The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-05
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

jn a nlRnL cup IS SuTpTlSeQ WUcIl some bibulous guest proffers a sizeable bit of currency for the privilege of leading the orchestra in a couple of numbers.
 This is generally all right be- cause a well-trained band will pay no attention to the tll-timed ges- turings of an amateur.
 Psychologists could explain such an egocentric urge in terms of re- Dressions and complexes. But here is the story of Billy Biedkopf. He is a. slim, nattily- clad man who goes to the Club Richman almost every night to lead the orchestra. His face is brown and scanned, but you wouldn't guess that he is 61. You would guess, though. that he has lot of money.
 Biedekopf is pretty secretive about his antecedents. He left home long ago, following the band of a travelling show. He hoofed in tent shows, doubled in meiodrama, played Hamlet in crossroads lodge halls, marched in street parades, and never envied anybody but the i,and leader. He travelled with medicine shows, became a carni- val grifter. He always was trying to get a job in a band, but his talents obviously lay in sideshow professions.
 He. seldom heard from his
 family, and when he did 1t
 usually was bad news. In 8
 period of two years he got
 four messages, telling of the
 deaths of his father, mother
 brother and sister. Billy, the
 only one left, found himself
 with an inheritance of $4,-
 OOO,OO
 Biedekopf vs. Boredom
 What to do? Biedekopf tried travel and didn't like it. Got a house in Manhattan and tried giving parties. Didn't like those, either. One day in a fit of ennui he went out and bought 40 suits and 20 overcoats. Apparently there was no thrill in life left for an old grifter who'd been every where and done everything. We'll. not quite everything. He'd never led band.
 So Biedekcpf has found his fun at last. Collects a party of eight or ten people and leads them to the Club Richman. Nobody knows how much Billy's tips amount to, but his bill averages $100 a night. Everybody has dinner and then Billy goes over to the orchestra girls orchestra led by Ethei Goldman. .She retreats to the liano and the guest conductor goes to work, waving his arms to the tempo. Now and then in sheer oxuberance he gives a strange sounding shout - something like "Hea-yah!" It's the call of a side- show ballyhoo man.
 No Run for His Money
 The phrase running into money" never has been anything but a mockery to Joie Ray. For most Of his life he has been travelling against stiff competition, and rarely has got more for it than slim purse or a slap on the back of a medal that was not negotiable.
 Once he was one of the most colorful athletes that this country ever produced, world champion miller. When he got too old for that, he went in for 26-mile mara thons and showed his ancient heels to many a field of young sters. But finally his running days were over, so he tried snowshoe racing. Dance marathons were next, and Joie would struggle along for hundreds of hours, sup porting the tousled heads of succession of sleeping partners on his oversized chest. If the pro- motors were still around at the finish, Joie might ge. few dollars to send back to his family in Illi- nois.
 When New York State passed a law against dance marathons the