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Mrs. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle,
Sister of Mrs. Thaw III., Whose
Original Doubts About ‘William’
Have Been Dispelled.
Heights, Pittsburgh’s most fashionable
suburb.
William Thaw, III. was truly re
generated. After the honeymoon he
rolled up his sleeves and went to work,
looking after his business interests and
assisting his mothe'r in her many
charities. Having stfU some unused
energy, he took up aviation as a sport.
He found that whiskey as a stimulant
could not compare with the ozone of the
upper atmosphere; his capable hands and
normally level head had found their ideal
avocation. William Thaw's record as a
man-bird is familiar to all patrons and
admirers of that sport.
He invented a stabilizer which rendered
"an aeroplane all but “fool proof.” He was
one of the leaders in making a mechanical
waterfowl of the airship, and became one
of its most expert pilots in this country.
His achievements were heard of abroad,
and when the war broke out he found no
difficulty in entering the flying corps of
the Foreign Legion of the French army.
He made daring flights over the Ger
man trenches. Several times he was re
ported killed. The special exploit which
won promotion and the Military Cross for
him was undertaken as a volunteer to
gain definite information about a certain
developing German operation. The feat
was an extremely dangerous one. Thaw
flew along the German front in a terrible
rain of shells. Several times his craft
was seen to waver. He accomplished his
purpose and returned to the French lines.
The wings of his aeroplane were riddled,
even his garments were torn with 'rag- f
ments of exploding shells.
How the French Government recog
nized his services and valor is told above.
To-day the erstwhile “town drunkard”
of Pittsburgh is that city’s most applauded
hero. The Thaw family is in an ecstacy
of pardonable Joy and pride.
As for Mrs. William Thaw III.—well, it
is enough to say that she finds her judg
ment vindicated. She has turned the
tables upon the ancient warning about
marrying a drunkard to reform him.
3
\
The Rare Romance of William Thaw III,
in Which the Girl Who Married “to
Reform Him” Actually Did It.
Mrs.
William
Thaw
> lie
Charm-
G REAT is Dan Cupid of the Olym
pians—and Pittsburghers.
Formerly, up to a few years ago,
neither Olympians nor Pittsburghers con
sidered the possibility of William Thaw
III., getting on the water wagon. If ac
cident had landed him aboard that Justly
esteemed vehicle it would have. been
simply a huge Joke. The idea of his get
ting on voluntarily and staying on would
have been laughed to scorn.
But they were forgetting about Cupid.
One day Cupid got busy after his time-
honored custom and the seemingly im
possible happened.
Something else has happened. Just as
Cupid rewarded the reformed town
scapegrace of Pittsburgh with marriage to
a beautiful girl who believed in him, so
he has rewarded her for her love and
faith by gaining honors for himself and
the whole Thaw family which could be
gained only by a sober man. They have
received the news that for gallant ser
vices as a pilot in the French military
aviation corps he has been commended
In army orders, decorated with the Mili
tary Cross and promoted to be a sergeant
—all this after five months’ service as a
private in the American Corps of the
Foreign Legion.
Thus is reversed the familiar, distress
ing spectacle of a girl marrying a drunk
ard to reform him, and living to repent
amid the ruins of her illusions. Thus it
is proved that the same sort of brawn
and courage and public usefulness which
enabled the original William Thaw to win
a great fortune and an honored name
etill exist in his direct line. 'And, at
last, a pleasant chapter is added to the
several unpleasant ones in the Thaw
family history.
The psychologists who specialize in
Juvenile delinquency will tell you that
one of the chief causes of misconduct in
hoys is a surplus of energy, physical and
• mental, which is provided with no proper
outlet. That was the case with William
Thaw III. A big, hearty chap, tireless in
mind and body, he had nothing upon
which to expend his energies except the
task of scattering an income of something
like $36,000 a year.
He entered upon that task with en
thusiasm several years before he reached
his majority. He loved Jovial company
and was most democratic in his choice of
companions. Especially after he discov
ered that he could easily drink his club
companions under the table while re
maining steady on his own legs, a mil
lionaire fellow drunkard was no more
congenial to him than an ordinary work
ing man of equal convlval talents More
than once in those days he scandalized
his family and friends by roaring his way
down Pittsburgh’s choicest avenue artn-in-
arm with a day laborer—and it was of no
consequence to him when in that state
what was the hue of his companion’s
complexion.
Most of the other Thaws had a sur
plus of apparent dignity in place of his
own excess of vitality. Harry K. Thaw,
half brother of William III.’s father, was
incapable of behaving so vulgarly in pub
lic, and such scenes deeply humiliated
him.
The youth’s capacity for liquor was
astounding. Here is an instance. As he
entered the Allegheny Country Club one
afternoon where a crowd of his asso
ciates were gathered one of them chal
lenged him to a drinking bout. William
Thaw III. was entirely agreeable. His
adversaries entered the arena in relays.
When three successive challengers had
rendered themselves unconscious, young
Thaw was still able to go on. The
waiter declared that Thaw had consumed
sixty-eight brandy-and-eodas.
His family were in despair. They had
tried everything they could think of to
divorce him from drink, and all efforts
had failed. Now they sent him to Mercy
Hospital, an institution largely bene
fited by the fortunes of the young man’s
mother and grandmother. He found him
self in a ward with fifty or more other
men w’hose principal business in life was
drinking. The Sisters gave them ttat-
termilk—nothing stronger. The sight of
that buttermilk set William's always
active mind going.
He was permitted to take a walk
every day, accompanied by an attendant.
One day he returned carrying a great
tin bucket filled to the brim with butter
milk. The Sisters were highly pleased.
Half an hour later the alcoholic ward
was in a state of riot. Thaw and all the
other patients were disorderly. How
they had obtained the whiskey was a
mystery. Thaw’s walks were not cur
tailed, however, and for three successive
nights the alcoholic ward of Mercy Hos
pital bore out its description with a ven
geance.
Then the mystery was cleared up.
The irrepressible William had bribed his
attendant, visited an accommodating tin
smith, had made to his order a huge
tin bucket with a false bottom, whieh
concealed under his generous gifts of
buttermilk enough whiskey to ‘ paralyze”
a whole inebriate asylum.
Mercy Hospital had no further use for
William Thaw III.
About this time Pittsburgh became
too small for William. Following the
example of his celebrated naif-uncle,
Harry K. Thaw, he transferred his at
tentions to New York, London and Paris.
Starting with the American metropolis,
he proceeded to enlarge the technique of
his chosen art. In one of the big hotels
he observed a very pretty girl gently
holding the hand of a full-sized man
while she produced delicate pink polish
on his spatulate nails.
When William saw the manicurist’s
customer hand her a silver half dollar he
blushed for his sex. Then he took the
vacant chair and offered his own hand for
sympathetic treatment. When the job
was finished he gave the astonished girl
a hundred-dollar bill—and walked away
with a sense of having balanced the
scales of justice.
The pretty manicurist was absent from
her post the next day. The hotel man
agement reported her ill.
William got the idea into his head that
New York chorus girls were underpaid,
and therefore lacking in proper nourish
ment. He confided in Oscar at the Wal
dorf-Astoria, and Oscar, for the reason
able amount of something like $5,000
helped William properly feed and other
wise nourish twenty of the reigning stage
beauties.
Via London and Paris—which he found
to be mere replicas of New York—Will
iam visited the Far East. Egypt amused
him much. It appears that he amused
Egypt, for presently the Thaw family
were involved in a more or less expensive
controversy over the claim of a dusky
beauty of that country that William had
married her. Egyptian women are
notoriously imaginative.
William came home “pronto," as they
ing
Lady Whose Love Has Changed Her Husband from a
Useful Citizen and War Hero.
Waster Into a
say out west of Pittsburgh. On the ship
sailing for New York the celebrated
traveller, "Doc.” Owen—Doctor of Laws
(of draw poker)—helped him while away
the nautical hours. These services were
said at the time to have cost him $200,000.
The Thaw family were moved to act.
William and his ultimate fortune of
$2,500,000 must be saved. His mother,
Mrs. Elizabeth Thaw; his sister, Mrs.
Bird Thaw Collins, and the latter's hus
band, Henry L. Collins, joined in a
petition to the courts to have William
declared a habitual drunkard apd incom
petent to manage his estate.
Highly offended, William sought the
solitudes of Watch Hill, Mass., where he
came face to face with Gladys Virginia
Bradley—and Dan Cupid.
At last William’s superabundant vi
tality had found a worthy outlet. He
adopted a new motto, and proceeded to
act upon it with the utmost vigor.
Adapting a famous "Robin Hood” refrain,
this was the motto;
"And all my days
I’ll sing the praise”
of lovely Gladys Virginia Bradley, and
unconditionally pass up, sidestep, abro
gate and render null and void the “brown
October ale” part.
“First, you’ve got to stop drinking,"
was the refrain of Miss Bradley’s answer
ing song.
William was ready to stop anything—
except loving Gladys Virginia. As evi
dence of his good intentions he stopped
drinking for six months. Miss Bradley
considered, and suggested that he make
it "unanimous.” William appealed to
his delighted mother, who sent to Miss
Bradley this note:
“To Miss Gladys V. Bradley, bride-
t6-be:
"I hereby promise that if you marry my
son he will be a good, model husband;
that he will not return to his former bad
habits: that he will not drink intoxicants,
and will be a good member of society.
“MRS. WILLIAM THAW II.
Miss Bradley was convinced, though
her sister, Mrs. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle,
still retained some reasonable doubts
about the possibility of permanently re
forming William. On December 1. 1910,
they were married. William’s mother
presented him with a delightful home,
worth $260,000, located on Sewickley
What Love Did for William Thaw III.
His Record Before
His Record After
Drank 68 brandies at one sitting at a country club-
Lost $200,000 to “Doc” Owen in a poker game.
Gave a girl $100 for manicuring his nails.
Haled into court by his mother and sister as an
habitual drunkard.
Spent the Income of his $2,500,000 fortune in high
living.
Gave a dinner at the Walijorf to twenty stage
beauties, with “the sky as the limit.”
Created consternation among the Sisters of Mercy
by his pranks in the alcoholic ward of their hospital.
Copyright, 1915, by the Star Company. Great Britain Right*
Remained sober six months and won his bride.
Presented with a $250,000 home by his mother
for good behavior.
Won fame as an aviator and inventor.
Joined the French army as a private and spent
six months at the front.
Read the Bible to the men in the trenches on
Thanksgiving Day.
Promoted to the Aviation Corps for signal
bravery.
Made twenty flights, one in a rain of shell-fire,
over the German trenches.
Awarded the Military Cross by the French Gov
ernment,
Reserved.
A Photograph of William Thaw 111. Starting in His Aeroplane to Reconnoitre the German Trenchea