The 20's tin pan alley record is indeed the Swanson, McCarron and Morgan tune i mentioned. It has one other verse than i wrote above. The chorus is repeated three times with slightly different words each time. I'll list them if anyone wants.
If there is an earlier version from the ragtime era, I would really like to know about what and where. If you can get more info on that, Ferrara, I would be very happy.
I do feel like one of the problems with "intellectual property" rights when it comes to songs is that there always seems to be an earlier version out there somewhere. Maybe forgotten. Or maybe remembered as classics such as Three Night's Drunk, the words and the tune have been there for a long time. I really believe that there is nothing new under the sun. I have a 1923 record that sounds like it could have been a 1950's rockabilly tune. Same style. How much older than the recording was that style and tune from?
How long do you suppose people have had the blues their naughty sweetie gave to them?