Evening star., 1952-08-24
By ,hs Associated pr.ss


NEW YORK, Aug. 23.-The
sugar daddies and the playgirls of
the Big Town are an unhappy lot
these days.
They are .subdued-and not a
little jittery-because the District
Attorneys Office is taking a dim
view Of some of the didoes of cafe
society.
Indeed, the word is that some
OF the dazzling young party girls
have fed town in a hurry.
They began to leave the city Of
the fast buck eight days ago. only
hours after the FIRST arrest in New
York's most sensational vice case
i in years.
And as the case developed. they
had reason to be glad they fed.
Investigators indicated more ar
rests were on the way, though
they expected a weekend lull in
their investigation.
Jelke Arrest Starts Flight.
|. The arrest that started the exo-
}dus was that of Minot F. Mickey
IJelke, %. margarine heir. society
tplayboy and one of the city's most
eligible bachelors.
Raiders pulled him from bed
August Is in his apartment lined
with pictures Of nude women-and
charged him with compulsory
prostitution.
Investigators said he had been
living off the earnings Of beauti-
full women.
It was said the fees sometimes
ran to $500 q cali.
The exodus Of the playgirls was
Igiven impetus by raiders when
they reported finding along with
the gallery Of nude pictures black
book containing mems and wom-
len's addresses.
Blond Held rs Witness.
Picked up with Jelke was Syl-
via Eder. 24-year-old shapely
blond, who was held as a material
witness.
Raiders said she was In bed
with Jelke.
During the same night, they
also took into custody two other
men and five other attractive
women.
!
/ One Of the men was Raymond
Russell Davioni, 34-year-old un-
employed press agent.
/ Assistant District Attorney An
thony j. Leibler said that Da-
vioni and Jelke, operating in.
dependently sometimes traded
girls.
One Of the women arrested was
Erica Steel. %, whom Mr.. Leibler
called q third key figure in the
case.
! He described the red-haired tel
evlsion performer and model as
la Madam" in charge of other
party girls.
All Deny Charges.
Jelke. Davioni and Miss Steel
were charged with compulsory
prostitution, living off the pro-
ceeds of prostitution and con-
I Spiracy.
All three denied the charges.
i Two days later. the vice probe
widened.
1 Detectives investigating the
/ Jelke case arrested Sam Chap
man. wealthy dress manufacturer
and ex-huSband of noted Dress
Designer Cell Chapman.
He was accused of procuring
and OF possessing pornographic
! literature.
| But Mr.. Leibler stressed that
Mr.. Chapman had no connection
with Jelke.
The District Attorney said
Mr.. Chapman arranged dates
with women for friends, although
flt was unlikely he accepted money
for 1t. He also said Mr.. Chap
man kept q private collection
of indecent pictures.
4 Mr.. Chapman called the charges
SILLY"
/ The day after Mr.. Chapman,s
arrest. investigators arreste d
Richard Wallace, 80, self-styled
movie actor, and accused him of
living of the earnings of a pros
totute.
i $500 for Love, Affection.
They said his alleged sweetheart.
.tPat Thompson, %. paid him at
least $500 a week for "love and
affection" She was held as
material witness.
I After the charges against
Wallace. the arrests tapered off