The Washington times., 1922-09-07
By GENE FOWLER.

laV, Is presented IN toddy s
chapter.
By GENE FOWLER.
Copyright. 1922. by New York
American.)
NEW YORK, Sept. THE morn,
ing after William F. Olcott heard
from the lips of eighteen-year-old
Evelyn Goodwin how she had Jared
at the champagne party given by a
"Mr. o." at his Fifth avenue house,
Olcott sent her a diamond and plati-
mum ring. OF her infatuation
with Olcott, twenty-three-year-old
poseur, she said:
"Billy was wonderful the week
of our engagement. The Saturday
night following the gift of the ring
and where he got it to give me,
Heaven only knows-we announced
our engagement. Many young men
and women of social prominence
were present. Everybody was drink
ing except Billy. He never drank.
Sober Boy. Charming.
I'VE decided to get married that
very night. My fiance seemed re-
markably charming against TINS
| background Of jazz life In Ne"
York's younger set.
Charlie, one Of the boys, got his
car and six Of us drove to Green.
wich. At a garage there we learned
there was a new five-day license Jaw.
That put a crimp in our plans. But
our spirits were high. We drove to
Jersey City. There we were inform
a
hours stipulation In force. Disgust
ed. we motored back to New York.
THE following Friday Billy, d
friend and l drove to Newport, Ky.
There our friend had taken so
much liquor that he passed out OF
the picture. Two clerks acted as
witnesses at the marriage ceremony.
Billy, meanwhile, was throwing
money about lavishly.
His spending habit was o pre-.
amb.e to the rapid vanishing Of
what remained of the 100000 l had
inherited from the estate Of my
mother. 1t had seemed so much
back in my home at Pineville. Ky.
| had thought il would last a life.
time in New York. But a very
few gowns and other luXuries had
put quite a dent in my bank bal
ance.
Roomed With Caswell.
BILLY kept encouraging me to
live high, and induced me to open
accounts with exclusive Fifth ave
nue. shops, which l did. We moved
from one exclusive hotel to another
Billy leaving me two days after
our arrival here to go to the
Claridge, where he roomed with mis-
pal. 'Dapper Dan Caswell. the
Cleveland 'money-hurler.' l was
left at the Plaza, occupying an ex.
pensive suite"
Evelyn produced a letter written
by Mrs. Lydia II. Olcott, from
Patriot, Ind, where William +.
Olcott, her son, had begun his
career. The letter. an intensely
tragic document, read in part:
"I suspect that you will be sur.
prised to receive this letter from
me, but before passing judgment
want you to know a few facts
concerning William. He is my
only son, and truthfully say ]
am sorry to think / gave him birth.
He has broken my heart and bow
ed my head In humiliation. He Is
either insane or most awfully
His success in life made a fool
of him. He was too young,
guess. He stood high in Patriot
two years ago and we were proud
Of him and he had lots of friends
who wished him well. Today peo.
pie feel sorry for US. Our son has
broken his father up and is dis.
honorable in many ways. He told
us he was married once before"
Evelyn paused in reading this
letter to explain that William had
represented to his parents that he
had been married to Edna French,
of the "Follies." This, however,
Evelyn added, was untrue, but she
! said that William often taunted
her by saying that his charms
were not offensive, to Miss French
when he paid her attentions. The
letter continued:
His father just worshiped him
! and gave him every dollar he had.
Then he borrowed 500 from the
bank to pay his bills. Then came
another check of $4O0, so Mr.. OF.
colt borrowed more to pay that. He
said he would not go to the bank
alone and borrow any more. So I
| signed my name to the note and
we borrowed more money to pay
our sons bills and to give him
one more chance. II he
signs one more check and sends It
to the Patriot Bank. he can go - .
Parents Impoverished.
you are his wife and am his
mother, so l tell you the absolute
truth. I am just giving him his
chance. He has had thousands of
dollars. haven't decent clothes
to wear this summer. My husband
looks like tramp. He was
ashamed to go to Indianapolis to see
about arresting William for passing
those checks. Father always has
held up his name and now see what
william is doing"
The letter then alleges that the
son used his fathers name In vari.
Gus communities to obtain money.
The mother continued:
II never saw anyone throw money
away like he does. II is appalling.
Mr.. Olcott is now I'm debt 1890. We
have a small country drug store.
Now isn't that a bright prospect for
us at our age? truly hope you
can make a man out OF him. but in
all sincerity to you, you must not
believe anything he says.