Evening journal., 1920-06-25
WOMAN FOOLS,
ELWELL THOUGHT
This the Basis of Slain
Mans Psychology,
Widow Says
SPENT HOURS
DAILY AT MIRROR
N 2. A. stan sneclal.

NEW YORK, June 25.-The strange
love-psychology OF the murdered
Joseph B. Ehvell. wealthy society
gambler, was disclosed today by his
widow. Helen d. Elwell
What lay behind his smiling eyes,
the alert maDners? What was the
secret OF his cunning at cards, with
life and with women?
Elwell was a dandy, a D'Artagnan
"a daredevil, an exotic man, a man
with a great passion TO live and 10
love. lie had The gamblers cold
/ fear Of death.
Mrs. Helen Elwell was a mere girl
when she married him years ago.
They had been separated for years
before his death.
Yes" she said, turning her head
toward the window. Il loved him,
too. when / married hint was
| swift thing that marriage
What did he love In mef" and
she answered herself.
"Inaccessbliy-l was hard 70 run
down, as they say.
81 liked him. he was tall and fine
and handsome then. l did not know
That he wore a toupee-and he had
manners and a way with him-Oh.
In her voice, Beware OF those with
a way about them-his soul was a
careless thing.
"Of course / did not know at the
beginning what he thought Of women
Il did not know that IL was alone
my coldness that had attracted him.
But later ! learned what he
thought OF WOmen-what he said %
himself and to me as he carefully
"Ie would stand there, by that
|, mirror-tying one tie after another
trying many stick pins--flEst
, little below the knot. then In ths
! center. then not al all
His little tOupee-made Of IN,
I finest gauze-this he would turn ant
/, turn about on his long. perfectl.
= manicured fingers, and he would say
= ~ an even drawing voice.
, Women are f0ols-the fool is IL
their flesh. They hide il away. yes
and the better. the harder 10 find
= the more eXciting-I like doing thing
: well, but when I've accomplished
= thing. then I'm done
n Then he would carefully place hi
e hair as he wanted 10 and begin q
r pat IL down, one strand laid exactl.
= straight upon the other.
And he would say I like then
l. cold, false, beautiful-but withal-
y daring. racy. a little worldly liiil
r. past twenty-seven, let US say-wit
a memory OF a pasta woman VIII
might perhaps be a little worn Wit
love, but amused at the devastation
and laughing, that's II, laughing
They should laugh always. in "a
face OF eyeryth should tax
things either with humor, or viii
\ hauteur'
I "He had no child quality in hir
y except perhaps his mania for his ov
, looks.
"He was forever admiring hlmse
with his hand forever at the n
kissing goOdby TO those who had j
him see that he was a great deal
. them.
~ lie made acquaintances easily ar
IN while he could be conventional, !
er cared nothing for cOnventi0nalit
10 Many OF his women friends he m
we'll. most informally.
ne "rhe ideal which he certainly n,
was the snake wOman-perhaps W
he would call 10 The vampire, / dor
en- know, that's the popular word no.
NIL isn't it2
~ Gle cared nothing for me. at
n the first; cared nothing for me as q
"a mother OF his son.
n "lle loved nothing in art lie ieer
an me for adOring Omar Khayyam-l
~ said 10 was all about drink ! said
or was an about love-but he won
VI have none OF 10.
~ 'lle was a marvellous dancer. b
- he cared nothing for music except
al dance TO. lie had a passion for r
ie- decorations and for rugs. but
ne never really loved but one thlnr
gambling.
w "lIe loved life as no man has Low
'en life. J. who have seen him dress I
or hours, know also that he was n
)c- a man who could have killed hims
Sill It's too ridiculous
Tor "lle has spent hours. numberl,
la- hours. over some quack's theory
sn- life.
OF There was one man who told n
en- that III he ate five raw prunes beff
it each meal that he would live 10
h. a hundred and Nifty. He did IL
a And had he killed himself" s
ive said. "he would not have done
IL without wig and without teeth.
or would have done 10 in grand m,
vi Uo' ner-he would have died beautiful
- with the scent Of flowers about hi
ls ] and his body made magnificent
is- its last repOse-that the last Won
ue- TO see him-whOever she was-col
have seen in him only that dar
an that he made Of himself for
world"