The Washington times., 1920-12-12
GIRL, Tilted,
KILLS HERSELF
Betsy lewis, Of Kentucky, Had
Planned elopement With N.
- Y. Fortune Hunter.

NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE pa
thetic story of Betsy Tevis, the
eighteen-year-old Kentucky girl
who shot herself through the heart
Thursday night at the home OF her
sister, Mrs. Joseph I. Talbert. ITO
East Fifty-fourth street, was told
today by friend OF the ievis
family.
Two weeks ago yesterday II wss
learned. Miss Tevis. who came TO No"
York to shop aud lave - good la.e,.
was introduced at tea dance IN the
Hptei Plaza to a young>man. descrioe,,'
az tall and good looking with b!ohd
mustache aud attractive manners.
To Miss Tsvis. he represented MINI
self as a millionaire many times OR
and a resident OF Orange. n. y. he
told her lie was a graduate OF hdie
and a member OF the Yale and other
clubs According to Information SINCE
obtained by Miss Tevis friends. lie
was one OF that Species OF 'soc'ai
parasite known as lounge lizard.
Miss Teyis was at once attrsct"u
to the tall, easy mannered stranger,
and after dancing with him several
| LlTntb bllOWdu Ht'i W VHNcf' 49,
her sisters home. MlsJ Talbert. VINO
IL the widow OF q New York banker
and was previously married 10 NJ T.
Gibson. a wealthy Chicago man. wi;2
also attracted by her sisteTs new t.
qualntance. she admitted
DIsTItusrED NY SISTER.
Mrs. Talbert Is known TO be wealthy
ana the young man evidently took II
for granted that Miss Tevls. who
comes OF one OF the hest families in
Kentucky, was wealthy. too. Accord
ing to friends whirlwind coprtship
followed, and the, Kentucky girls
heart soon was Won. BY that time.
however, her sister had begun to dis
trust the young girl'a smooth talking
sutton. and a few, days, ago she ad-
vised her TO give UP hia acquaintance.
Next day. It was learned, Miss
Tevis met the man again. He prom
Used her he would build her home
in Pasadena. Cal, where Miss Tevis
and Mrs. Talbert frequently visited
in the winter. Finally. according TO
the story. Mss Teyis consented TO an
elopement.
Thursday night was agreed upon
BY them as the time to be married
and take a train for the West. Mrs.
Talbert noticed, she said. that her
sister had been nervous and upset
| for several dsys Meanwhile, IL Is
believed, telegram to Richmond.
| KY. Miss Tevis' home, informed her
| nance that she was not an heiress
not rich at all. in fact--the Tevises.
| although "a highly respected South
ern family. having lost their fortune
In civil war days.
Tilted OVER PHONE.
! Thursday night came and with ii
| the telephone message, the substance
| Kentucky girl and the man at'the
| other end OF the wire knew. %. p
Betsy then went directly TO her
own room" Mrs. Talbert said !ester-
day. "A moment later she called &c
me For some reason/T did not &c
to her at once. Then came the shot
and 1 ran in and found her crumpled
on the floor a,
Miss Tevis' father. william Thoma
| Stone Tevis, IL president OF the Bel
Root Company OF Richmond, Ky. He
| was notified and Is on his way Ia
New York. The funeral will be held
at 2 o'clock this afternoon at St
| Georges Chapel. i'm Stuyvesan.
| loudN waiter
looked over a dimly-lighted, luxuri-
ously appointed dining room; leathe.
divans ranged along the walls were
separated by little tables from a big
dancing floor: the orchestra was
placed far enough away TO insure pos
sibility of confidential chatting II
! was one of the restaurants whers
Betty Tevis liked to dance with heI
| unknown.
| The waiter said: -.
"Of course, the Lounge Lizard is
here just as he always has been. The
manag of this restaurant: like
that of others, has done all possible
to exclude his kind; but when a man
who appears desirable, one who new ell
by look or word differentiates him
self from our best patrons. comes
here, how are we to refuse him his
questionable?
at isn't really the fault Of thu
restaurants and public places; it I:
the fault of the women themselves
lGirls too young to be taught shouldn't
be allowed TO go about where the,
will meet lizards
And don't get the idea that al
! lizards are men. Some of our mos
constant and remunerative patronag,
is that OF women who have friends
they like to entertain.
WELL ALONG IN YEARS.
"They are middle-aged women 70
the most part; some of them wei
along in years, and the friends usu
ally are young fellows of an age will
their sons, IL they have any, whom
they take around in limous:nes an,
feed and coddle and makes fools o
generally.
some go so far as to cloth,
young and bedccl
them with Jewels; in return they ar.
kept amused with Youthful attentions
dancing partners and so on. 81
/ ooh yes, we have more OF thes,
elderly 'lizardesses' than of the Ole
lizards with girlish proteges."