The Wilmington morning star., 1946-09-01
Along Broadway
By JACK LAIT
Frustrated Takers Who Steal Names:

life Of Annie Oakley, the SharpsnOoter VIII
was internationally known because of her ap-
pearances with Buffalo Bills Wild West
shows, recalls perhaps the most famous llbel
yarn in American newspaper history.
I CHANGED to be in Chicago's old Harrison
Street police court on another case, when an
old, soiled, obviously coked-up cowgirl, in the
WARDROBE of that type of performer, was
brought in, charged with an indescribably
sordid nisdemeanor.
Asked her name, she answered, annie
Oakley"
Police Judge Prindiville leaned onward. H
asked her to repeat that.
"Annie Oakley" she said.
"You-mean you are THE Annie Oakley?'
"Yes-I am Buffalo Bills daughter-in-law
1 must have gone crazy. 1 was on the dope.
I'm sorry"
Prindiv;lle, after a dissertation on the pity
of it all-that a woman so famous, so sue
c~essful, should have fallen so far-fined her
$40 or so, which she paid. Before any re-
porter could catch her, she disappeared.
1t was a Page One sensation. Annie Oakley
had retired and nothing had been heard OF
her IN several years.
Linotypes clacked, telegraph instruments
clicked, cuts OF the rifle-woman were hastily
blocked and put into forms.
I had an impression. however, that Annie
Oakley was never Buffalo Bills daughter-in-
law.
I telephoned our city editor, Arthur L.
Clarke. and pointed this out to him. I wasn't
sure-I simply felt that, mad Col. Bill Cody
had a son who married Annie Oakley, I would
have known of it. Clarke, who had started
me in the business, ordered the story held,
though we were near the deadline. I had not
written or reported it. Another man was
covering the court; l CHANGED to be there
on an angle of a running assignment. Clarke
hastily telephoned to a man who had once
been the advance agent for Buffalo Bill; he
said Annie was no daughter-in-laW, and, more
over, she was a fine Christian woman.
Clarke changed the lead from "Annie Oak
ley, worid-famous rifle-shot, today was con-
victed. etc. to read, "a woman claiming
to be Annie Oakley. . etc, today-was con-
victed-'
Next day there was panic and pandemoni-
UNI in almost every newspaper in the land
but not ours.
Annie Oakley had turned up. living in Nut
ley, N. j., a respected and respectable lady,
who hadn't been in Chicago in months.
Retractions were of little use. Annie Oakley
started suing and made a postscript career of
it. Most OF the newspapers settled.
But, by saying "a woman who claimed to
be Annie Oakley we were safe. We had
reported the exact facts. The prisoner, under
oath, had said she was Annie Oakley.
1 was awarded a bonus for being wide
awake.
And it taught me to be on the lookout for
impersonatorS.
Through the years that followed, I have
been impersonated, too-not only by men, but
women.
One attra ctive girl telephoned a commercial
school and, saying she was Jack Lait-that
was her pen name-she would like to ad-
dress the students. She did. She got no money
for it. Her talk was sensible. 1t CHANGED that
my secrctary's sister was in that class. She
had never seen me-, but she had heard her
sister speak of me, and was sure I was no
female. She didn't protest, but told the
teacher, later. The school called me.
I never could catch up with that irapostor,
or discover what her object was.
More than once, I have been approached
by members OF families in which a girl was
being wooed by a man who said he was
Jack Lait. Only this very week, a jittery
mother appealed to me not to elope with her
18-year-old daughter. The girl was infatuated
with a man who said he was Lait, told all
about how he gathered material for my
columns, promised her a national "Write-up''
Ga term no neWspaperman ever would use)
if she would marry him. We broke that one
up.
In some Instances, takers even bought
copies of my books and autographed them
to girls they were counting.
One such girl, not suspicious. but wanting
to see her boy friend on some matter, barged
into the office, called FOR me and sent in
her name. I wanted to know what business
she had with me. She scornfuly told my
secretary: Business? We're going to be mar.
ried. Isn't that business enough?'
I had her brought in. She Indignantly called
me a liar and a faker-I was the impostor.
I-paraded her around the office, asked
every person in sight, before her, "Who am
~, They looked astonished. I explained
wanted to be identified. They said, OF course.
I was Jack Lait.
Half-convinced, but furious - at ME-she
pranced out.
She later wrote me a blazing letter-that
T had ruined her life; that the impersonation
was rather harmless-he had done it only in
his zeal to impress and win her, that if /
had kept my big mouth shut, everything
would have turned out lovely
And she sent ME back the books 1 had
written. which HE had autographed, and said
she never wanted to see my name again.