The Washington times., 1922-03-20
WIFE To
SUE FOR
DIVORCE
Husband, Deposed From Proud
Position, Seeks to Build Up
Import Trade.


Import Trade.
NEW YORK. March 2O.-In
far-away California a man. who
less than three months ago was
one of the most powerful forces
In a $10O,00O,OO0 corporation. is
seeking to build up a business in
the importation of Hawaiian
fruits.
Thousands of miles fro,n him,
on an island in the West Indies,
. woman, mother of three young
children, is planning how best she
may legally sever her life from
that Of the man.
Separation Final.
The man is Eugene w. Ong,
counsel, director and Authoritative"
vice president of the great United
Fruit Company.
The woman is Mrs. Bessie Pres
ton Ong. daughter Of Andrew W..
Preston, aged multi-millionaire foun-
der of the United Fruit merger.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ong have separated
"finally and for good, - their friends
in the social life Of New York and
Boston assert. '
The separation is an aftermath of
disclosures of the disruption of
the family Of Walter Scott Penfield,
of Washington, noted international
lawyer, after a raid on an apart
ment in the Lafayette Hotel in
Washington in October, 1920.
Tn DarfinlI ol1nond "a
kcille Bacon Penfield, in rooms reg
popular young wife, Mrs. Alice Lu.
ellie Bacon Penfield, nj rooms reg
istered for by Ong as "E. Walker
Owen and wife"
Preston Banishes prince"
Sturdy, powerful, mentally and
physically. despite his seventy-five
years, Andrew w. Preston is cred
tied in shipping and social circles
with the determination to Danish
from his family the former power
full Grown Prince" as Ong was
known to fellow executives in the
fruit company. These executives,
incidentally, suffered for years un-
der the alleged autocratic, you
must-bow-to-me" rule of Ong.
The actual separation of the Ongs
came two months ago. Ong packed
his grips and departed for Califor-
mia. He visited his father, former
Judge Walter Ong, in Cleveland, at
the latter's retreat, 131 Garfield
street, Pasadena. Then he dropped
in on his sister, Mrs. c. c. Broad
water, whose husband is vice presi-
dent of the Merrill Metallurgical
Company, of San Francisco.
Now he is said to be in San Fran
cisco organizing a company to i'm
port pineapples and other fruits
from the Hawaiian Islands.
The separation Of the Ongs. it is
said, followed dramatic interviews
between Mr.. and Mrs. Preston, their
son.in-law, their daughter and other
active principals in the Ong-Penfield
scandal.
More Disclosures Made.
Over the Christmas season Mrs.
Ong made a brave effort to live up
to her expression at the now famous
hotel conference in New York in
October. 1920, when she cried, in
the presence of her husband and of
Mr.. and Mrs. Penfield:
Eugene is still my husband. He
Is still my husband. l believe In
him."
Then came further disclosures; ad-
vice from bankers In New York and
Boston; and, finally, a long inter
view between Ong and Mr.. and Mrs.
Preston. This was followed, II Is
said, by an interview between Mr..
Preston and Walter Scott Penfield.
Mr.. Preston had made up his
mind that, no matter wha. the
cost, he must purge his household
of a scandal that promised to engulf
his own business career. as well as
that Of Ong and others.
Accordingly, the virile old presi-
dent OF the United Fruit Company
made up his mind. The result was
that Ong left for California. Mrs.
Ong packed up his personal effects
and shipped to him everything that
would remind her Of him.
Wife Now In Jamaica.
She closed her magnificent home
near Boston, stopped for day or
two at her fathers home, and on
February last left for New York
She was accompanied by her three
children, a nurse and a maid. Tho
next day, February s, the party
sailed on the United Fruit steamer
Sixaola for Port Antonio, Jamaica.
Mrs. .Ong and her children are
now domiciled at the picturesque
Hotel Titchfield, in Port Antonio.
They expect to return In April.
ICoptipued On para a Colup,n al