The Washington times., 1922-05-13
PEGGY |SHERE
To LAY GHOSTS
Of EVIL RUMOR
Declares She Was Not Expelled
and That Errazuriz Was
"onIy Friend"
By PEGGY HOPKINS JOYCE.

BY PEGGY HOPKINS JOYCE.
Written Exclusively for Universal Service.
Copyright. 1922. by Universal service)
NEW YORK, May 13.-Since
leaving Cherbourg on the Maure-
tania on Saturday I have been
bombarded by queries from news
papers and press associations
with reference to various rumors
about myself.
One wanted to know if have
been expelled from France for
twenty years on account of the
suicide of Billy Errazuriz, the
Chilean attache.
DispOses of Rumor.
Another said that my name had
been connected with the suicide or
Rivas Muntts, also a Chilean.
/ can dispose OF the last rumor in
world never heard Of the man
in my life.
AS for my alleged expulsion from
France, the story is ridiculous. 1t
could easily have been verified or
.disproved by calling on the French
officials without asking me.
Furthermore, on what grounds
could they have expelled me?
have committed no offense. l am an
American girl practically alone in
| the world, and ii seems TO me that
the rumors are cruel and unjust.
They put me in a false position
n1lhlip I left Fra with.
out any secrecy whatever. That
expect to return is shown by the
| fact that l left many jewels and
clothes, dogs and other belongings
behind me when / sailed.
1t is true that ! made my decision
! to leave suddenly, but my mother
cabled me to come home because she
was worried by the notoriety de-
veloped by the suicide of Billy.
Accompanied By Friend.
| I am accompanied by my friend,
! Miss Kathleen - Maloney, an Eng.
| lishwoman. 1t was necessary TO
/ get her passport vised at the last
moment. Showing how little Sc
/ crecy attended our movements, we
enlisted the services of Billy Halli-
gan, an American, who was re-
/ sOIl the
gan in turn got the cooperation OF
the Paris correspondents OF three
different newspaper organizations,
including Universal Service, to Sc
cure the wise from the American coll
sui at Cherlbourg. The consul met
our train for that purpose.
! Without their help we could not
have caught the Mauretania.
As further indication OF he
lengths to which / went 10 HvolI
! further notoriety, Pierre Merillon, al
admirer of mine, to whom ! was
once engaged, was booked on the
Mauretania. | asked him to can
( Gel his passage and so prevent the
| talk of us being on the same boat.
which he did.
! thought that by returning to
my home country, among my home
people, would escape the tales
that have harassed me since III"
suicide.
Billy Errazuriz was a dear friend
of mine. never denied this. l
never attempted TO conceal our
friendly relations. ] think liked
him better than any man l ever
knew. But he was married.
When I first met him he was
separated from his wife They
came together again and I did not
see him for some time. Then when
met him again In Paris he had
once more been separated from hls
wife. They had been apart for
year.
He lived at the same hotel in
Paris. was going around with
Henri Letellier, the newspaper pub
Usher. Billy objected. / told hlm
he was married and had no right
to censor my movements.
Begged for Attention.
The morning he killed himself
we had been out the previous night
to A party. He came to my room
with Miss Maloney and myself. lie
again begged of me to give up Le-
TELLER. This was resuming the old
subject upon which he had con.
stantly harped. was very tired
and told him that l would talk 10
him the next day. He said:
There will be no tomorrow.
Then he went to his room. Miss
Malonty and I went to bed. We
were awakened by a maid telling
us that Billy had shot himself.
was horror-struck. l never felt
sadder about anything in my whole
life. ! would give the world II 1
could bring him back TO lie. he
left me apparently in good
humor. | had no idea that his re-
mark carried any sinister meaning.
But if he were living, Billy would
bear out the statement that the fact
of his marriage prevented me from
allowing him to be anything more
than a very dear friend.
am hesrtbroken over the ap-
parent attempt to make a scandal
out of the unfortunate affair. /
only hope now that | will be per-
mitted to go quietly home TO my
mother and try to forget the no.
toriety that has brought me such
grief
Mother has come from her old
home In Norfolk to meet me. She
Is almost frantic. She is already un.
der the heavy sorrow caused by the
recent death Of her own mother.
will settle the question OF my
alleged expulsion from France by