Strange Times 102: Parents Threaten to Kill Children

Strange Times is a newsletter that explores the weirdest news of 1921, one day at a time. If you like it, forward it to a friend or back me on Patreon. And while you’re at it, why not grab yourself a copy of Westside, my 1921 mystery novel, or preorder the looming sequel, Westside Saints?

Today we have too many cows, too much ether, and three disappointed millionaires. Get yerself a Texas divorce on…

April 12, 1921

• Continuing a theme begun yesterday, a police horse bolts upon being frightened by a falling piece of paper, leaving a “trail of ruin” as he collides with a laundry wagon and auto, injuring three. The horse is subdued after running into a tenement foyer, where a half-dozen men “choked the runaway into submission.”

• The Weather: Fair and warmer today and Wednesday; moderate west and southwest winds.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How many cows is too many cows?”, the answer is 8,000,000. Now you know!

BERLIN, April 11.—Dr. Alonzo E. Taylor, chief of the division of research of the American Relief Administration, who is here after having completed a tour of the areas receiving American relief, declared today that in his opinion no more cows should be sent to Germany from the United States.

“Germany has about 8,000,000 cows and feed for about 6,000,000,” Dr. Taylor said. “Because of the scarcity of fodder the German milk cows are below the normal milk yield. What Germany needs is fodder, not cows. Every additional cow is an embarrassment. Last year 900,000 cows were killed in inspected abbatoirs.

“Those desiring to aid Germany’s milk production,” he added, “should contribute oilcake and other concentrated feed.”

This is a classic Strange Times story, not just because it references an old issue, but because it is a story about parents literally threatening to murder their own children that only rates three sentences in the back of the paper.

WESTFIELD, Mass., April 11.—Parents have threatened their children bodily harm and even death if they give school authorities further information on ether drugging that has now become popular among many residents, according to investigations made today by School Superintendent Chester N. Stiles. One woman told the Superintendent that she would drown her children if he attempted to get any more information.

The Director of the State Department of Health will arrive Wednesday to look into the situation.

There’s a lot to love in this story, from the concept of lumber kings to the Times’ abhorrence of nicknames, which results in the main character being referred to in scare quotes for most of the piece. My favorite thing about it, however, is the way it descends into almost incoherent snark in the fifth graf, upon which the narrative literally collapses under the weight of the author’s indignation. Chill, newsboys. Let “Peggy” do her thing.

CHICAGO, April 11.—“Peggy” Hopkins, who has been the wife of three millionaires, is about to part company with the latest of them—assuming the courts uphold the plea of James Stanley Joyce, whose attorneys today filed suit, asking annulment.

Mr. Joyce, who is one of the lumber kings and who has been in the limelight before, not only desires his freedom, but he asks the court to require “Peggy” to give back the jewels, money and property he lavished upon her, said to aggregate a considerable fortune.

Joyce married “Peggy” in Miami, Fla., Jan. 23, 1920. She has been prominent as a dancer, singer, movie star, artists’ model, dress model and, incidentally, the wife of two other very wealthy men, the first being Everett Archer of Denver. She was Miss Marguerite Upton of Norfolk, Va., when she and Archer eloped to Bel Air, Md. Their married career lasted six months.

Husband No. 2 appeared in the person of Sherburn Hopkins Jr. of Washington, lawyer and legal representative of nearly all the great mining and oil interests in Mexico. He had formerly been the husband of Margaret Maury of Baltimore, but their marriage had been annulled. When he met “Peggy” she was 19 and they promptly married. However, his millions did not make life perfect, so she ran away from him in March, 1915, and went to New York to carve out her own career on the stage.

She explained that millionaires were horrid things, all wrapped up in coupons and bonds, and mergers and business of all kinds. They had no time to give to a sweet girl wife. She was left to her own devices. It was so lonesome in those big mansions with nothing to do except to go motoring or golfing or riding or swimming or make social calls, and nobody around but half a dozen maids and butlers to wait on one. Oh, if she could get all the young girls together and tell them what a tragedy it was to be the wife of a millionaire!

And then she married Joyce—but with one matrimonial interlude, it appears.

As Joyce tells the story in the bill, “Peggy” was the wife of Philbrick Hopkins when he (Joyce) met her. Joyce was known to be a millionaire. Peggy had no means and was compelled to engage in the business of play acting to obtain a livelihood.

A meandering summary of the bill of annulment follows, claiming that Peggy compelled Philbrick to divorce her, but that the divorce obtained was fraudulent because they didn’t meet residency requirements in Texas. Even before her divorce was obtained, the suit claims, Peggy was romancing Joyce and imploring him to marry her. He did.

The Chicago lumber king and the movie queen went to Europe on their honeymoon. The bridegroom returned alone and inserted notices in the New York papers that he would not be responsible for his wife’s debts.