The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-09-12
AUTOLICENSE
TAG LEADS TO
RUIN, RICHES
Fate Builds Thrilling Life
Drama Out of Changing
! One Motor Plate.
VICTIM TO QUIT CELL
Wife Made Fortune After
Mate Slew; Now Ready
! to Share With Him.
BY MORRIS DE HAVEN TRACY
United Press staff CORRESPONDENT

BY MORRIS DE HAVEN TRACY
United Press staff CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK, Sept. 11.-Success,
failure and tragedy, all are made at
times out Of fiimsy stuff.
For Charles T. Davis and his wife
RH three have been made out of the
changing Of a license plate on an
automobile. Davis, when he bought
q new car some years ago, trans
ferred the plate from his old ma
chine to the new one, and from that
trivial thing there grew a killing,
a term in prison and family discord
on one side Of the ledger. and the
running of $500 savings into a for
tune of 100000 or more, on the
Dther side.
Today Mrs. Davis Is at Dame
mora prison, New York, and there,
I'm a family conference within the
prison walls, she and her husband
are trying to put together the
strangely disarranged structure of
their lives so that when Davis is
released a year from now they and
their children may enjoy together
the money which fate has given
Them, albeit at a price which seems
exorbitant.
Saved First $500
To go back to the beginning, Da-
Wis and Henrietta Rooster were mar
, Eied twenty-eight years ago when
Davis was a $15-a-week clerk. His
wife added to the family income by
addressing envelopes or teaching
observation-disclosures might bring a
dollar.
Together they managed to save
$500. and with that as their entire
capital the firm of Davis & Geek,
dealers in surgical supplies, was
formed.
The firm proSpered in small way
and finally the family attained an
automobile, life was pleasant, ex-
cept at times when Davis INDUCED
m outbursts of temper-for which
he always was sorry afterward.
Then some one stole the auto
mobile and he reported the theft.
The car was recovered, but the Ii
cenSe number had been broadcast to
the police.
- Fate Steps In
Prosperity continued and Davis
light a new and better car. I'm
inkingly he transferred the license
ties from the old machine to the
". A policeman saw the plates
sognized the number as that of
on the stolen list and followed
wis to his home. The next day he
ced Davis to his Cftice and there
handed admittance Davis sent
ird he had NJ time for policemen.
e officer returned with two detec-
es.
The police forced their way in.
Wis temper snapped. He grabbed
shotgun, killed Detective Robert
ldgetts and wounded two others.
Davis was adjudged insane, but
Ter three years in an asylum was
clared sane and tried. A jury con-
tied him of manslaughter and ne
int to prison for ten years.
Wife Takes Charge
But the day her husband went to
asylum. Mrs. Davis moved into
office and sat at the desk which
d been his. He transferred to her
share in the business. She sue
ded him as its president.
Fear after year Mrs. Davis worked
ay. She learned. and she had a
ack for organization. The bust
IS grew and grew-more rapidly
sn il ever had.
But she became so tired of it all.
d then someone came with ST.
900 and offered it to her for her
Are in Davis 81 Geek. She could
Ske 1t, make her two children in
dependent and she and Davis could
hive in luxury when, year hence,
prison doors opened for him. She
decided to sell.
But Davis had dreamed other
Dreams. Perhaps his perspective
was cramped by prison walls. but
the had dreamed of coming out of
his cell to assume a place in the
business world such as a fortune of
IA million or more could so easily
command.
OItdulS
Davis Geek would be a diStin-
gJiShed house. 1t would employ ex-
ccnvictS. It would do greater things.
bic even asked his wife to start now
and hire men just out Of prison. 1t
irritated him when she refused.
So, when he heard she was about
= to sell the business, he saw his
dream wrecked beneath the realiza-
ton Of hers. He called in attorneys
and sought to restrain his wife from
selling the business. The court
looked over the situation and re-
fused to issue an injunction forbid
ding the wife to sell.
Husband Is First
But now, free to dispose of the
fruits of her own labors and gain a
fortune of 100000 Mrs. Davis still
thought of her husband.
50 today she went to Dannemora
prison and there they sat down to-
gether to talk over the years which
have gone by; to survey the trial
which led from $500 in hard-saved
pennies, through joys and grief,
violence. the gloom of prison walls.
the elation of great wealth and
which has now reached the queS-
ton OF what shall We do with it
ali~
5ut It might have been different