Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-15
BLACKMA|L CHARGED
BY WALTER GAMBLER
|NDOMEST|C TANCLE
Denies in Court Petition Any
Improper Conduct With
Mrs, ByfieId After Cham
payne Supper on Ship

Cancellation of a note for $40, 500
and redress for cash, $4,000 and
other receivables which he asserts
were obtained through Matchmaking
processes, compose the basis for a
petition filed Monday in the Fulton
superior court by Walter T. Gambler,
Of Lullwater road; vice president of
the Central Bank and Trust Corpor-
alton, against Clyde K. Byfeld, head
of the Apperson-B yfield Automobile
company.
Mr.. Gamblers petition, filed
through Attorneys Reuben and Low.
ry Arnold, says Byfield got the note
and cash from him on board a trans.
Atlantic steamer bound for France
last July, after encountering him
CMr. Candler) in a stateroom in
which Mrs. Byfield also was present.
Mr.. Gamblers petition sets out
that he had been to a champagne
party and was intoxicated and did
not remember much about what hap
pened or how he came to be in the
stateroom, or how Mrs. Byfield came
to be there. He denies any miscon-
duct toward either of the Byfieds
admitting a fiistic encounter in the
room, after which, he says, he ac-
ceded to Byfield's demand for 1000
and gave him a check for that
amount on the Central Bank and
Trust Corporation.
This check, he says, later was
taken up with note for $20,5OO, Mr..
Gambler explaining he had not. the
$25 1000 in the bank at that time. He
gave the note and $4,000 in cash;
while the rest of the amount was
taken care of explained Mr.. Gambler,
by money he had previously lent
Mr.. Byfield to make the European
trip on.
The champagne party, Mr.. Can
dler says, was on the night of July
16, and the petition thus described
the encounter:
Byfleld's Statement
cat this juncture, Byfield, the de-
PENDANT, entered the room and the
defendant said in substance: Now,
I've caught you, and I have beeli
suspecting this for six months. You
must pay me $25,000.' Defendant
struck plaintiff and plaintiff struck
defendant, and defendant struck his
wife and made an apparent effort to
get a pistol. After some talk, the
plaintiff being in a dazed condition,
mand of the defendant, Byfield, and
that night gave him a check on the
Central Bank and Trust corpora
ton, of Atlanta, Ga, for $4,000"
Judge George l.. Bell Signed an
order Monday morning temporarily
| restraining Mr.. Byf1eld from dispos
ing of the note, making other re
| strictions as prayed for in the Pc
tition, and setting the date for the
! hearing for September 2.
Sheriff James I. Lowry was
named in the courts order as Gus
todian of the $2O,5OO note said t.
have been given Mr.. Byfield by
the plaintiff and due August IS.
Mr.. Byfield. at the head Of the
Apperson-Byfield Automobile com
pany here, at 23S Peachtree street
is a son of Deputy Sheriff Ben F
Byfield.
The Byf1elds were often guests a
the Gambler home on Lullwatel
road; Mr.. Byfeld had bought a har
ness racing horse from Mr.. Cand
Ter and frequently drove at the pri
vate half-mile track at the Cand
Ter estate, while Mrs. Byf1eld OF
one occasion sold soft drinks, il
company with other young women
at a big charitable racing entertain
ment at the< Gambler track.
The European excursion this sum
mer was the occasion, Mr.. Arnold
said, of a loan Of $4,000 by Mr.
Gambler to Mr.. Byfield, to maxi
the trip.
AT the Byfield apartment, AIS
North Boulevard, the maid stated
that Mrs. Byfield was i'll in bed an,
would see no one. At the headquar
tiers of the Apperson-Byfield automo
bile company downtown, it was salt
Mr.. Byfield was out.
Mrs. Byfield is the daughter O
City Detective B. P. Gillespie. Sh
was formerly Miss Sarah Gillespie.
Following is the petition Of MI
Gambler:
Z K;lloJ M,aru,,vt