The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-28
WO0|NG ALL BY GIRL,
GREASY MAINTAINS
Correspondence Started by
Letter Writing Club
Read in Court.
DEFENDANT SCORES
Miss Layoy's Romance Is
Traced to Tragic Climax
at Freeport.
ENDEARING TERMS USED
Love Messages Sent to Young
Kentuckian Before She
Had Seen Him.
ENDEARING TERMS USED

William NJ Greasy, thirty year
old KentuclSian and former sailor, on
trial at Mineola before County Judge
Lewis j. Smith and a jury on the
charge of having murdered Edith
Lavoy, a school teacher of Freeport.
at her boarding house in that town on
the night Of June 20, took the stand
In his own defense yesterday and
testified that he did not shoot the girl.
He said that he had no reason what
ever to bear her i'll will or to fear
her, and that the lovemaking between
them was all on her side, and that it
was ended when >he asserted and re-
asserted that it was impossible for
him to marry her. Altogether the de-
Tense seemed to score heavily.
Young Greasy identified many let
tiers which had been written to him
by Miss Lavoy, he claimed. The tone
OF these letters warmed gradually as
the correspondence went on, until
finally the girl was addressing Greasy
IN the most affectionate terms.
According to the witness these letters
were written, all of them, before the girl
had ever seen him. 1t was brought out
that after the war Greasy saw an adj
vertisement of correspondence club
at Gray's Lake. ILL., He sent So as a
membership fee, and shortly afterward
received letter from Miss Lavoy. The
young woman was then % years of age
and was teaching at Gloversville. \. Y.
She had joined the club. apparently. be-
cause Of loneliness, and had invited
Greasy to correspond with her as one
recommended by the CLUB" as having
matrimonial intentions.
Tried to Force Pleasure.
According TO the statement made to
the jury by Henry A. Uterhart counsel
for the accused man. and from the cvi-
dence Of the letters themselves, Miss
Lavoy was warm hearted but ini-
pulsive girl who was finding life very
hard and who was trying to ease its
burden by gayety and pleasure. both
often forced. 1t was probably for this
reason that she opened the correspond
ence with Greasy. first addressing him
as Dear Sir" then as Dear William"
and finally as Dear Billy" without, the
defense asserts. having met him at all.
Many OF the letters express love for
Greasy, and frequently Eirlish express
sions are used, such as lots of love"
In letter OF September 20. 1920. and
apparently in reply to some observa-
tions that had been written by Greasy
on the subject OF divorce Che was him
self divorced mani. she gave her views
on marriage as follows:
''As to the divorce cases do not
know why there are so many. The
trouble is. there are too many mar
riages without love. ! feel there is one
real love. and il is only under those
circumstances should ever consider
marriage Such a sacred thing as mar
riage should be given serious considera-
ton. One must have to think a great
deal of person 10 give up all others
for the one. As yet have not met any
particular one / could do that for, but
some day I feel i shall. The man
marry must be sincere. and in every
respect a gentleman. In return he has
the right to expect the same OF me. So
happy marriage amount to about the
same thing"
I'm never too busy TO think Of you. :"
Miss Lavoy wrote at another time.
The first Of all her letters. a sample
Of the way the correspondence clubs"
open the way to unsupported drama or
tragedy, was as follows:
DEAR SrR-As you have been recon-
n,ended to me BY the Standard Core
spondence Club Of Gray's Lake, ILL.,. as
a gentleman mntrimonially inclined, and
desiring lady correspondence with that
object in view. and under the recommen-
dalton OF J. w. Schlosser, who sent me
your description. ! beg permission to
open correspondence. If this meets
with your approval | will be pleased TO
hear from you in return.
Yours respectfully.
EDITH T.. LAvoY."
This was dated March 20. 1890. The
next. dated April 2. 1920 from Sunset
Cottage. Upper Lake. ". r. informs
Greasy that his lovely letter and photo
graph" had been received and that she
would have some photographs taken to
send TO him. The tone OF the CORE
spondence warmed perceptibly, until in
n letter or January Z. 1921. she was
calling Greasy her Kentucky sweet
heart" and her darling boy" and send
ing him "a whirlwind OF love" with
oceans Of kisses on every wave" and
saying God alone can separate us"
said Divorce Was No bar.
Down to March. 1899. tho letters were
OF this tone. but on March 20 Greasy