New-York tribune., 1922-06-27
Letter Shows
Edith M.LavOv
Not tDespondent
Missive, Left Unfinished as
Greasy Reached Her Home
Friday Night. Held to Dis
credit Suicide Theory
Tone Cheerful and Chatty
Reference to the Arrival of
"Billy. That Oil Can"
Only Hint of Misanthropy

A, unfinished letter 20 her family
which Edith n. Lavoy, Freeport school
.,aeher. Is believed 90 have been writ
;,g when William Greasy. OF Bellevue.
". now under arrest in connection
~f.h Ter death entered her room Fri
Sav light. was turned over 20 Elvin
yswards. Assistant District Attorney
= Nassau County. yesterday By Nil.
sred Simser, friend Of Miss Iavoy.
The letter was torn. but had been
rieced together. It IS dated juno 23.
Mr. Edwards believes that IL discounts
The suicide theory on which Greasy
il relying for his defense. u is cheer
ful in tone, although there is a petu-
ian. reference 20 the arrival in town Of
Billy that oil can The letter be-
gins:
Dear Everybody: This has been a
busy week and IL will seem good when
everything is done All my 'cherubs'
made their grade and every one passed
Regents in geography The weather
down hero fOr the last week has been
lust fine By that ! mean plenty Of
rain. g 10 made 10 nice and cool
Last Sunday ! went 20 East Orange.
Bloomfield and Newark. n. j.. TO visit
n
fa,hers az Bloomfield and another
elaf ratc dinner az his brother Cliffs
~ East Orange. By the way. George
sends mother his best regards ard says
he would like 20 have another game Of
prochle with her
"He has studio nov in New York
and is quite n success at u.
well, Hazel and I were picked cut
again this year 70 be ushers. Not any
too x q over u. either
olt never rains but what il pours.
Who should have popped in this weck
but BNly-that oil can, just hate
bin. Bcncvc nc, he got some cold
reception"
Thai was as far as Miss Lavoy got
with fho letter Whether IL was in
tcr-uptcd by the entrance Of Greasy
or tv romethinR else, Miss Lavoy nev~~
Kicked .t up again. Before she hA
an opportunity 20 do so she was dead
from bullet wound in the head.
Greasy il ,sts that she took his re-
,o'ycr from the pocket Of his coat.
which was hanging on chair. and
shot herself while lie was asleep on
couch.
Desire to Die Alleged
croasv's attorney, RAYMOND Mslonc,
,sscr.s That he has 200 letters written
bv .ss Lavoy 20 his client and that
In fiv Of them the writer betrays a
ies,ordont mood and expresses a de-
Assistant District Attorney Edwards
io.cvcs that tho school teacher had
ir.ken of her acquaintance with
Greasy. either because she had heard
~ his affairs with other women or
because she did not regard him as up
N hor standard In education perhaps
,o- both reasons and 'nat Greasy
-suo from Kcntuckv % claim n oia-
rord ring for which be paid sal.
T-o ,inc was on Miss Lavoy's & ger
whom her BODY was found on the cOuch
IN her room Friday night.
rn .aaport Of this theory that Miss
Isyov believed Greasy not suited TO
ier Mr.. Edwards showed fragment
~ p, letter written 20 Miss Lavoy IN
which Greasy said: 81 want 70 polish
r,,.olf Cor YOU and am going % study
English. story and geography so as
J win rrit you ,.
wr Edwards said. that Miss Lavoy
rfI. mNt AIIHiW fAtiF t'ttNN'f
o,rde II a. extremely improbable that
N dcvout a Catholic would take hcr
own life. -. ,,,..
lavey was the victim Of murder and
not Of suicide that he rescinded yester-
dsy tho permission he had given for
the removal Of her body TO her home
in Tupper Lake. y. y.
Ydith Lavoy, sister Of the young
school,cachcr came to Freeport yester-
l.y from her home in Utica, \. u and
met Greasy while IN the Nassau County
Jail n Minoola.
"Do you krow this woman? - Greasy
vss asked by Sheriff Smith.
"Ycs, SIR replied Greasy, with eX-
rre ionloes face.
Miss lavoy raised her arm slowly,. as
n 20 dorounce the man in terms which
.he had considered well. Greasy
watched her steadily from narrowed
eyes She faltered at his stare, her
arm dropped, she fell TO the floor IN
conscious, the words she had sought
g. use unuttered.