The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-08


nous film star, to take part in a move
ment which has for it's purpose the
building of hospital for drug addicts
as memorial to the brave fight which
"Wally" Reid made against the drug
habit and lost, is disclosed in letters
made public here today by John West
brook, 715 Rowland avenue, Kenosha,
relative of the dead actor.
The letters are from Mrs. Virginia
Westbrook Backus and Miss Maude
Westbrook, both living in Eatontown,
N. j., and both sisters of Wallace
Reid's mother, Mrs. Bertha Westbrook
Reid, who makes her home with them
large part of the time. The letters
reveal the antagonism of the Reid part
of the family to any plan which would
hand "Wally Reid's name down in his
tory as "the actor who lost his fight
against DOPE"
The Kenosha man, who has always
been in close touch with these rela-
tives, has been authorized to make
public the contents of the letters.
Bitter Against "WalIy's" Widow.
The letters show that Mrs. Reid, the
mother of the film STAR blames Mrs
Dorothy Davenport Reid for the fact
that the actors one weakness was
"blazoned to the world"
"It was all so sudden" writes Mrs.
Backus in letter dated February
22nd. "Oh how could Dorothy have
given it out to the papers, and now
that he gave up his life rather than
give in, it seems to me very short
sighted and mercenary thing for her to
go into "dope" picture for hospitals
for addicts to be named for Wallace,
thereby stamping his memory with the
one and only thing against him, and
which he fought so vialiantly to over
come. Bertha (Wallace Reds mother)
has received so many letters and calls
asking her to use her influence to try
to stop it. The hospitals are all right
no one objects to them-it is only
naming them for Wallace when he has
otherwise held such supreme place in
the affections and admiration of the
public. Poor Wallace--he disliked any
thing of that sort, and / am glad he
never knew how Dorothy had blazoned
his one weakness to the entire world.
And | think he was great hero in re-
atty to give up his dear loved life
rather than give in"
Hints of Domestic Trouble.
This letter hints that there were
times when everything did not go we'll
at the Wallace Reid home.
1--WE can't understand how Dorothy
could consent to allow these hospitals
to be named for Wallace" continues
the letter mentioned above. "If she
didn't care about Wallace, how about
the stigma on little Billy?
GAS a matter of fact, all this wifely
devotion doesn't set we'll with us-for
she and Wallace were not happy to-
gether. Bertha was there last winter,
and Wallace confded to her many
things poor, boy!"
The remainder of the letter Deals
with the plans suggested for giving
the question of publicity and with
other family troubles.
Mother Writing Memoirs.
In an effort to offset the movement
which has been launched to name
dope" hospitals for "Wally" Reid,
Mrs. Bertha Westbrook Reid, the stars
mother, has written, according to the
letters, story of Reds life, which
will emphasize other aspects of his
character. This booklet is now in the
hands of the publishers, soon to be on
the bookshelves.
eve hope this will in a measure off
set his wifes methods" wrote Miss
Maude Westbrook in another letter,
dated February 18th.
This aunt is even more bitter in her
denunciation of the method in which
The public was appraised of the illness
from which Wally Reid was suffering.
It declares that "Wally's" mother could
not have been kept from his bedside
81 had she been apprized of his real CON
dition, but that she did not know of it
until it was given out to the public sin
a most sensational manner"
Betrayal Was Inexcusable."
This letter brands as inexcusable the
betrayal of Wally's weakness" to the
world by his wife.
''It is still more difficult for us to
bear, realizing, had his wife been loyal
TO him and guarded with her life any
weakness of his, that he would have
passed beyond with his beloved public
conscious only of a clean, unspotted
wonderful career writes the aunt in
this letter Even we, his family, knew
nothing about such a weakness until
we with the rest Of the world read his
wife's betrayal of him in glaring news
paper headlines, and he ignorant that
ne had been betrayed. We thank God
ne passed without knowing"
In another part of the letter she
says: Everybody almost-women es-
pecially-resents the disloyalty of a
husband or wife in betraying family
skeletons, if they exist"
Denounces Hospital Plan.
The letter goes on to denounce the
plan to name dope" ospital after
Reid, claiming that Mrs. Dorothy Da-
venport Reid has 'the big money" as
her "only motive" in this enterprise.
Such a sanitarium is not thing as
a memorial to perpetuate the true Wal
lace Reid, even admitting his brave
sight, for Wallace did not win the pub
lies great love because of that, but
n spite Of the won it before this
came out on his rereonalitv his