Strange Times 197: Guilty of Kissing
Letters to the Stars goes live on Kickstarter this Thursday! As part of Kickstarter’s annual Zine Quest, my highest level reward will include a limited run scenario zine that will not be available in any other format. If you think that sounds cool, ask Kickstarter to notify you when the campaign launches. I don’t know how quickly these zines will sell, but if you’re interested I’d hate for you to miss out. Here’s the cover of the zine to whet your appetite—
Today we have love and murder and further love! Hug and kiss your spouse as much as you damn well please on…
July 16, 1921
In the German village of Trommen, reactionary nationalists tear down the flag of the new republic and bury it in a field.
A New York bride is arrested on charges of shoplifting to complete her trousseau, forcing the wedding to be postponed.
Indicted for supplying drugs to an addict in the course of treatment, Dr. Morris Behrman announced that he intends to serve as a test case, arguing that addiction is a disease and requires a doctor’s help. The federal government asserts that addiction is not a disease and that Berhman must be prosecuted for prescribing 150 grains of heroin, 360 grains of morphine, and 210 grains of cocaine to a single patient. That’s 46 grams of narcotics—around 460 single dose bags.
A New York physician advertises for the return of a diamond ring, thrown from the window of a taxi by a “violently deranged” patient.
The Weather: Fair today and Sunday; no change in temperature; gentle moderate winds.
It’s been six years since we heard the story of the three air men whose balloon ride got them lost in the Canadian wilderness, but in Strange Times-time it’s only been six months since the adventure took place! If you’re in the mood for a ripping adventure, you can find the tale in Strange Times 12. It’s one of the longest issues I’ve ever typed out and it may be one of the best. I’m thrilled to hear that Lt. Kloor has recovered sufficiently from his ordeal to romance the War Poster Girl, Consuelo Flowerton herself!
Lieutenant Louis A. Kloor Jr., one of the three naval aeronauts who were lost in the wilds of Canada last Winter, at the Rockaway Naval Air Station last night, refused to affirm or deny that his engagement to Miss Alexandra Flowerton of Rockaway had been broken off because he had discovered that, much as he admired Miss Flowerton, he admired her sister, Consuelo, a film actress, more.
Consuelo Flowerton, who posed for many of Howard Chandler Christy’s war posters, also refused to affirm or deny this session of the breaking of her sister’s engagement. The reason made public for the breaking of the engagement was that the pay of a naval lieutenant was insufficient for marriage and that the engagement had been broken by mutual consent.
Since then, however, pretty Consuelo has practically admitted that her affections have been won by a naval officer, but she refuses to reveal his name. She admitted yesterday that she was perfectly willing to eke out the income of a naval officer with her earnings from the stage and screen.
“Marriage on an insufficient income is only a kindergarten for the divorce school,” said the actress. “Love in a cottage with just enough money to make both husband and wife comfortable is my idea of happiness.”
Does faking your death ever work? I guess when it does, we don’t hear about it.
ROSEBERG, Ore., July 15.—The police were today seeking Dr. R.M. Brumfield, a dentist who is missing, following the finding of a headless body under Brumfield’s wrecked and burned automobile. Two identifications of the body were made, one by the dentist’s wife and another by friends of Dennis Russell, a laborer.
Sheriff Stamer said the warrant was issued on the theory that Brumfield, who was insured for $26,000 against death and accident, was heavily involved financially, and had slain Russell and hauled the body to the place where it was found and then blown off the head with a stick of dynamite after placing his own ring and other identifying articles on the body.
Simply disgusting.
A public bathing beach is no place for a husband to hug and kiss his wife, Recorder Alfred Miles of North Bergen, N.J., ruled last night, when he found Matthew Marquard and his wife, Lillian, of 305 Union Street, Union Hill, guilty of disorderly conduct. They had engaged in a public demonstration of their affections at the swimming pool in Columbia Park, North Bergen, on Thursday night. He let the couple off with a suspended sentence.
“It is rather unusual these days to see a man kissing his own wife,” Recorder Miles remarked. “It is nothing unusual to see a man kissing another man’s wife or a woman kissing another woman’s husband, but for a man to hug and kiss his own wife is unusual.” The Recorder added that it was highly commendable for a husband to hug and kiss his wife, but that a public bathing beach was not the place to do it.
Mr. and Mrs. Marquard, who have been married two years, were frolicking on the beach, after a swim in the pool, when their lovemaking attracted the attention of Special Officer Maltz. Mr. Marquard admitted in court that they were playing leap frog and that he had sat on his wife’s lap and hugged and kissed her. They continued their display of affection despite the warning of the officer, and, after they had donned their street clothing, were taken to the North Bergen Station and registered as disorderly persons.
