The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-10

"The theft became known
last Thursday, when the maid,
Catherine Cole, confronted
Mrs. Williams and obtained a
confession.
An agreement was reached where
by no formal action would be taken
until today, to give Mrs. Williams
opportunity to make restitution, if
she could.
"She raised $500, which I think
was telegraphed to her by Con-
stance Talmadge, but she apparent
ly had difficulty in getting any more
money.
Bodies Are Found
Saturday night Mrs. Cole moved
out Of the Williams apartment and
announced that she would have
Mrs. Williams arrested this morn
ing.
The next we knew of affairs was
when We found the bodies of Mrs.
Wall, Joan Constance and Earle,
and the dying mother"
Mrs. Fish's statement was corro-
borated by Harry Mckenzie, Mrs.
Williams attorney.
The tragedy was discovered at
$3.50 a. m. On the faces of the two
women and two children were cot
ton pads, saturated with chloro-
form. Florine Williams still was
living, but died in Central Emer-
gency hospital seven hours later
without regaining consciousness.
The wholesale chloroforming was
the result of suicide pact between
Florine and her 8o-year-old mother,
Mrs. Fish asserted.
Mrs. Walz told me she wished
she could de- Mrs. Fish said. "She
knew, Of course, that I was aware
Of the impending arrest. Mrs. VIII
liams said to me, I've been insane
since Thursday 1t was on Thurs
day that she confessed to the theft
Of Mrs. Coles funds"
Paid Rent Only Once
Mrs. Williams, her mother, and
two children, moved into the Pine
street apartment last September,
accompanied by three maids, &C
cording to Mrs. Fish. The apart
ment rented for SITS month. The
initial SITS was all that was ever
paid, Mrs. Fish said.
when 1 discovered that Mrs.
Williams was making only $125 a
month working in a San Francisco
film exchange, I insisted that she
move into a less expensive apart
ment in the building" she added.
"She didn't pay the rent on that,
either, but I just couldn't bear to
think of evicting her with those
two beautiful children"
Mrs. Fish was near tears as she
unfolded the story of the tragic
finale Of the ever-tragic Williams
family She was very bitter against
Florine Williams for killing her two
children-"those beautiful, innocent
little children!"
Theft Is Discovered
Mrs. Fish said Mrs. Williams had
found Mrs. Coles bank book, after
the nurse entered the employe Of
the Williams menage three months
ago, and secretly had forged drafts
and sent them, with the pass book
attached, to the Los Angeles bank.
These drafts were honored for a
total Of $1,000 before Mrs. Cole dis
covered that her account was being
drained, Mrs. Fish said.
She became aware Of what was
happening when the bank mailed
the pass book back to her and not
to Mrs. Williams" Mrs. Fish added.
She Immediately confronted Mrs.
Williams and obtained a confess
sion"
Up until the time her actor hus-
band died in 1927, Mrs. Williams
lived in luxury. She had many
friends among the movie stars.
Had Many Misfortunes
A4VcI WlludIIlS OleO, series OF
unhappy events began for her. The
quarter million dollars he had left
disappeared rapidly. She had love
affairs with Wallace HARVEY, who
claimed to be president Of an oil
company. She claimed that her
youngest child. Billy, was his son.
A year ago she was charged with
falsely mortgaging her home and
was placed in Jail. Reports we're
made to the court that she had
given much money to Harvey to in
vest. that Harvey had deserted her
six days before her child was born,
and that she had become almost
destitute.