The
Oma
Sunday Bee
IA
PART FOUR
Eb I TO RIAL
" PART FOUR
AMUSEMENTS
VOL. XLIX NO.
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A, stalwart, carefully . dreswd
young man, equipped with a well
trimmed mustache, a platinum wrist
watch, and several cartons of gold
jnitialed cigarettes, made his advent
into Omaha four weeks ago.
His arrival was an "advent," for
the young man was no ottysr than
Omaha's own millionaire sportsman,
William Allen Leet.
, His advent was a welcome one for
waiters, bell boys, chefs, house de-
tectives, and as "Billy" himself ad
mits for vendors of liquid contra
v band.
Interval Is Golden.
He arrived in Omaha fresh from
Palm Beach, Cuba and Bermuda,
and his private yacht; and his brief
interval here was indeed a golden
one for those associated with him.
There were parties at which liquor
flowed like water; there were dances
which netted fortunate orchestras
crisfl notes of three figures, and
there were tips which caused wait-
, " ers' eyes to bulge for "Billy"
found a niche in Omaha's night life
ann filled it. " , '
Yet at allnight dansants, and
liquor at $35 a quart, and bills which
woul demolish the ordinary bank
" account were simply a matter of
- , In fact he was rather bored at it
11, ana uic udy uciuic iic iwi v.i m
, year's trip to the Orient he asserted
that Omaha was too "provincial"
and that it was impossibde to spend
money here.
"After all there is nothing to do in
. the world but seek pleasure." declar
ed "Billy," "That's my religion. , I
may change, but I don't know why I
"should. " ..-.
Omar Khayyam had the right
laea. jug ui .wmc, a va.- .
bread, and thou,' with emphasis oil
inc wine. mti mc.
Thxa did "Billy,", heir to millions,
4 twice married and twice divorced,
and known throughout the continent
V of North America for his. escapades
; and lavish spending, define his mo-
- tive in life. ;- " '
Now,, at the age of 24, "Billy" has
carried ottf that motive so thorpugh-
- ly that he-asserts there is nothing
left to experience in America, noth
' ine novel to look forward to.
'Billy" was born in Audubon, la.,
a typical middle-west American
town. He was a. typical, tow-haired
' small-town boy with ambitions to
become a railroad engineer, until the
death of his father, Frank M. Leet.
His father's estate, which consisted
of Iowa farm land and majority
stock in several banks, was divided
between "Billy," his mother, and
1 his sister, Mrs.- Ralph Tood of
Aurora, 111. The value of the estate
has increased greatly since that time,
- but then was estimated at more than
$1,000,000. . . - - ;
Transformation Begins.
With his father's death, which oc
curred in 1905, "Billy's" transfor
. u-.ation began. He went to a mili
tary school and learned thi value
nr nniiniiica wciun. lie was a
leader of a reckless element in the
school, and in a short time was sent
- home, only to be sent to another
school by his mother. . .
He returned from this school to
49. s
k V , ' 4 LJi ' If .-1 "xnfc . f v ,t, a ..U & tjm v
C-
Omaha, where his mother had pur- '
chased a home, but he was no long
er, the unsophisticated, small-town
youth of a. few months before..
And his return marked the be
ginning of .a scries of escapades and
and orgy of spending which drew
yards of newspaper space in all
parts of the country, and kept aO
least one attorney busy in his or his
estate's behalf at all times.
First Bid for Attention.
"Billy's", first bid for attention
was made when he acquired a siren
whistle for one of his cars. It was
an ingenious affair which permitted
"Billy" to play the popular songs
with a volume that rivaled that of
a fog horn. .
But the suburban residents of the
city objected to its use. They fold '
the mayOF they had and ear for mu
sic, but that they also needed sleep,
erpecially after 1 and 2 in the morn
ing. ' .
So police put a stop to "Billy's"
musical ambitions, and an ordinance"'
was passed prohibiting siren
whistles in Omaha.
, Winters in Florida.
"Billy" spent most of his winters
in Florida, and succeeded in getting
his share of notice in Palm Beach,
in spite of his youth and of stiff
competition.
Then he met Miss Anne Robert
sori, prominent in Omaha's younger
society set, and a sister of Mrs. Fred
Hamilton. ' '
There was a whirlwind court
ship, then an elopement. ;
The marriage ceremony was per
formed in Blair wifn great secrecy.
Even after, the ceremony "Billy's"
mother stoutly denied her son was
interested in Miss Roberston, and
when she actually learned of the
marriage she voiced violent opposi
tion. Later she threatened to have
thfl " marriage ' annulled on - the
grounds that her son was riot of age,
but did not put the threat into
execution: -
Devoted Six Months.
"Billy" was a "devoted husband
for about six months, according to
his wife. They ' honeymooned in
Florida, and then established a
"country home" at Manning, la.
"Billy's" first move toward the
domestic life was to build a huge
bungalow at a cost of $50,000. The
bungalow was planned by one of
the most famous architects in the
country and was a show place for
a large part of Iowa.
Then came a sad awakening for
Mrs. Leet: For the simple life,
among the pigs and -chickens, was
not for "Billy." v '
. Takes Night Ride. ''
Like Paul Revere, he took a fa
mous night ride, awoke the- coun
tryside with the roar of his high
powered motor and arrived in
Omaha in the we.e hours of the
morning, in time to get a taste of
metropolitan night life before day
dawned. . .
And, like the famous ride of Paul
Revere.: "Billy's"' ride not only
aroused the countryside, but caused
them to take . up arms in . protest.
2'hey resented being aroused from
peaceful slumber. , V - '
But "Billy" became addicted to
these dashes "for a bit of freedom,"
uy. from I vci r.; ,m . . . J -Mg&r ' - .
V
&&riha jRuJJv, wAo ivasso sfaf
to fei ' vid fcf nAtttt,sAe asfad ' for.
no
as he described them, and the fact
that town constables and farmers.
armed with shotguns, began laying
m wait tor him bothered him not m
thekast.
Eager to Escape.
Occasionally he condescended to
stop and pay for unfortunate poul
try and stock which chanced to in
terfere with his' progress, but usu
ally ne spea onwara, tor he was.
..it.. fn ai-.n. . I. . . -. . . 1. .
vagi,i its i3taJS uic 1UM1 aullUS-
phere.
To these drives "Billy" attributes
his success in the annual American
amateur ' championship race in Chi
cago, where, with his Mercer stock
car, he outdistanced all other con
testants and won a huge trophy cup.
He loves to tell of the race, be
cause it was the one time in his life
when he actually "got somewhere,"
he says. - - ' . 1
Put on Big Party.
"We put on a big party the night
before the race," relates "Billy."
It was a wild, wild party, and when
I got on the track everything was
in a whirl, for I hadn't had even an
hours sleep. . Q
"After I got to going I got the
idea I was tearing up the road be
tween Manning and Omaha, so I
gave her all the juice she had. I
riidwt seem to hit any chickens or
pigs, so I decided to slow down and
see what was the matter. When I
did I found I'd won the race."
And. the night of the race "Billy"
ce'ebrated. His celebration is still
a shining spot in the annals of Chi
cago night life. The scene of the
festivities was the Stratford hotel.
And the trophy cup won by "Billy"
was filled with sparkling champagne
many times, and quaffed as many
times more. . '
Later the cup was placed in a
prominent place in the lobby of the
Stratford, for "Billy" neglected to
take it with him. And according to
reports' it still remains there, a si
lent reminder of the days when
liquor - flowed in unstinted- quanti
ties. ,
Failure at a Husband. "
But if "Billy" was a social suc
cess he was a distinct failure as a
- ' ' '-. ' t
, OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 23, 1920. v
r;.r m; ttf ties a itL I 7rT
: "li . o'clock speed "
husband, according to his wife. He
was married on January 11, 1915,
and divorced by. his wife on No
vember 30, 1917, at Carroll, la., on
the grounds of. "incompatibility."
His wife was awarded $45,000 in ali
mony and her maiden name was re
stored. After war had been - declared a
few months "Billy" was seized with
an ardor for the military. Accord
ing to acquaintances, he took a sud
den fancy to the trim United States
army uniform and had several
tailor made before he entered the
service, in order to appear at his
best as a soldier.
He then joined a balloon company
fit Fort Omaha. But army life
proved a disappointment. The .bar
racks were often cold at night, and
"Billy" disliked coffee served -with
meals. So he established a suite a.t
the Hotel Fontenelle.
Sought Cozy Corners.'
But despite his comfortable living
quarters arnjy life was too complex
for ."Billy." He developed a fond
ness . for donning one of his sis
tailor made uniforms and inhabiting
cozy corners" of the Empress and
Orpheum gardens. This was his
downfall, as far as army life was
concerned.
On a particularly "wet" evening
"Billy" was busilv eneaeed tossinz
$5 notes to waiters and entertainers
when an officious second lieutenant
entered. .
The lieutenant remonstrated with
"Billy," who became angry; so
angry in fact that he attempted to
polish the floor with the young of
ficer. This was prevented .t by a
squadron of police and a corps of
waiters. When "Billy" awoke he
was in the Fort Omaha guard
house.
Uniforms Discarded.
A day or so later he was informed
that he was no longer needed in the
army, so he discarded his six uni
forms and returned to civilian life.
A short time later romance again
entered our herd's life: His second
bride was Miss Martha Ruddy of
Aurora, III., daughter pf an pld and
High Spots in. Billy Leet's Career
He was born in a 9 o'clock town but turned out to be a 12 o'clock
guy. ,
His first marriage was an elopement to Blair January 11, 1915. .
His first divorce cost him $45,000 alimony.
He won the annual American amateur championship automo
bile race in Chicago after indulging in a 12-hour champaigne party
the night before.
. He was discharged from the army for attempting to mop up a
dance floor and a second lieutenant.
He married again in December,
wo. a to san rrancisco. -
A few months 'later he quarreled with Mrs. Leet No. 2 and at
tempted suicide on the closed threshold of his apartment in San
Francisco.
He was divorced by Mrs. Leet No. 2 in March, 1920.
He went to Florida, bought a yacht, and cruised the "Carib
bean. " ,
He returned to -Omaha three weeks ago, filed a suit against a
friend to collect half the cost of a party staged here, and testified
that "three quarts at $30" and "three more quarts at $35" were
part of the cost. -
He left for Minneapolis ten days ago en route for Japan and
other oriental countries. - , .
wealthy Illinois family. -He met
her while visiting his . sister, Mrs.
Tood, in Aurora. The ceremony
took place in December, 1918.
Then Quarrel Comes.
The millionaire newlyweds moved
to San Francisco and took up their,
residence 4 in the exclusive St.
Frances Court apartments there.
Connubial bliss was theirs for a time
'ti said, then came a quarrel, a sep
aration and a divorce.
The quarrel came first, 61 course,
and when the smoke cleared away,
"Billy" found himself no longer an
occupant of his regal apartment. To
add to his discomfort he found, on
investigation, that the door was
locked.
With great indignation he at
tempted to force an entrance, but
was foiled by the San Francisco po
lice department. ' "
For the first time in his eventful
young life "Billy" began to think
the world was a failure. -
Aim is Poor. ;
He secured a revolver, 50 rounds
of ammunition anck a bottle of
courage-giving liquid and placed
himself on the closed threshold of
his apartment.
Then with a' plaintive "goodby,
cru-el world," or some similar utter
ance he shot himself in the arm.
His wound bled profusely, stain
ing several oriental rugs valued at
several thousand dollars.
If a police surgeon had not arrived
on the scene he might have sacri
Omaha
Hbor
provincial1
1918,' and moved with Mrs. Leet
ficed half his fortune paying for
stained rugs, he later declared.'
At this juncture Judge A. L. Sut
ton, counsel and friend of the Leet
family, arrived in San Francisco,
took "Billy'' under his wing, and
brought him to Omaha and the arms
of his-mother.
Goes To Herd Sheep. ,
But "Billy's" grief was tragic. At
least he said it was. So, in an ef
fort to forget he left with a party
for Colorado with the announced
purpose of herding sheep.
Kumors ot internal disturbances in
Colorado floated back to Omaha.
Then came the word that Mrs. Wil
liam Leet, II, had sued "Billy" for
separate maintenance on grounds of
cruelty.
"I will get an airplane and fly to
San Francisco," Billy is said to have
declared after this news was broken
to him. . .
i "I loved m( second wife and I
know I can win her back again.
I'll laud in front of St. Frances
Court apartments, and on my knees
beg her to forgive me." " -
No Aviator Appears.
But for once Jove did not find a
way. No aviator could be found to
teach. "Billy" to fly.
So "Billy" came back to OmahaJ
and filed suit for divorce in district
court here, on the grounds of deser
tion. The case was dropped some
time later, however, and on March
15 of this year, Mrs. Leet II. was
given a divorce in San Francisco 1
PRICE FIVE
Here's Fire Chief Offered
Sixty-Day Vacation a n d He
Doesn't Enow What to Do
On Job for 42 Years With
out Even One Day
- ' For Himselt
There are men in Omaha who
have been heard to say that vaca
tions are bores to them and that
they go vacationine just to olease
the missus and the kiddies.
I enioy a day or two now and
then when 1 want to go fishing or
to see the world's series baseball
and returned to Jier family in Illi
nois. She had asked for no ali
mony. ' . , . . i - ,
"Billy" remained in Omaha for
several months after his return from
Colorado.
On one occasion during Billy's
career here -he conceived the idea
that he was a bird, as a result of a
prohibition intoxicant, he later as
serted, attempted to fly.
Second Hop Is Crash.
He hopped in a birdlike manner
from his automobile to the roof of
the Henderson greenhouse, on
South Twenty-fourth. street. But
his second hop was disastrpus.
He crashed through the glass root
of the ereenhouse and landed in a
bed of roses. The watchman, who
was nearby, fell to his knees when
he saw the figure descend under tin;
llusion that some heavcnlv heinar
had pounced upon him.
He discovered his error a nimntc
later, however, seized "RilK-" and
called police.
( '
no
CENTS orwim- omaha and cow.
games, but to go away on a regular
vacation which has been planned for
weeks ahead good night," asserted
one mere man.
How would you feel and ' what
would you do if the boss should say
that you could have 60 days off
with pay? That is what happened
to Charles Slater, chief of the fire
department, last week.
He's Not Enthusiastic.
His boss, City Commissioner H.
B. Zimman, said: "Chief, I am go
ing to give you 60 days off this sum
mer and I want you to have a real
vacation." ;
The chief saidhe would consider
it, but he was not very enthusiastic
over the idea of being away from
the job 60 days. He has been with
the fire department 42, years and has
never taken a vacation; says he
doesn't need any. Someone in his
office suggested perhaps he intends
to wait until he has served 50 years
and then take a regular vacation.
But Mr. Zimman is serious about
the 60-day vacation, because he
knows how faithful Charley Salter
has been as Omaha's head fire
fighter and the commissioner said
he could not think of anything that
wou'd do himself more good than to
know that the chief would be en
joying two months this summer,
They Plan His Trip.
The subordinate officers of the
department have been planning
itineraries for the chief. One of
these includes a trip to California,
with a few days of tuna fishing near
San Diego or wherever it is that
tuna fish are caught. Jim Walsh
recommended that if the chief does
not like tuna fish, he may obtain
tarnon in the Gulf of Mexico. The
Shasta1 route trip has been recom
mended and, also an outing along
the Columbia river. And, along
with many others, a splash in the
Pacific along the beach at San Fran
cisco, where the Seal Rocks loom
majestically out of the brine.
Then "Billy" went to Florida, pur
chased a yacht and cruised the wa
ters in the vicinity of Cuba.
Cuba proved very fascinating to
"Eilly" last winter. During his -visit
here he admitted that he would
probably still be in Cuba except for
the heat.
One Continuous Party ,
"Billy's" recent visit in Omaha
i.roc "sit. -r.. .I.... A ... M t
- - - - " y'ijt c as
serted before he left. During Nhis
three weeks here it is estimated that
he spent $10,000. He appeared in
municipal court the day before he "
left to testify against Hugh Bennet,
film exchange employe here, in a )
case which he started to make' Ben
net pay half the expenses of a party.
Evidence introduced showed that
there had been "three ouarts at $30
a quart, and "three quarts at $35 a
quart," purchased for the party.
The next day "Billy" left Omaha
for a year's trip, in the Orient,
equipped with nine trunks, a fre!i
supply of gold initialed cigarcts, and
his man."
