Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-10
Man Now Seeks to Have
Court Change His Name
Again to Dodge Curse
BY MAIN GRUTE
Copyright, 1927

NEW YORK-Fdward A. Strietback
had the courts change his name to
Rex Glenwood; now by due process
of law he is having it transformed
into Nicholas Merrijune-all because
of gypsy's curse.
Either this young man, wEc is O
clerk in the employ OF the Standard
Publishing company, in Cincinnati.
is 81 oofing tho lady with the scales of
even-handed Justice and the sword
of execution or else he has had an
4, experience in the realms OF super
stition that deserves to rank as,
unique. Listen:
In the summer of 1916, according
to the legal papers he has filed
through his attorney in-the probate
court Of Hamilton county, he was
taken with cramps while bathing in
the Ohio river at the foot OF Carrel
street in Cincinnati and would have.
drowned but for the quick action OF a
man who happened to be rowing a
skiff nearby. This man, a grimy
a rope to the struggling Strietback
and drew him. ashore.
Overlooking with gratitude, Strict
back asked the stranger how he
could repay him for saving his life.
"By discarding your name and
taking mine," replied the man.
Strietback regarded him in amaze
ment. Apparently the stranger had
spoken in all seriousness. Any idea
that might still linger in Strict
backs mind that he was joking dis
appeared as the fellow went on to
tell the reason of his strange pro-
posal.
Had Been Married
Some years before, the stranger
said, he had been married, establish
ed in business in a distant commun1-
ty and prosperous. Through some
mischance he incurred the enmity
of a gypsy, who for revenge placed
a curse upon him and informed him
that he would have nothing but con-
stantly recurring ill-luck. He did
have ilI-luck-oodles of it. His wife
died, his home burned, then his place
of business was swept away by fire,
and he was reduced to abject power
| ty, a condition in which he remained
at the time chance placed it within
his power to save the life Of Strict
| back.
In desperation, according to the
strangers story, he hunted up the
gypsy and begged him to lift the
curse. The gypsy, Modified by the
misfortunes which had overtaken
the other, seemed willing to have the
ink diverted, but said there was
only one way in which the curse
could be lifted and that would be by
| having some one take the strangers
name by legal process. If that was
done, the gypsy explained, the stran-
ger would be relieved Of the spell of
the devastating black magic and,
| what seemed highly important to
| Streitback, the curse would not fol-
| low the name.
Streitback consented to take the
| strangers name-Rex GlenWood.
The latter warned him, however,
that, for certain reasons concerned
with the exercise of the black art,
| the change must not be made at
once, but year thence. Streitback
consented to that, too, and the two
young men so strangely met went
each his way.
The publishers clerk was as good
as his word. Waiting the prescribed
year, he went before the probate
court on September IL, 1917, and had
his name legally changed to Rex
lGIenwood. That moniker seemed to
| fit him as well as his old one, and, as
the years ROLLED on, the young man,
who was without relatives or close
friends in Cincinnati, almost forgot
that he ever had been known as
Streitback.
| Strange Changes
Then q surprising thing happened.
One day few weeks ago Glenwood
met on the street in Cincinnati the
man who had wished the name on
him. The stranger was greatly
changed. He was no longer the
grizzly tramp. Now he was fash
ionably dressed, prosperous looking.
He explained that the shifting of the
curse had worked, that he had side
stepped the jinx and had emerged
again into the land of milk and hon
i y. A relative had died and left
him a pot of money and he had mar
ried again and was supremely hap
py-in a state Of bliss marred only
by the computations of conscience.
| The stranger went on to explain
| that he had lied in a measure about
the curse business and that it was to
correct the evil consequences of that
lie that he had returned to Cincin-
"My NAME" said the stranger, ''is