TUNNEY’S TROUBLES

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1929, Page 7

TUNNEY’S TROUBLES

MATRIMONIAL MIX-UP. SAN FRANCISCO. June 6. Tom Hecncy’s Into opponent, Gene Tunnoy, the heavy-weight boxing, champion of the world, even though lie hiwl retired from the fistic ring, has come into the limelight once more, hut in a most unenviable role, figuring in a series of disclosures of a matrimonial nature in which “another woman” lias been playing the other part, heaping trouble upon the head of the luckless ex-pugilist, who, at the time, was in Italy nursing his wife, the Scots millionairess, Polly Lauder, into convalescence after a critical operation for appendicitis, in which she had to be operated upon on a kitchen table Jby a. specialist, owing to the emergency of the case.

The likelihood that cabled news of Mrs Kay Fogarty’s 500,000 dollar suit, shattering the honeymoon quiet of Brioni Island, in the Adriatic, proved less of a joke—-because of its novelty—to Polly Lauder Tunnev than to Gene Tunney appeared when George Lauder, the 18 year old brother of Polly, and the only man in the Lauder family, stated in New York that he was certain that Tunney never had confessed “another woman” to the Lauders in the negotiations that preceded the union of the self-cultur-ed ex-champion and the 50,000,000 dollar heiress, When ho heard of the entering of the suit in the American Courts, Tunney refused to believe the ease a serious one, terming it a “joke.”

“Mr Tunney told us all about lib life,” George Lauder told a reporter at the splendid Lauder estate in 'Greenwich, Connecticut. “He was never inclined to keep anything back, and if there had been another woman in his life, I believe he would have told us.”

Young Lauder, whose ignorance- of the Fogarty aspect of Tunney’s life varied from the professed knowledge of Floyd E. Barbour his mother’s secretary, regretted the action, mainly because it might serve to curtail his sister’s European honeymoon of from one to five years. PLUMP GRASS WIDOW. George' was the only member of the immediate Lauder family, kin to the late Andrew Carnegie, now in the United States. He returned recently after visiting the Tunney’s at their retreat on Brioni. ITis mother ail' 1 sister still are abroad. Meanwhile with the lialf-million-dollar suit actually filed in the Superior Court at Bridgeport, Tunney and his camp professing that it was a joke and Mrs Fogarty, plump grass widow of a 'plumber, still in seclusion, reports of the retired pugilist’s possible liaison in Miami, Florida, trickled in. Tunney and Mrs Fogarty—picturesquely known in her Fort Worth, Texas, youth as Kate Gaddis—were reported to have been frequent guests of Fred Tod, Miami Beach millionaire', while the champion trainee!" there in 1927 for his second Dempsey bout. Tod is an enthusiastic photograph-'’ er, an amateur, and his friends said lie took still and movie pictures o ;l Gene and Kate, the prints of which may have been the means by which Mrs Fogarty brought about a meeting with Tunney’s lawyers in August of last year. It was on August 24, two days before lie fought Tom Heeney, of New Zealand, that Tunney obtained, through George W. Whiteside, hi lawyer, an affidavit signed by Mrs Fogarty releasing him from all “obligations” to her. During Tunney’s visit to Miami Beach in 1927 Mrs Fogarty was guest at tbo Roney Plaza Hotel, where the champion also stayed. Tod denied now that lie had any pictures of the twain together. From other sources it was asserted that Tunney and Mrs Fogarty were photographed together at the Hialeah race track. From other points of the compass came word that Mrs Fogarty, once a New York milliner, had related details of her alleged love life with Tunney to friends. In Fort Worth, her home town, it was recalled that Mrs Fogarty had been in a. surprising state of affluence since some time in 1925. She had lived luxuriously on visits there—in marked contrast to her former estate when wife of the ia.te E. K. (Rod) King, motor car salesman, killed in an automobile crash three years ago and, later, the wife of John S. Fogarty, plumber. Her friends there repeated as gospel the statement that she received a large sum from Tunney on the eve of his sailing last August 17 to marry Polly Lauder in Rome. She lavished on members of lier family early in the autumn, they said. TUNNEY’S PROPERTY ATTACKED Coincident with filing the action in Bridgeport the sheriff placed attachments on seventy-nine acres owned by Tunney in Stamford. The lofty curtain of denial which Tunney—hasking on the golden sands of Brioni on his rudely interrupted honeymoon—sought to draw about his relations with Airs Fogarty was rent in two places at a later stage of the disclosures. Tt cost the erudite champion 27,500 dollars to bey Mrs Fogarty’s quitclaim on bis affections last July, according to Billy Gibson, his ex-manager. In exchange | imney obtained a packet of letters and the affidavit, brandished by his lawyers in

answer to Mrs Fogarty’s lialf-million-dollar suit, in which she released him from “any obligations.” Confirmation that Gibson acted as go-between in tho negotiations last July that preceded the divorcee’s surrender, came from her lawyer, Colonel Lewis L. Field, in Newhaven, Field asserting that Tunney paid for the affidavit, refused to specify the amount.

“Did Tunney pay Mrs Fogarty 75,000 dollars for the return of the letters?” Colonel Field was asked, and he replied; “The sum is incorrect. He did pay her money to return some letters.” Then Field was asked: “Did Billy Gibson try to get Mrs Fogarty’s letters, written her by Tunnev?” and replied: “He tried—and he got some of the letters,” emphasising the word “some.”

Billy Gibson, at the WestellesterBiltmore Country Chib, at Rye, New York, affirmed that lie had acted as Gene’s agent in buying.back compromising matters and getting. Mrs Fogarty to release the champion from all claims. That was just prior to his last fight—with Tom Heeney last July 26—and three weeks before Tunney indignantly denied, on sailing to marry Polly Lauder that he ever had known a Katherine Fogarty. However, Gibson took ifjsue with George Lauder, Polly’s brother, as to whether Gene had “come clean” with his 50,000,000 dollar heiress bride and her family about his life before they were married. “I think Gene told his fiancee everything a couple of months before they' were married,” said Gibson. “He certainly made a clean breast of the Fogarty business at that time.” On the same day that Gibson made his statement, William B. Powell, New York advertising man and dose personal friend of the boxer and litterateur, sailed hurriedly from Now York for Italy, having received the following cablegram from Tunney: “Please sail to join mo bv first, boat. Utmost importance.” SFP.IFS OF HTVORCF DFMANDS. New insight obtained into the Tum-ney-Fogarty heart balm situation tended to establish tb.rt the halfmillion suit was but the crown of a long series of demands calculated to force the retired champion to recognise Ids romantic obligations to the Fort Worth divorcee. It was learned from a reliable source that Tunney has paid 50,000 dollars to quieten Mrs Fogarty, and in addition to the 27,500 dollars turned over by Billv Gibson, then Tunnev’s manager, in exchange for the letters, representatives of the ex-marine who boxed his wav into the social register and Yale circles, later p°id about, 2-0.000 dollar'! for compromisin'*" fnntcrial. Had there not He"n a f< henrt baho” settlement between Tunnev and M<"s Fouartv. the second Tiin”ev-Tlempsoy fight would not have been held. Mayor L. P. McLaughlin, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, close friend of Tunney. who acted as the champion’s representative in an unsuccessful attempt to reach a settlement with the woman in HotSprings in April, 1927. now admitted. Mrs Fogarty, was adamant durum the conference there in 1927. claiming "that she would accept nothin" less, than 100.0 CO dollars, unless Tunney was willing to carry out his part of their alleged nuptial agreement, the Mayor said. “ H. that time Tunney did not hav" , 100,000 dollars,” said Mayor McLaughlin. “Billy Gibson, who was at the conference, and 1. both told Mis Fogarty that her demand wns impossible. Tn fact .Tunney declared that he would retire from the ring if some agreement could not be reached with the woman, explaining that he would not risk training for a title match with such an affair preying on his mind. “The conference was held in the Eastman Hotel, Airs Fogarty com in" to Hot Springs from Chicago, and Gibson from New York. Tunney was unable to attend, but I conversed with him 'by long-distance telephone three times during the meeting, which lasted about five days, and he expressed keen disappointment that no settlement had been reached. “When no agreement had been reached after several meetings, Gibson left for New York with a parting warning that Tunney had fought his Inst ring battle until the woman came to terms. Later, after Dempsey and Tunney had been matched for their return fmht in Chicago, I learned in■'Mrootlv- that Tunney had settled with Mrs Fogarty for 50,090 dollars. However, T did not grt this information from Tunnev or Gibson ” Mayor McLaughlin said that lie had then dismissed the case from his mind until six weeks ago,* when John S. Fogarty, the woman’s former husband, came to Hot Springs and exnhvined to the Mayor that he was seeking evidence preparatory to filing of 500.000-dolla-r suit against Tunney for alienation of his wife’s affections. A cablegram fi -in New York, circled June 24, stated:—'Gene Tunney has filed a general denial of Mrs Fogarty's breach of promise charge. Simultaneously he has made a gross comnlaint charging Mrs Fogarty with twice receiving a cash consideration F or the purpose of preventing the renewal of charges, such consideration on the second occasion being £6090.