New-York tribune., 1922-07-16

otner Lhlhg, ne SAID, was that he had fallen
In love with girl Of social position whom he
could not marry, so he wanted to get away.
as quickly as he could
Among the feminine stars of that crowd
was Minnie Palmer, who became later con-
fidence operator in France and England. I
think she received long term when Scotland
Yard landed her few years ago. Minnie WAS
a writer for Ieslie's Magazine when / first
met her. Even after she had record as
long as her own arm she used to break into
magazines occasionally. She told me she wrote
for recreation. Her stories were all about
criminals. Vice was always punished and
Virtue always victorious, but they were like
some of our present day motion picture dramas
they glorifed the crook while condemnng
crime.
"There was story Minnie wrote-I for
get what magazine it was printed in--but the
title was The Damnation of David I've still
got few nstaments. The main character
was forger, and Minnie wrote about him as
one who knew, which she certainly did In
the story David, who was easily to be recog-
nized as Harry Clayton, noted bank thief and
forger, never forged a check to get money
for himself. No, sir He always did it to
missed for some other exalted reason The
Palmer girl certainly wrote entertainingly, but
she born bad lot
"That reminds me of Bill Brockway, am
other of Minnie Palmer's associates He al
ways asked for Bible and a Congregational
hymnbook as soon as he landed in the Tombs
That fellow could con you out of your only
overcoat. He was as smooth as a wet seal.
Another of that gang was Ellen Peck, who
had an international reputation. Harry Clay
ton was Brockway's partner in fake Broad
Street brokerage Offices. We cleaned that nest
out and sent the crooks away. They put over
some big jobs in this town, though, that were
never proved on them. The last I heard Of
Brockway he was stool pigeon for the Secret
Service Department in Washington, job for
which he was surely qualified.
"Of course, in the old days there were jobs
to be done that required tact When full-fed
gentry of the social elite became overloaded
with pep and exceeded conventional bounds it
wasn't considered good form to rush club
room full of mllionaires The idea was to
'tip somebody off" that this or that feature Of
their program was attracting too much atten-
ton. No arrests, no reports-just a nice,
quiet, amiable gentlemen's agreement That
was the general method, but you know about
the "best laid plans O. mice and men," Some
times they do.
"There was the Seely dinner That was in
Mr.. Roosevelt's administration as Police Com
missioner l personally arrested Little
Egypt professional dancer who was per-
forming before 300 clubmen and members Of
ha Hmm III
the job 1t was one of those assignments that
few police officers are ambitious to get because
there's always kickback, and one may get
caught in it. Sherry himself was not in New
York at the time. The arrangements were
afterward said to have been made without his
knowledge. Herbert Barnum Seely, who gave
the dinner, was rich man. From all I un-
derstood, his motive was to gain social favor
by the hurrah route, going in for what Hamii-
ton Fish called the heavy bizarre Anyway.
here's what happened and my recollection of
the detail is freely clear.
"Lottie Mortimer, theatrical performer.
with her stepfather, Sol Harris, burlesuue
actor, told Captain Chapman, then known as
Car of the Tenderloin, that Lottie had been
offered $1,000 to do dance for society
oAiAh'oi PoA ~ d. oHeIIy 5 ana mad rejected the
offer. Lottie said Little Egypt then in the
height Of her local fame as a dancer. had ac-
cepted. 1t was to be nude dance, Lottie said
Captain Chapman and / reached Sherry's
about the time things were warming up. Cham
pagne had been flowing in floods. One of the
most popular men of the younger smart set
was playing the piano. Half the guests were
seated and the other half prancing about the
hoor, glasses in hand, keeping time to the
music. In the center of things was Little
Egypt
Some of the guests tried to make Chapman
see that there would be more harm than good
IN creating scene He was obdurate. / was
ordered to arrest Little Egypt / stepped out
and tapped the lady on her bare shoulder.
She was right in the middle of the 'Danse du
Ventre' or some such foreign performance.
That sort of thing was considered shocking
then.
"'What is it?' she inquired, cool as Won
please.
Madam l said, Captain Chapman Is
afraid you may catch cold. He requests chat
you put wraps
Egypt laughed and accompanied me from
the floor She took my arm, too. felt like