The New York herald., 1921-08-03
TENOR'S WIFE NAMES
THREE FOLLIES GIRLS
John Steel. Ziegfeld Actor,
Charged With Being Too
Attentive to Chorus.
SEPARATION Is ASKED
Actress Plaintiff Says Hus-
band Has Income of
100000 a Year.
INTOXICATION CHARGED
Olive Vaughn, Emily Orange
and Miss Hovey Are Men
toned i'm Complaint.
INTOXICATION CHARGED

John Steel, tenor. whose singing of
lo-e songs before Ziegfeld iFollies au
diences and on phonograph records
brings him an income of 100000 a
year. is SO far from being the fervent
lover at home that his wife started
suit yesterday for separation. She was
Sidor,e Espero, an actress and singer
herself of some note. They have been
married. less than two years. Accord
ing 10 her attorneys. Hays, Hershfield
& Wolf. ot lis Broadway, her action
maF yc, &c changed to one for di-
vorte.
In May, 1921" Mrs. Steel's COM
plant states, ''the plaintiff taxed the
defendant with the fact that he was
unfaithful; that he was going around
with other women. The defendant ad-
mitted to the plaintiff that such was
the fact. that he. was going around
with Olive Vaughn. Emily Orange and
Miss Hovey of the Ziegfeld Follies
company. and others. The defendant
admitted this to the plaintiff and told
her that he liked the society of these
other women better than he did the
plaintiffs, and that he did not want to
be burdened with the plaintiff or their
expected child any further"
The young women mentioned have
been In the "Follies" chorus for several
seasons and are noted for their beauty.
Miss Orange was out airplaning with an
admirer recently when their airplane
crashed to the ground in the Flatlands
section Of Brooklyn.
Anonymous Letter Cited.
Mrs. Steers complaint tells OF her hus-
bands telephoning her last spring from
Washington. when he was on tour with
the "Follies." and accusing her of hav-
Ing written an anonymous letter to the
mother OF Olive Vaughn. THE defend
ant had admitted his relations with said
Olive Vaughn were improper" the COM
plant states. "and that such anonymous
letter had interfered with his relation
ship with Olive Vaughn.
''In the fall of 1920 the defendant in
tho most brutal manner told the plain
tiff that any wife was an obstacle to bis
professional success and interfered with
the life of pleasure that he proposed to
lead" the complaint continues. And
the defendant told the plaintiff he in
tended 70 get rid OF her in some way. as
he did not want to be burdenEd with
wifo--that he had definitely decided to
lead a bachelors life and be answerable
10 no one"
She recites that the day after their
child. John w. Steel. Jr.. was born. on
June Ii last. the tenor called on her in
the hospital ard told her he had def.
fnitely decided he wouldn't live with the
plaintiff or their child He told her. she
says. that he planned an apartment for
himself and wanted her and the child TO
live together in another place. "as they
interfered with his life" He suggested
White Plains.
She Estimates His Income.
Mrs. steel Is in Atlantic City with the
child. Her husbaud Is living at the Hotel
Haryrave. Columbus avenue and Seventy
second street. She says his income from
the theatrical managers WHO employ him
and from photograph company Is from
$4,000 TO 100000 year. out OF which
in the last few weeks he has been allow
ing her only $3.50 week for the support
OF herself and child.
Last August. she relates, when she
was playing in Honey Girl" in the
Cohan & Harris Theatre, she ran next
door TO the New Amsterdam, where
Steel was appearing in the "Follies." TO
make some trivial request" whereupon
she alleges her husband, John, cut loose
with such abuse that when she returned
to her own work "she was so unnerved
she tainted before she finished"
month later. she says. he told her
he was becoming moody" and drove
her out OF their home at 147 West Fifty
seventh street She went across the
street to the Great Northern Hotel. and
at the next morning, she says. he tele-
phoned and begged her to come back
which she did
Four or five times during last summer.
Ehe says. he came home intoxicated ani
abused her. and such incidents occurred
much more frequently when the Fol
lies were on tour. lie went alone 20
Boston. the first stop, she says, taking
with him $4,000 automobile which, she
says. was supposedly a gift to her from
him. but In which she had a $4,000
cash interest. She says he told her
when she asked for use OF the automo-
bile. In view OF her Ill health. that his
pleasures were very much more impor-
tant than the plaintiffs health
In December, she says, he decided she
should join him on the road. Though
the plaintiffs condition at the time was
such that she shouldn't" and several
times sent her on an "exhaustng trip
hack to New York on some errand while
his show was making circuit OF Clevs-
land. Detroit Chicago, st. Louis, In
dianapolis and Cincinnati. Though she
was alone. fricndess and i'll at various
times In these cities. she says. he never
theleas remained out until from 3 to 6
A. NJ almost daily. merely telling her ne
was out on parties and growing
abusive when she asked more details.
She says Steel would never walk on the
streets with her II he could help Il and
frankly told her he didn't want to bc
.stt har