The Washington times., 1921-07-24
PEKE Pups FATE
PLACED IN HANDS
OF ARB|TRATORS
Danlel Reid. TinpIate King,
Wins First Skirmish in Battle
With Former Wife.
by International Now. Service.

ny International News service.
NEW YORK, July IA million
aires legal battle with his ex-wife
over u tiny Pekinese pup and an oil
portrait o. King George / OF England
ended in 4 draw yesterday; final DIS
position of both is to be made by
board Of arbitration. by ruling OF
supreme court justice,
Heartache on Way.
Daniel G. Reid, tinpInte king and
railroad magnate. and his former
wife, Mrs. Margaret Reid were the
contestants in the long fight that
ragged over "Peke". and George.
Judging from the tenency with which
both. clung to the claim, there viii
be tears and endless heartache upon
one side or the other once the
weighty deliberations of grave-faced,
high priced lawyers have reached
decision.
When he saw that Mrs. Reid was
equally determined to get possession
of the pup and the picture the multi
millionaire held out for arbitration.
and Justice McCook sustained him in
this today. Incidentally. the court
awarded Reid $40 costs against his
wife. But money ssno object In this
controversy. the total costs of which
will run to something like $40 a
minute for the tinplate hing.
Everything had run along smoothly
till the divorced couple came to the
pup and the portrait. They had
agreed to disagree and had peacefully
divided the furnishings, pictures and
other contents of the half-million dol
lar mansion on Fifth avenue.
Part with Peke? never said the
man of millions. II could buy
lot of other Pekinase dogs, hut you
see. 1t wouldn't be this particular
one. He always has slept at the foot
OF my bed.
'Peke . WOman's Pet"
''Balderdash" gruffly intcrposed Ed
mund l.. Mooney, chief coun sci for
Mrs. Reid. "Your honor, suhriit
that this little bit of fluff is nothing
for a man to make fuss Over. A
Pekc pup is distinctly a woman's
pet Assuredly If your honor please,
II this were a Boston bull. or q Rus
sian boarhound, there might be some
reason for Mr.. Reds claim, bar
Peke pup a mans pet-bah"'
But there Is more in the wav of a
dog with a man than size and tois-
terousness. as was eloquently pointed
out by Reds counsel, ex-JudSe Will
liam M. Kolcott 1t matters not. 50
he argued, whether & canine be- as
big as a calf or as dim,uutive as "A
kitten. A dog is log. Even an
ugly, half-starved cur can wind itself
around a mans heart and instill
a love that this man could hol.l for
no human. 1t Is much as IL Is with
women. The learned judge showed
signs of Celebrating upon this in
tensely interesting psychological
theme. but he stopped further argu-
ment by deciding upon arbitration.
Reds Biggest Battle.
No Tess eloquence was exertei upon
the subject of the portrait. Mr..
Reds main contention was that II
had hung for years In his sitting room
and was an inseparable part and
parcel thereof: one gets used AMI at
tached to portraits as one does to
pups. The millionaire who has seen
a THOUSAND and one crashes in Wall
Street witnou. batting Hn eye show
cd every symptom Of making this
battle for "Peke" and the painting
the fight of his life. The portrait,
which is by Sir Thomas Lawrence,
was appraised at $1,000. His w;c's
counsel offered to raise the valuation
to $40, 900. but Reid merely SHOOK his
head.
1t isn't the money value Of the
picture nor the size Of the dog that
counts.
Arbitrators. proceed!