New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-09
Trails Husband
Six Y ears After
Unpaid Alirrnony
Mrs. Claudia C. Wheeler.
Once in Comic Opera,
Stages Spectacular Cap
ture in TIieater District
$4,000 Now at Issue
Erring Spouse Once Had
Seat ON Stock Exchange;
is Placed Under Arrest

MRS. Claudia Carlstedt Wheeler. who
y, -, the days when musical comedy was
nno"n as comic opera was "the girl in
.l'e req tights" which, with her pleas
ing voice, made her conspicuous fig
ure IN that field of endeavor, is rest
ihg on her larrels to-day. Not the Tau
rels she gained decade ago, but The
newer ones that have come to her as
determined, unrelenting detective.
OK years ago Mrs. Wheeler, whose
husband is Albert Gallatin Wheeler
!r, son of the Chicago railroad builder
VINO constructed the subways of that
Ssiey' vowed she would meet her hus-
pano lace to face if 1t took twenty
years. Her particular purpose was to
nave him served with an order of ar.
rest ISSUED because he owed her $1,000
IN accrued alimony awarded with de-
cree OF separation. Once, accompanied
ny deputy sheriff and several pho
ssographers, she nearly caught up with
nm at the Union League Club, of
wnlch ne is member, but the attend
anus saw them first and they never
ieacheo the object OF their visit.
The Sheriff's Heritage
so Tor six years the order of arrest
and affidavits on which it was issued
lay IN the desk of Deputy Sheriff Wal
Yer L. Fitzsimmons. AL Smith, at that
time Sheriff, became Governor and
served through q term. David II
mott succeeded as Sheriff and served
Tour years. Still there was no news
" the whereabouts of Mr.. Wheeler
although his wife called at the Office
of the Sheriff from time to- time ia
remind Deputy Sheriff Fitzsimmons
she still was on the trail and would
continue her search. Sheriff Knott
iett the Wheeler papers as heritage
to Sheriff Percy Nagle.
Yesterday Mrs. Wheeler was walking
through Fortieth Street. At last her
VOW was to be fulfilled. Coming toward
her was Mr.. Wheeler. Apparently his
wife. saw him first, for before he knew
1T she was alongside and shouting
"Police!" "Murder!" "Stop that man.
and some other things.
For her purpose, the few things he
remembered, according to Mr.. Wheeler
were quite enough. In twinkling o
crowd of thousand people, uncertain
If it was hold-up or assault, had sur
rounded husband and wife. Policemen
came running from every direction.
man." said Mr.. Wheeler, later. "I1
was such a relief to have her stop hel
shrieking, which must have been heard
for dozen blocks around, although
all of it seemed to go rigAt into my
ear. And the worst of it is had M
right to be at Fortieth Street ane
Madison Avenue at that time; in fact
| shouldn't have been in New York al
all yesterday.
When the first policeman arrived
Mrs. Wheeler poured her woes into
his ears and insisted he take her hus
band to the station house, and to the
East Thirty-ffth Street station Mr.
Wheeler was taken. His wife lost M
time in getting Deputy Sheriff Fitz
simmons on the telephone to tell him
she had bagged her quarry. That off
cial rummaged in his desk and brough
forth the yellowed papers, including
the order Of arrest signed by Justice
now Of the Appellate Division.
Fitzsimmons went to the station
house and placed Mr.. Wheeler under
arrest. After being taken to the
Sheriff's, the defendant husband
obtained bond for $1,000, whereupor
he departed for his home, which is a
present in Newark.
Had Stock Exchange Seat
Mr.. Wheeler formerly was q membe
of the New York Stock Exchange. Abou
ten years ago he became a bankrupt
but, according to his wife, in her affi
davit on which the order of arrest wa
issued, he was member of the Apa
wants Golf Club and the Chicag,
Board of Trade and was living in lux
ury while she was i'll and destitute.
The court awarded Mrs. Wheeler $50
a month alimony, which later was re
duced to $500. In 1914, her husban,
sued for divorce and the action wa
decided in favor of the wife. Imme
diately thereafter, said Mrs. Wheeler
her husband went to Chicago, and sine,
1915 has been here only internationally
Since then the alimony has increased
from the $500, for which the defend
ant then was in arrears, to about $40,
900.
Mr.. Wheeler said yesterday he i
suing his wife for divorce in New
Jersey