New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-11
Met His Wife
At Her School.
Croker Asserts
Denies Truth of Affidavit
About Making Acquaint-
ance in Park; Tells
of Visit With Children
Wire : Tapping Reported
Former Tammany Chieftain
Doesn't Remember Being
Congratulated by King
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, April 10.
--Replyng to an affidavit. declaring
that Mrs. Croker told a woman friend
she met Richard Croker in Central
Park, where she was riding horse;
that Mr.. Croker caught her eye and
wlnked at her, and that she afterward
told this woman she had prevarcated
and that Mrs. Martin Littleton had in
PRODUCED him, the former Tammany
leader, when asked to-day how he did
meet his wife, said:
THAT affidavit is all false. I never
saw her on horse until took her to
Glencalrn. / went to lecture at the
school she was attending in New York.
| had a talk with her, during which
she asked me if would like to come to
an Indian recital she was giving at the
Studio Club, 35 East Sixty-second
Street. | went to this recital, taking
my daughter Ethel and my son Howard.
That was the commencement of our ac-
Quaintancc.
you might say that this contyo-
versy with my children reminds me of
story ] heard when | was boy.
and her children sent for a lawyer to
make will. She gave her donkey to
one child. her goat to another and her
chickens to third, and they all said:
w hat wonderful memory she has
right up to the last!' And then the old
lady said To my eldest son, because
nave already given him much, will
Will the six years rent I owe on this
place. and all the children cried out:
My god, she's crazy!'"
Asked About Derby Winner
Mr.: Croker was asked about story
IN New York paper saying that after
his famous horse Orby won the Eng
llsh Derby the King omitted the Gus
tomary courtesy of shaking hands with
him as owner.
MI. Croker said he didn't know how
the report originated, bat he believe d
It was correct. that if the King did
shake hands with him he couldn't re-
member it,
- ~ was down by the track" he said,
ana II seems to me the King was way
up IN box somewhere. was thinkinr
more about my horse than was NJ
the King, and l don't remember.
know | rushed onto the track and led
orby out, and lot of dukes and
princes and others crowded around and
adjusted their monocles and looked MS
over and said, Is it possible that an
English horse has not won the Dcrbv?'
and when / said it was they said, Mar
Vicious! marvelousn Il was a bitter
pill for them TO swallow Orby was
Irish reared. Irish trained, American
owned and ridden by fine little Amer
lcan jockey. Johnny Reii. 1t was a
proud day for Ireland and a proud day
Tor America, and rot very proud day
for England"
Phone Wire Reported Tapped
To-day in Ireland they worship Mr..
Croker" said his wife, "because the
King did not shake hands with him"
There was stcry told here to-day
that wire tappers had been discovered
al work on the telephune line that runs
to the Croker place, The Wigwam, some
five, or six miles south of this resort,
and that delivery of messages by
phone had been stopped. 1t was said
that the telephone company was inves
t,igating the matter. The line runs
through several miles of Jungle, it was
said, where wire tapping could scarcely
be guarded against