San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-02
FRIENDS BLAME
N LEAN s LOVE
FOR MYSTERIES
Believe That Is Why He Is
So Deeply Involved in
Teapot Scandal.
A DEVOTEE OF GOLF
Enters Active Newspaper
Work After Car Runs
Over His Little Son.

Chicago. March New Mclean
loves mystery and always has. That
his friends think, is one reason he lS
SO deeply involved in the Senate oil
scandal investigation. His love o.
intrigue and mystery is Unborn. Old
John r. Mclean. millionaire publish
CT of the Washington Post and Gin
cinnsti Enquirer, had it, too. He
passed it on to his son along with
his newspapers and about $4,000
900.
To look at Z. B. Mclean, familiar
" known to his friends as Ned, yoC
wouldn't think mystery had such a
charm for him. He is a huge, bulky
chap, over six feet tall and very
broad. His devotion to golf keeps
him tanned all year round TO rich
mahogany hue, for he spends his WIN
tiers in Florida and his summers at
Bar Harbor. But since bis hidC-an5-
seek days at Friendship" the beau
tiful Mclean country home here. he
has been a devotee of the mysterious.
Detective stories, mystery tales,
etc, always intrigue him. He has TO
cloak his own movements with mys-
terry. Dictaphones and wire tapping
devices always fascinate him.
Mysteries Attract Him.
Gratifying his love of mystery. Nc
Lean during the war cerated a news
paper creature. Riley Grammar. the
name of an Old-time gambler. Gran
nan daily "plucked scoops out OF the
air and Mclean published them. he
revealed in the wonder his stories pro-
duced.
His attraction BY anything mys-
FERROUS and occult was revealed IN his
purchase of the Hope Diamond. which
has a worldwide reputation for bring
ing misfortune to its owners. lie
bought it for a sum reported as
100000 for his wife, the former
Evelyn Wallis. daughter of the late
Thomas Walsh. Colorado mining mag
nate.
Soon after. his little son. despite the
utmost watchfulness. eluded guard,
= ID nurses, ran across a street and
was killed by an automobile. The
death of his son lad marked effect
on Ned. He plunged into the news
paper business in earnest instead ol
lust playing at il. When his manag-
ing editor died, Mclean himself too.i
the job.
iIng his youth, Mclean was frs;
kaown as the "milhon-dOllar baby,
because of sis big fortune and then
rs one Of the widest young blades
n Washington. His escapades would
fill book. They included such
Franks as takin. a bear with him
when he went calling on some la
dies.
He married Evelyn Walsh. who
brought with her fortune equal TO
his own. if not greater. Mrs. Nc
Lean is probably the closest friend
Florence Harding has in Washing
ton.
Friends of ,Hardinss.
During the Harding regime in the
White House, the McLeans were con-
slant visitors. Mclean was the Hard
ings host when they went 20 Florida
in the spring of 1928.
Ned built a private golf course at
Friendship 50 he and Mr.. Hard
ing could play and TIE President could
thus avoid the crowds that followed
him OH other courses. Mclean, by
constant practice, has become an eX-
pert golfer. He is one Of the long
est drivers in the game. He employs
two golf professionals to teach him.
Leo Diegel and Chris Dunphy.
Mclean never had any desire for
public office. but when Mr.. Harding
became President. he was mentioned
for various offices. including the am
bssasdorship TO the Court OF St
James.