The Washington herald., 1920-09-26
New York City
Charlie. Il. Chapin's Book.
BY o. o. Mcintyre.

Evening World and now "lifer"
| in Sing Sing, has shed the cast-iron
exterior he built about himself and
which made him perhaps the most
| hated executive on Park Row. In
a book, just published, written by
Chaplin in his cell in Sing Sing he
4 throws many high lights on his
forty years of newspapering. He is
paying the penalty for killing his
wife while she slept in their apart
ment in New York hotel.
/ Stout-hearted reporters who have
! fiinched under the lash of Chapin's
iron discipline felt softening
J toward the irrascible little grey
haired man after reading the amaz-
ing document he has just COM
pleted. 1t is singularly free from
any element of self pity. The book
/ is dedicated to the devoted wife he
killed.
Love of luxury led to his down
fall. He was a nephew of Russell
Sage and the only scorn in the book
is heaped upon the head of that
famed financier. Sage had promised
to make Chaplin an heir. In his will
he left him nothing.
| Depending upon the promise of
/
life of luxury far beyond his means.
He had yachts, automobiles, fast
horses, an apartment at the Plaza
and associated with the richest men
of his day. Tips he received made
him fortune in Wall Street. Then
came a turn in the tide and the
war-and his fortune was swept
away including some stocks which
he held as legal guardian.
He tells how several times he
planned self-destruction when he
found himself at 60 ruined in health
and in debt $4,000. Creditors
bounded him from morning until
night. He says he thought osIy of
his wife and several days before he
killed her they were on Broadway.
A bent and gnarled old woman
asked for aims.
His wife shuddered and said: 81
pray God I will never be like her"
Her words sealed her fate. Chaplin
intended to kill Himself but in ex-
tenuation he tries to prove that he
showed greater bravery in giving
himself up to the law for he had no
thought of any fate but the electric
chair.
He tells of the days he bossed
Irwin Cobb, Martin Green. Barton
Currie and other men who have
made reportOrial history and repeats
CObb's celebrated Quip concerning
him. A fellow reporter told Cobb
that Chaplin was i'll and would not
be down that day. 'I hope it is
nothing trivial" said Cobb without
looking up from his typewriter.
He tells of his love for the elder
u Pulitzer and how he once fired one
Of the Pulitzer boys because he was
tardy in reporting for work. Chaplin
was great reporter and one of the
best judges of news on Park Row.
He seems to realize how much he
was disliked for in paying a tribute
to his staff he says they little knew
in what affection he held them.
Chaplin shows a religious fervor
through the book. He has become
philosophic and looks forward only
to the time when he will be with his
wife. He met her in his early days
when he was an actor and he Joined
a repertoire company with which he
was travelling. He was, even his
worst enemies admit, devoted TO her.
5" far Is the trial records show they
had never quarreIed. IL.
Prohibition in-swcaen.
The progress of prohibition in the
Scandinavian countries was the
chief topic of discussion among the
1928 passengers aboard the Norwe-
gian-AmerfCan liner StavanCerfford.
which arrived this week, inasmuch
as three delegates to the Interna-
tional Conference on Alcoholism at
I Washington We're on board.
They were DR.. Ragner VOgt. pro-
fessor of psychiatrics in the Cniver-
sity of Norway; Ole S. SolnOrdaI,
called the spy central for the Nor
wegian prohibitionists, a position
akin to that occupied here by Will
lam II. Anderson, and Alexis Bjork-
man, Swedish representative for the
| conference.
Norway, they said, already has
| prohibition, but the alcoholic con-
tent limit is I2 per cent. so nobody
seems to mind it. Much as they
would like to see it. they said, there
seems little possibility of absolute
prohibition in Sweden because of
the excellent regulation of drinking.
The French Cafes.
There is compensation for the
loss of the vanishing ornate hotars
in the cozy ultra little French cafes
now the craze among diners out.
There is a certain glamour about
them. Pink and gray with vaguely
blue lights. The best of silver,
Snowy white embroidered linen
| Orchestras playing softly and hid
den behind palms. No jazz. They
play hits-but hits like Just Like
| a Rose" and others that have NOT
sacrificed melody for syncopation.
Not once is the cIatter of dishes
| heard. Through an oval glass in
the door leading to the culinary de-
partment one gets a glimpse now
and then of white capped chefs with
| curled mustaches. 1t is a new fash
ion in eating-a sort of throwback
to the days when Delmonico's and
| Sherry's stood unflinching against
the thrush of cabarets and musical
dancing meals. People daily over
their food all the evening. The men
smoke their cigars lazily.
Removing Days Thenter.
The wrecking crew is removing
Days Theater, for many Years the
shrine for those who admired the
best in drama. Augustin DAILY died
in Paris in 1899. He was 81 anc
Days Theater was built 20 years
| ago. A curious coincidence in con-
nection with the wrecking of the
| theater Is the fact that the wreck
ers are getting bigger pay per
! week than the Daily stars were
They are paid 50 day. John Drew
| SOt S35 a week at Days and was
| refused Il raise to $40 Ada Rehap