davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

the suburbs. All the boys at the track agreed it was pretty romance.
 Rickaby thought himself mighty lucky, and took real pleasure in introducing his little bride about; for the short time that she remained his bride, that is.
 With two ex-husbands loose in Eng land, the fair, calculating Dona evidently decided that her cue was a quick clean up and a getaway. She went to work on MT. Rickaby's considerable fortune at once and, considering that her previous experiences had been with miner and a not particularly wealthy alien, she did very well.
 The day after they were wed she started charging things, and she kept it up. All the stores knew George, so there was no question. She charged fur coats and silk dresses. She charged dia- monds and pearls. She even charged a snappy little roadster. For three weeks she kept hard at it. Some of her plunder she kept in the house. Some she pru. dently stored away elsewhere.
 Then, when she knew the bills were about due to arrive, she packed up all her own pluckings, Georges ring, watch and cash, and departed while he slept.
 The disillusioned steeplechaser made no effort to find her, once he realized he had been taken in, but the law was not so forgiving, and eventually she was taken to the Surrey Assizes and sen- fenced to eight months for bigamy.
 When the eight months were up, Dona Rigley lost herself in London for twenty four hours, and emerged from the fog as "the Honorable Mrs. Grant"-her most ambitious impersonaton.
 The fascinating little impostor lin- gered in London for while, going about with people who thought she was a rela- tive of Lady Sibyl Grant, and living partly on the loot she stole from Rickaby and partly on the money she had made while employing the "house- maid dodge" on the good burghers.
 It was while she was masquerading as the mysterious but alluring "Mrs. Grant" that she met most of those real society folk who are now trying to explain how she took them in. And it was as Mrs Grant," it is suspected, that she came by occasional pearls, rings, watches and so forth, missed by their aristocratic own- CTS, but never officially reported as lost.
 With an eye-6lling wardrobe, plenty
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

of jewelry and money, she finally de- cided to set forth in search of new worlds to conquer, and went to Paris.
 Dona, the girl from the slums, con ducted herself with circumspection, if not always with propriety, and the peo- pie of the French capital found her sufficiently amusing.
 With English tourists she did not fare so well. The Honorable Mrs Richard Norton, for example, said bluntly that she had never seen "the Honorable Mrs. Grant" before her arrival in Paris, and didn't believe she was a relative of Lady Sibyl and the Earl of Rosebery.
 Then the Honorable Joan Yarde- Butler, who is to marry young Noel Guinness, gave "Mrs Grant" the cold shoulder, and Paris began to wonder. It was the beginning of the end of a glorious adventure for the daring girl from nowhere, and few days later she quietly closed her apartment and re- turned to London, badly in need of cash.
 As on more than one previous occa- sion, her mind turned again to the "housemaid dodge" and when MT. Laurie Cohen, the commission agent, ad- vertsed for a domestic, she donned her servant-maid makeup and went forth to turn dishonest dollar. Cohen was charmed by her neat, respectable ap- pearance and her meek demeanor. He gave her the run of the house. It took her week to find out where he hid his money, but it was worth the trouble. She took little better than sl, l,5O0 when she went away.
 With the memory of her West End and London triumphs still strong, and the desire to be somebody" rampant, Dona spent $750 at once on new clothes and was preparing to step out again as social butterfly when the police stepped in and told her she was wanted
 During her last trial Cher latest, at least) she tried to move the court to tears as she told of third baby coming. But the court did not believe her. And, anyway, her record as mother is bad
 Finding sentiment of no avail, she re- verted to type, as related at the begin ming. She became again the tough little girl of the East End streets.
 Six months? Just time enough to rest up and do little planning. She'd show these blokes who was hard. Six months? Easy. Standing on her head.
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

Women of the world of fashion ac- cepted her as an equal.
 Some queer stories are extant con- corning that phase of her career. There is the tale that once, at a party, Lady Sholto Douglas missed one of her world famous pearls. It was very embarrass- ing. It looked as if the guests might have to submit to search. Then Miss Megson, the heress," suggested that they put the lights out, as the gleam of the pearl could be seen better in the dark. It was done as she suggested, and. sure enough, the pearl was found gleam- ing on ,chair where it emphatically had not been a moment before
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

It was in her role as Hazel Megson that Dona met Josephine O'Dare, another adventures, and an excellent foil for her.
 Josephine was known as Queen of the Race Track" and had more horse own- CTS professional jockeys, gentlemen riders and plain touts on her calling list than she could shake stick at She in- ducted Dona, or Miss Megson," into the mysteries of the turf, and introduced her to George Bernard Rickaby, the famous steeplechaser.
 George started by giving Miss Meg son" tip, and ended by giving her a wedding ring and cute little house in
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

supposed to shed its skin, and took up residence in an exclusive hotel where she was k n 0 wn as the daughter of MT. M e g s 0 n, a wealthy sports man. Before un- dertaking her inn personatlon, she had made sure he was in India.
 Naturally, the thoughtless peo- pie who accept strangers at face value were de lighted to do honor to the pretty "heiress. /"
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

mined to make the world yield her an | easy living.
 The "living" turned up in Noting ham, in the person of handsome miner his name she has forgotten. Without taking the trouble to divorce her Aus trian, Dona married the miner and it went we'll for a little while. Then she got tired of doing housework for wife's reward. When she bore him child, she sent that baby home to the old folks, packed her bag, left note on the bu reau, took about everything else in the house. and went away.
 It had been good year for the miner, and Donas pickings had been corre- spondingy good. With her loot, she took rooms in a West End hotel and changed her name to Virginia Dalton.' She began to move in fast set on the fringe of respectable society.
 She began to accumulate a wardrobe rather more elegant than that of yore, If not as loud. Occasionally she reverted to housemaid for a day or two-long enough to steal little jewelry and fam fly plate and convert the stuff into cash and again she was caught and sent away
 The ambitious young woman obvi- nusly spent that prison term puzzling out philosophy of her own, for when she was discharged 1t was apparent that she had decided if she wanted to get big money by her criminal endeavors she must go where the big money was
 She shook her Dona Rigley and Vir- gnia Dalton personalities as a snake is
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

Copyright. 1927. U Johnson Features. Inc
New Britain herald., 1927-09-02

Which was an amazing and amusing reversion to type on the part of this bewilderlng young woman, who came from the London slums; who married three men to rob them; who hoodwinked and stole from the rich and noble, yet managed to move for time in the politest of social circles; and who ac- tually succeeded in making people who mattered believe %he was the first cousin of the a! tic Lady Sibyl Grant, the talented daughter of the Earl of Rosebery.
 Still, early training and environment will tell in pinch, and in early life the fascinating Dona was a gamin of the East End, and "a tough one."
 The particular crime for which she was sentenced this time was stealing s1,500 from one Laurie Cohen, a trust ing commission agent
 She has, before now, however, "done a bit' for bigamy, and it is probable that when her current term expires she will be re-arrested for some of her other transgressions.
 In the girls lawless career one may find solemn commentary upon the fluid state of London society in these after the-war days.
 In her cynically frank disclosures re- garding herself, she has revealed that once she masqueraded as "the Honorable Mrs. Grant" and made people believe that she was one of the Rosebery Grants merely because of her name, and the fact that she could describe the garden of the Rosebery estate at Epson.
 When she gTavitated to the Conti- nent some months ago, her successes were instant and constant, They took her at her own valuation, and asked no questions, save Who's going to give the next dinner, and buy the next drink"
 Who the girls parents are doesn't matter much. But, as a matter of fact, they are very poor people who live in the East End and do the best they know how. That best includes taking care of two of the children Dona acquired in her marrying career.
 Dona started carly. She took her first and only legal husband when she was sixteen.
 He was an Austrian, and the war was on. He was an inofFensive soul, but he violated some minor police regulation and was sentenced to seven days in iail under the Alien Act. By that time the girl was tired of the silly old thing, and when he got out he found his home dis. mantled and 'the little woman" flown
 When the property and money she had stolen from him was dissipatcd, and be- fore she was quite seventeen, Dona got a job as housemaid and thoughtfulIy
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22

PUPPIES FOR Christmas. Good
pets or watchers. Price reason.
ablea 6l7 Orange. 22t2
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
COLDS THAT
DEVELOP into
PNEUMONIA

Persistent coughs and colds lead to
serious trouble. You can stop them now
with Creomulsion, an emulsi6ed creo-
sote that is pleasant to take. Creomul.
sion is new medical discovery with
two-fold action; it soothes and heals
the inhamed membranes and inhibits
germ growth.
OF all known drugs, creosote is rec.
ognized by high medical authorities as
one of the greatest healing agencies for
persistent coughs and colds and other
forms of throat troubles. Creomulsion
contains, in addition to creosote, other
healing elements which soothe and heal
the infected membranes and stop the
irritation and inflammation, while the
creosote goes on to the stomach, is ab.
sorbed into the blood, attacks the seat
of the trouble and checks the Growth
of the germs.
Creomulsion is guaranteed satisfac.
Tory in the treatment of persislen,
coughs and colds, bronchial asthma
bronchitis and other forms of respira.
tory diseases, and is excellent for build.
ing up the system after colds or flu.
Money refunded if any cough or cold is
not relieved after taking according TO
directions. Ask your druggist. (ady.)
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Wood Sues In
Banks Behalf

Two civil actions were filed this
morning by Will C. Wood, as super
intendent of state banks and as
liquidator of the Farmers and Mer.
chant 8 bank of Imperial, now in
process of liquidation, against Jack
Kennedy
Both complaints charge the de-
fendant with Indebtedness on Ger,
tain promissory notes.
Three causes of actions are cited
in the first complaint, the amount
of the notes being fixed at 5000
1925 and $840. A mortgage was
given the bank to secure the notes
and the plaintiff asks that he be al
lowed to foreclose the mortgage and
dispose of the property, the pro-
ceeds to be applied on the indebt.
edness of the defendant.
In the other action two promis
sorv notes are listed, both in the
amount of $3.50. A small amount
has been paid on one of these
notes. Judgment in the sum of the
amount due on the two notes, to,
gether with interest and attorneys Is
fees is asked.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Veteran Pitchers
To Battle Time
BY GEORGE KIRKSEY
United Press Staff Correspondent

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-Two vet
eran American League pitchers will
take the mound against Father Time
next season in an effort to beat
the old boy out just one more year
Stanley Coveleskie, who was count
ed as through by the Washington
Senators last spring, will go south
with the Yanks this spring and at.
tempt to gain place on the pay.
roll of the worlds champions.
At the same time Joe Bush, whose
bullet ball has lost its zip, will bat.
tie for berth on the pitching staff
of the Philadelphia athletics.
Here we find two players who
broke in with the Athletics in the
same year, 1912, rounding out theiI
big league careers in almost identi
cal fashion.
Coveleskie is convinced that he
has few more winning games left
in his old soupbone, and he almost
has Miller Higgins convinced of it
too. The Pole is going south under
an agreement whereby he gets a con
tract if he makes good, otherwise he
gets the gate.
Connie Mack already has signed
Bush for next year.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
ELM NOTES
By Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

ELM, Dec. GA Christmas tree
and an elaborate Christmas program
was given by the Elm school Mon
day night. Three plays were given
THE Crouch Family" "Santa
Claus Visits School," and "'The
Christmas Play as well as many
recitations and musical numbers.
Santa Claus gave presents and
treats to the children.
The house was decorated for the
occasion with holiday cutouts made
by the school children under the in
structionS of their teacher.
The box supper given by the Elm
baseball team Saturday night was
a decided success. Twenty nine dol
lars was made from the sale of the
boxes. The evening was spent play
ing games in which several prizes
were given.
Polly Dawes was the guest Satur-
day night of Beatrice Boone.
Madrine Deffinbaugh is visiting
her parents.
A fine Christmas program was
given at Silsbee school Tuesday
night and an elaborate tree was en-
joyed.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Southern Stars
Practice Hard
For Big Game
By United Press Leased Wire

Los ANGELES, Dee. %. - The
Giants who make up the all-South-
crn eleven which will meet an all.
Western aggregation here December
26 have left an impression after
only one practice session.
Horseplay was absent from the
initial workout yesterday, Dixie
stars and coaches digging into their
task with an undercurrent of deter.
mination that is often missing from
quickly assembled teams.
On a field that was slightly soggy
after an early rain, Captain Crowley
of Georgia Tech and Crcson, from
Vanderbilt, raced over the smooth
turf to snag passes in an amazing
manner. Remembered faces, such
rs those of Bowdoin, Pickhard and
"Red' Brown, of Alabama, were
seen bobbing about in the thick of
the action.
Dotson and Middlckauf, steam
roller backs, looked mighty good as
did the smaller Spears and Estes.
The West was not idle. More ad-
vanced in its team play, the West
spent a good deal of its time devel-
oping an offensive which will center
about big Louie Tesreau, the I'M
iversity of Washington star.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Local Legion
Aids Officers

~ - - 80 = .
In compliance with a request from
Phil Dodson, state commander of
the American Legion, Judge Kendall
b. Perkins, commander of Boyce
Aten post, last night offered the
services of post members to local au-
thorities to help patrol roads in the
valley IN an effort to apprehend
Edward Hickman, slayer of Marion
Parker.
| PatrOls were sent out on princi-
pal valley roads last night after the
Legion men had been sworn in as
special deputy sheriffs. Each party
of Legionnaires was accompanied by
an officer, who instructed them in
the work and supervised the stop
ping of all cars.
One detail including Chan Living
ston, Harry Horton, j. S. Cameron
and Vale McCrory, was on duty all
night on the highway at Kane
Springs.
Laurence Duff, A. C. Farrar, p.
A. Thaanum, and Roy Davis worked
on the San Diego highway from 8
p. m. until . a. m, in charge of
Traffic Officers Holcomb and Hunt.
er. At o clock they were relieved
by a detail including Bill Livings-
ton, Nern De Tar, Kendall b. Per-
kins, and Lee Nuffer, working in
charge of Captain Frank Oswalt of
the state traffic squad.
Other Legion men have volunteer
cd for duty tonight and the patrols
will be kept up until need for them
is ended.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Defendant Denies
Ability To Pay

An answer in the case of Hazel
+. Thiesen against John f. Thicsen
WAS filed at the county clerk s of
flee this morning. The answer de-
nies the allegations made by the
plaintiff to the effect that the de-
scndant is in position to pay 500
month for the support of the
plaintiff and the minor child of the
couple.
In the answer the defendant
oints out that he has been paying
$50 a month toward the support cf
the child for some time and declares
that he recently suffered a broken
arm which has kept him from be-
ing able to work and earn any mon
"y. AS a result, he declares that at
the present time he is unable TO
pay the amounts sought by the
plaintiff.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Directors Reduce
Clubs Taxes

Few matters Of importance were
brought before the board Of direct
ors of the Imperial Irrigation dis
trict at the regular weekly session
The majority of the meeting was
spent in disposing of routine duties
and on a discussion of some oil con-
tracts was taken.
The board approved a petition
from the Progressive Colored Wom-
ems club asking that a cut in taxes
due on some property in the eastern
part of the city be made. 1t was
brought out that other tax claims
against the property had been re-
duced in order that settlement
might be made within a reasonable
figure with the club, which is seek
ing to take over the property for
the erection of a clubhouse.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
.SCHAEFER TAKES.
BILLIARD CROWN
FROM COCHRAN
By MAURICE DAILY
(Written for the United Press)

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-Weiker
Cochran today is speeding south
ward to Florida, minus the 1872
Balkline billiard championship, TAX
EN- from him through the skilled cue
manship of Young Jake Sehaeffer,
who recaptured the coveted title,
1900 to 1904. s's.'' - H.t :"
! Last night s play was finale of
thrills, which did much to atone
for the ragged execution in the first
four blocks. At the start of the
fifth block, Cochran was trailing by
1900 to 1853. He staged plucky
uphill fight, twice running over
100, to finish only 1876 points down.
Cochran tailed 551 points last
night while Schaefer was laborious-
ly drumming up 800.
Schaefer opened the evening by
continuing an unfinished run of II
to AZ for a run of "a and a score
of 1912.
Cochran started by running 81
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
SPORT, NEWS SECTION

and showing himself to be in the
best form of the match to date.
Then came Schaefer again, play
ing his 37th inning-he ran up 161
before he took his seat, breaking
the high run mark.
Cochran broke loose in the 10th
inning and after several spectacular
open shots whipped the ivories un-
der control. He ran 1876 before he
missed and had two more chances.
Jake got only four and two in the
next two innings but the best cham
pion could show were runs of Sc
and 81. In the 43rd it ended,
Schaefer going out with an unfin-
ished run of 16 points.
Schaefer's grand average was 34
3S-42 to 81 2-42 for Cochran.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
NOTICE CALLING FOR BIDS
FOR BURIAL OF INDECENT
DEAD

Notice is hereby given that the
Board of Supervisors will, at their
rooms, on January 3rd, 1923, at the
hour of two o clock Z. NJ, receive
bids for the burial of indigent dead
of Imperial County, all bids or pro.
posals to be submitted in writing
and signed by the bidder; and the
Board of Supervisors hereby reserve
the right to refuse to reject any
and all bids.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY,
By C. &. Mousscau, County Clerk
and ex-officio Clerk of the Board
of Supervisors of Imperial Coun'
ty, State of California. ID 1910
(SEhL)
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Loads Limited on
San Diego Route

Notice was served this morning
by Captain Frank .!Oswalt of the
state traffic squad, to, all frdtk
drivers in Imperial county, relative
20 loads on the San Diego highway.
Several bridges and culverts on
:hc highway in course of construc-
tion make it dangefous for over
loaded trucks and upon the orders
Cf the state highway commission
gross loads on the San Diego hign-
way are limited to 10 tons. This
weight includes the truck and load.
All violators of the order will be
subject to arrest, the captain de-
clared.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
So. California
Sport Briefs
BY United Press Leased Wire

IASA CANT, Dec. u
Tony Cruz and Young Bcllo will
feature the boxing card here tonight
when they meet in the 10-round
main event. They are feather
I weights. a.4us
Billy Cred" Wells, Pasadena,
and Ray Regalada, San Bernardino,
will mix in the six round semi final
while Ralph Lincoln and Sailor Fay
Kosky will tangle in the four-round
special.
CULVER CITY, Calf, Dec. 22.-
Ring notables Will attend the fight
card here tonight when Jack Dugan
and Marcelin Ortega clash in a 10,
round main event. The show will
be a testimonial to the late Al Cos
tigan, chief of police of Culver
City. Jack Dempsey, Jim Jeffries
and Tommy Ryan are former cham
pions who were to be on hand.
OCEAN PARK, Calf, Dec. 22.-
Red Humphries took an eight-round
decision over Louis Ramos in the
main event of a boxing card here
last night.
Bearl Whitehead got the nod over
Melvin Bobo in the six-round semi
windup while Jack O'Brien had the
better of Jimmy Valent; over the
same distance. Dud Fades trim
med Tommy Cleary in four-round
affair and George Savage knocked
out Fred Dawson in the first round
of the curtain raiser.
Los ANGELES, Dee. 22.-Iu-
ability to arrange agreeable terms
which would have paved the way
20 match between Young Jack
Thompson and Pete August, has
caused Matchmaker Wad Wadhanls
10 cancel next Tuesday S boxing
card at the Olympic auditorium
The club will be dark until January
5 when Johnny Mccoy and News
boy Brown meet at 112 pounds for
the world S flyweight champion
ship,
Los ANGELES, Dee. .22.-Pete
Saucrs pinned Dick Daviscourt in
the only fall of their match at the
Olympic auditorium here last night.
Sauers had decided edge through
out the entire two hours and mel
tied the victory. The fall came in
one hour, 81 minutes and Is see
onds.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Lost and Found

STOLEN-Two pieces new. canvas,
so it. square, 40x50 ft., made Of
10 it. squares; three wagon sheets
about lSx22 ft. d. B. McVey.
Phone SLOW, Brawley, or notify
police. 2lt3
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
Baseball Magnate
In Real Estate
by United Press Leased Wire

~ ~'''EN" 'NSN HFVHSVU w ITV
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.-Charles
II. Strub, owner of the San Fran
cisco Seals of the Pacific Coast
Baseball League, had taken another
venture in Hollywood real estate
today.
Strub completed negotiations for
purchase of 99-ycar lease on Holly
wood boulevard property. The or
ignal lease, made four years ago,
involved rental of more than ST.
100000. In. Il previous deal Stub
purchased the Owens building here
for 100000.
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22
State of California,


County of Imperial. SIS:
On November 30th, 1927, before
me, Leah a. Boyer, a Notary Public
in and for the County of Imperial
state of California, residing there
in, duly commissioned and sworn,
personally appeared Fred II. Cross
J.ou X. Phihev and JAS. w. Glass.
ford, personally known To me 10 lac
the persons whose names are sub.
6cribed to the within instrument
and acknowledged to me that they
executed the same.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, /
have hereunto set my hand and af-
fixed my official seal in said
County on November 25th 1927.
LEAH A. BOYER,
Notary Public in and for said
County and State.
Dec l 10 % 30
Imperial Valley press., 1927-12-22

The Colorado River recently
changed its course and gave the
| nitcd States a square mile of Me-
lean land. The river probably
meant well enough, but we have
enough troubles without annexing
part of Mexico.