mayo's en-
ploy, who killed herself two years
ago.
Lois Dudley. a beautiful young
woman residing In a luxurious estab-
lishment In ~ Brooklyn, admittedly
leased by Mayo. She was regarded BY
all neighbors and friends as Mayo's
wife and her three children as Mayo'G.
Other beautiful stenographers en-
ployed by Mayo were brought into the
damage suit. The last Mrs. Mavo all.
ed for heart balm, ste.ing that at the
time Of her marriage, =, nd for twelve
years afterward she 81 not know
Mayo was undiYorced.
Tells How She Was Wen.
Mrs Meyer on the stand told of her
meeting with Mayo and how hs.nvon
her away from her hance. shE va
visiting this man, whose maize was
Peterson, in the Raymond street fail
in Brooklyn, where he was being held
for refusing to pay alimony to q
former wife Mayo, who also was q
friend OF Peterson, was visiting him
at the same time. An Introduction
followed, and later Mayo superseded
Peterson in Mrs. Meyers affections.
She was twenty years old at the time.
Mr.. Mooney told the jury that his
client entered ceremonial mar
riage with Mayo on April 2, 1904, q
Morayian minister officiating. He
then referred to a "catastrophe" in
Mayo's life which revealed the fact
that he was married at the time of
the ceremonial marriage. The public
notoriety of It, Mr.. Mooney said,
caused Mrs. Meyer. who was then
living in luxury and affuence with
Mayo as his wife. to discover that
she never had been legally his wife.
The engagement and the breach OF
promise growing out OF Mayo's in
ability to marry Mrs Meyer at the
time OF the ceremony was admitted
by James w. Osborne. counsel for
Mayo. He claimed, however. that
Mrs. Meyer knew that Mayo was mar
rIed to the former wife and not a.
Mr.. Osborne made constant
objections, and finally the court made
he ruling barring all matter having
% do with the affairs which have
given prominence to Mayo.
An attempt was made to have testl-
nony allowed to the effect that Mayo
was llv ingwith Mrs. Meyer in New
Haven when his stenographer killed
herself.
The entire trial was concluded in
ess than four hours. The jury was
,ut thirty minutes. On a motion By
Mr.. Osborne that the verdict be set
Iside as excessive. the court reserved
Previously he had obtain
ID a ruling from Justice Goff that
my damages should be assessed ae
he time Mayo was making $4,000 .
rear in 1904 IL the jury found he had
broken his promise to wed