New-York tribune., 1922-09-22
.Lavoy Tragedy
Traced to- i'm
Marriage Paper
State Shows Romantic Girl
Answering Lonely" Plea
of Greasy, Who Already
Had Wife and Children
Murder Threats Charged
Slain Teachers Room Mate
Says Kentuckian Wrote
Marry Me or Wen Die"

Lewis J. Smith at Mineola for the
murder of Edith Lavoy, Freeport
| school teacher, met her through an
advertisement he inserted in q paper
published by matrimonial agency, it
was revealed yesterday when presenta-
tion of the states case was begun.
| Damaging testimony against Greasy
was given by seven states witnesses.
The evidence revealed that while he
had courted Miss Lavoy as single
man he was married and the father
I Of several children; that Miss Lavoy,
learning of his true character, had en-
! deavored to sever her relationship with
him, and that as result of her de-
termination he threatened her with
death in series of letters. Witnesses
swore that Greasy wrote in several
! letters to the young woman: "You will
marry me or we will die together"
News that the jury had been COM
pleted just before noon adjournmen
of court spread rapidly and a packed
courtroom heard the opening address
| by Assistant District Attorney Elvin
N. Edwards.
Called Romantic Girl
Mr.. Edwards referred to Miss Lavoy
as having been a romantic girl, whose
attention was attracted by Creasy's ap-
peal for feminine companionship in a
correspondence club matrimonial pub
lication. He described her as of the
innocent type, trusting and pure
minded. She was traduced by Greasy
in statement he made after the shoot
ing and later withdrew, Mr.. Edwards
said, adding that competent medical
testimony would be presented TO dis
prove Creasy's statements with regard
to the young woman.
/ The states claim as set forth by
Mr. Edwards is that Greasy, after re-
ceiving a letter from Miss Lavoy in
April of this year, in which she broke
off their acquaintance, left his posi-
tion in Silver Grove, KY, and went to
Freeport, armed with an automatic
| pistol, intent on taking the girl'S life.
| Creasy's movements in Freeport from
the moment Of his arrival there to the
firing of the shot that killed his
faneee on the night of June 23 last
were covered in detail.
Mrs. Mildred Simser-S Sheldon, school
teacher and room mate Of Miss Lavoy,
with whom she occupied a bedroom and
| parlor suite in the rooming house of
| Hii o. ThhHic n. DHllIu, etG LOO NOIIn Main
Street, Freeport, gave important tes-
timony
On direct examination she said she
entered the parlor of the suite about
$3.50 on the night of the tragedy, find
ing Greasy and Miss Lavoy there.
Tells of Shooting
when entered we exchanged greet
| ings,' said the witness. Billy wanted
Edith to go for walk, but she refused,
saying she had worked hard all day and
was tired. After short time made
excuses and went to bed in the adjoin-
ing room. | was awakened about an
hour later by sharp report sat IN
IN bed, and as / did so Greasy ran into
the room, He exclaimed: Come quick
Edith has shot herself!'
Il ran into the other room, wearing
only my nightgown. Edith lay on the
couch, apparently dead She was fat
on her back. One arm was half across
her body and the other lay extended,
with the hand slightly over the edge of
the divan. The pistol lay near her ex-
tended hand.
Greasy was moaning. He kept on
saying, %, Edith, why did you do it {?
happened he said he did not know. He
had been lying down on the couch with
Edith, he said, She rose to get him a
drink of water, and he said she must
have taken the pistol from his coat
which was hanging over chair, as she
returned with the water
His continual moaning and lamen-
tations did not impress me as sincere
turned to him and said, "This is q
hell of time to be telling how much
you loved her. What made you do it %
Mrs. Sheldon then related how she
went to her bedroom for a bathrobe
returning to the sitting room about
three minutes later. When she looked
at Miss Lavoy's body she saw that its
position had been changed. Instead OF
being on her back, as when first seen
the dead girl was partly on her left
side.
Says He Threatened Girl
The witness testified to having aided
Miss Lavoy, on the Saturday preceding
Creasy's visit, in destroying a great
number of letters written by him to the
young woman over long period. She
was questioned as to the contents Of
some of these letters, which had beer
read by her with Miss Lavoy's consent
they contained threats, she declared
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