Part 1: The Case of the Cursed Socialite
A late spring chill off Lake Michigan cast a pall over Chicago, mirroring the despair of Theodore Deutsch, a thirty-one-year-old World War II veteran who served without distinction in the Burma-China-India theater. Hours after checking in at the modest Sheridan-Eastwood Hotel, Deutsch made the irreversible decision to end his life. His deeply personal tragedy became national news due to the contents of his suicide note, intended only for his estranged wife.
Born to Hungarian immigrants, Deutsch's life came to a tragic close on May 9, 1947, when he was discovered deceased in his hotel room. The cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound; the .38 revolver used lay nearby. Investigators also found handwritten notes at the scene, presumably penned by Deutsch in his final moments. Before his death and the subsequent media frenzy surrounding his suicide, Deutsch's name had appeared in print only twice before. The first mention was in December 1945, in a brief passage that contained a misspelling of his name and linked him to a woman who would later play a crucial, albeit unfortunate, role in the unfolding narrative of his life's decline.
*********************************
The December 1945 marriage announcement starkly contrasted with the elaborate and often lengthy announcements common within Washington D.C.'s social circles. It was brief, almost curt, and contained a significant error: Theodore's surname was misspelled as "Dutch" instead of "Deutsch." The understated announcement simply read: "Dr. and Mrs. James Alexander Lyon announce the recent marriage of their daughter, Miss Elizabeth Lyon, to Mr. Theodore Alfred Dutch.”
Dr. James Alexander Lyon, a renowned Washington heart specialist, and his wife, Irene Moore Lyon, were the adoptive parents of Elizabeth “Betsy” Lyon. Irene was a Washingtonian, having moved there as a young girl with her mother, Elizabeth Stauffer Moore of Pennsylvania, the sister-in-law of William Andrew Clark, who, at the time of his death in 1925, left an estate worth more than $300 million.
*********************************
Irene Moore Lyon was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the youngest of six children to steel magnate John William Moore and Elizabeth Stauffer. Upon her father's death before her eleventh birthday, Irene inherited a substantial fortune. Her mother, known for her charitable activities and prominent Greensburg residence, established a winter home in Washington, D.C. There, she acquired the impressive former residence of Alice Foster Ward, wife of the Spanish Ambassador Juan Riaño y Gayangos. In this Washington, D.C. setting, Irene was introduced to society and firmly established herself within the city's old guard.
Irene married U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Captain Hubert Wigmore in 1908. Soon after their wedding, they moved to Japan, where Captain Wigmore oversaw the development of government coal fields in the Philippines. Tragically, he died there in 1913 of appendicitis.
Retreating to Palm Beach, the young widow met William Henry Smith, Jr., a wealthy real estate entrepreneur. The couple married in 1915. He was 58, and she was 33. Two years later, they acquired Glen View, a farm in Rockville, Maryland, originally owned by Judge Richard Bowie, a former Chief Justice of the Maryland Supreme Court. Irene’s second husband died of a heart attack in the rose garden in 1920.
*********************************
Following William's death, Irene withdrew to her residence in Washington, D.C. However, in 1923, she returned to Glen View and married her third husband, Dr. James Alexander Lyon. Dr. Lyon was a New Yorker, a World War I veteran, and a relative of Queen Elizabeth's mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. In 1925, he established a medical practice in Washington, D.C., specializing in heart and pediatric diseases.
Irene and Dr. Lyon hired architects Lochie and Porter to transform Glen View Farm into Glenview Mansion, a magnificent 25,000-square-foot Neo-Classical Revival estate designed for extravagant entertaining. The property featured formal gardens with exotic marble fountains and Irene's collection of rare birds. Known for their vibrant social life, far-reaching travels, and glamorous events, the couple frequently graced the Society pages. An article published on May 17, 1929, marked a shift in media attention, redirecting focus to their three-year-old adopted daughter, Betsy.
“Not a few children attended the show yesterday, and perhaps the youngster who received the most attention was the little daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Alexander Lyon. She wore a dainty frock of blue and a coat of tan embroidered in a tiny flower design at the collar. Her hat matched her coat and was faced with blue. Mrs. Lyon, who had no doubt dressed her little daughter in a costume to correspond to hers, was in a blue tweed frock with a hat to match, and she carried a gray fox fur neckpiece.”
*********************************
As the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Lyon, Betsy's upbringing likely differed significantly from her circumstances at birth. Life at Glenview Mansion featured a substantial domestic staff, which included two butlers, a chauffeur, two maids, and a laundress. In 1936, Dr. Lyon commissioned the construction of a sizable playhouse for Betsy. The main level of the “dollhouse” featured a large, pine-paneled room with a fireplace and warming oven, a spiral staircase leading to a loft with bunk beds and a small bathroom, a French telephone connected to an intercom and an outside line, and a bay window with a window seat situated between corner cupboards. An opening led to the former kitchen with appliances, and French doors flanked by sidelights opened to a sleeping porch.
Betsy received instruction in dance, music, and riding. She demonstrated exceptional talent in horsemanship, becoming known in East Coast riding circles as a highly skilled young rider. Her education included attendance at Sidwell Friends School, Knox, and Westover, a girls' boarding school in Connecticut. Outside of her schooling, Betsy's family enjoyed frequent travel, including winter getaways to the West Indies, summers at Lake Tahoe, and sailing excursions in the Greater Antilles. Closer to home, they often spent weekends at Lake Saranac in the Adirondacks and regularly visited New York City for cultural and social events.
*********************************
During the December 1944 holiday break from Westover School, Betsy was formally introduced to society at a modest tea reception hosted by her parents at their home on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. This reception marked the beginning of Betsy's "debautante season," a series of balls and outings that form a season designed to provide opportunities for young upper-class individuals to meet [and marry]. However, events were scaled back due to wartime resource limitations. Unlike typical debutante seasons, a grand ball, usually held in late spring or summer, was not planned for Betsy.
The tea reception attendees included fellow members of the '45 debutante class, their parents, and prominent members of Washington high society. The number of eligible young men present was limited, as most were serving overseas. For the occasion, Betsy wore a long green brocade dress, while her mother wore a green crepe dress. In adherence to wartime restrictions, the flowers adorning both women and the residence were sourced from the Glenwood Mansion hothouse.
*********************************
World War II significantly shaped the debutante season of 1945 in other notable ways. Many young debs shifted their focus from social activities and matrimony to contributing to the war effort. Betsy actively volunteered for multiple organizations.
"One of the bright lights in the younger set circles is attractive, dark-haired Miss Elizabeth Moore Lyon, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Alexander Lyon. Known less formally as Betsy, she not only has a good time and helps others to do so, but gets in her full share of “good works" as well. Betsy has given many hours to countless projects, which have done much to win the war on the home front. For two years, she was on duty at the A.W.V.S. outdoor canteen and has often filled the role of hostess at gatherings for servicemen. Also interested in the El Círculo Interamericano, she has served on its entertainment committee. Another 'must' on her list is French relief. This energetic lass is also a worker for Chinese relief and is eloquent as she tells of the needs of the no longer 'sleeping dragon'."
Another consequence had a far more devastating impact on young men and women from all walks of life. Wartime uncertainty led to hasty marriages between couples, even strangers, with lasting repercussions. This affected people from all backgrounds, including Betsy, whose education and family wealth could not prevent her from becoming engaged to a pilot stationed overseas without her family's knowledge.
*********************************
Following the death of her secret fiancé in action, the specifics of which are unknown, Betsy rejected her parents and upper-class life. In the fall of 1945, she left Washington and relocated to Denver, Colorado, where she supported herself by working as a waitress. There, she met Deutsch, a divorced man ten years her senior with a child. Charles Davis Jr. later recounted their initial encounter in his 1947 Parade Magazine article, "The Tragedy of the Deb and the Ex-GI."
"They met in a hamburger joint in Denver. The dissatisfied heiress from Washington, D. C., and the moody, young ex-G.I. He was trying to roll a cigarette, and not doing very well. The pretty heiress offered him a ready-made smoke. From that chance meeting grew a romance that culminated in their marriage three months later."
The society version of their meeting was far less tawdry. Friends were told they met at the French Embassy, where he was installing Venetian blinds and she worked for French relief. Their marriage, a mismatch in the eyes of Betsy's social circle, became a source of gossip. Friends considered it a short-lived wartime affair destined to fail.
*********************************
Following an unsuccessful job hunt in Washington and Miami, Ted returned to Chicago without Betsy or their young son.
Although married to a man beneath her station, Betsy's inclusion in the 1947 Washington Social Register, a directory of Washington's elite, might have been seen by her as an opportunity to return to her former lifestyle unscathed. From her residence in New York City, she penned a letter to Ted on April 30, 1947, effectively ending their marriage.
"My life and my likes are not yours. I've found my niche in the wall of life, and though I shall not say it is either below or above yours, I must say it is not yours. You want a home life with a wife. I simply can't do it again, Teddy. I want to work-dancing, modeling. and see people, places, and things while I'm young.
I suppose you will say I should have thought of this before I married and had a child. You are right, of course, but the facts remain the same. A divorce is up to you. For me, it is to say only that I must, for a while, at least, be free of all ties.
I can only wait and hope you will try and understand and continue to be a father Freddy will be proud of. He certainly can't be proud of his mother's family. …
Remember that I also, in my own funny way, love our son very much."
Although married to a man beneath her station, Betsy's inclusion in the 1947 Washington Social Register, a directory of Washington's elite, might have been seen by her as an opportunity to return to her former lifestyle unscathed. From her residence in New York City, she penned a letter to Ted on April 30, 1947, effectively ending their marriage.
"My life and my likes are not yours. I've found my niche in the wall of life, and though I shall not say it is either below or above yours, I must say it is not yours. You want a home life with a wife. I simply can't do it again, Teddy. I want to work-dancing, modeling. and see people, places, and things while I'm young.
I suppose you will say I should have thought of this before I married and had a child. You are right, of course, but the facts remain the same. A divorce is up to you. For me, it is to say only that I must, for a while, at least, be free of all ties.
I can only wait and hope you will try and understand and continue to be a father Freddy will be proud of. He certainly can't be proud of his mother's family. …
Remember that I also, in my own funny way, love our son very much."
*********************************
On May 9, Deutsch checked into Chicago's Sheridan Eastwood Hotel. Before his suicide, he arranged papers to ensure their discovery: two poems written to his wife and his son, Teddy, who had just turned one the weekend before, and a note addressed to Betsy. The one to the child, a birthday verse, read in part, "He doesn't know in his pleasure today, how lonely and sad his dad is today." The note for Betsy contained a cruel and unusual curse. At that time, the profound and terrible consequences for Betsy, her parents, and the men in her life were unimaginable.
"You preferred my death rather than be a wife to me and a mother to our son. You have a partner now. You say you are going to be an exhibition dancer.
Just thank your lucky stars that I didn't come to Washington. If I had made my exit there, it probably would have spoiled your career for a short time and caused consternation in the upper crust. We socialites must have no scandal.
I am unable, no matter how I try, after all your vows, to take such a Jolt. Well, dear, it's just more than I can bear. I can't go on without you. As for the baby, I don't care.
You must have absolute freedom, and now you have...You will recall that I said you are my beginning and my end.
Well, darling, there is nothing much more to say except that you shall never forget me, no matter what you do. Every time someone kisses or touches you, you will remember me. If it is at all possible, I shall watch you every waking hour and in the hush of the night."
*********************************
Elizabeth "Betsy" Moore Lyon
1947 Parade Magazine article by Charles Davis, Jr.
Glenview Mansion in Rockville, Maryland
Betsy's "Dollhouse"
Interior of the "Dollhouse"
Interior of the "Dollhouse"
************ Part Two ***********
Primary Sources:
Detroit Free Press, Sun, Jun 03, 1923 · Page 74
Evening Star, Sun, Jul 20, 1924 ·Page 35
Evening Star, Fri, May 17, 1929 ·Page 2
Evening Star, Tue, Dec 04, 1934 ·Page 21
Evening Star, Sun, Apr 21, 1935 ·Page 38
Evening Star, Sun, Jan 16, 1938 ·Page 39
Times Herald, Wed, Apr 02, 1941 ·Page 15
Evening Star, Tue, Dec 22, 1942 ·Page 28
Times Herald, Wed, Dec 30, 1942 ·Page 13
Times Herald, Thu, Dec 30, 1943 ·Page 17
Evening Star, Thu, Dec 21, 1944 ·Page 22
Times Herald, Thu, Dec 21, 1944 ·Page 27
Times Herald, Sun, Jan 14, 1945 ·Page 25
Times Herald, Sat, Jun 30, 1945 ·Page 18
Evening Star, Wed, Dec 19, 1945 ·Page 28
Times Herald, Fri, May 24, 1946 ·Page 26
The Washington Daily News, Sat, May 10, 1947 ·Page 3
The Miami News, Sat, May 10, 1947 ·Page 1
Buffalo Courier Express, Sun, May 11, 1947 ·Page 4
Des Moines Tribune, Mon, May 12, 1947 ·Page 3
Willows Daily Journal, Tue, May 13, 1947 ·Page 1
1947 Parade Magazine, “The Tragedy of the Deb and ex-GI” by Charles Davis Jr.
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053018/1908-07-16/ed-1/seq-3/
https://visitmontgomery.com/directory/glenview-mansion/
https://mcatlas.org/filetransfer/HistoricPreservation/temp_Edmonston/M_%2026-17.pdf
Comments
Post a Comment