The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-20
An ACTORS suicide.
Henry AyeIing Takes His Life.
Sensational Circumstances.
TURNS HIsBODY AND WEALTH
Over to Actor Sheldon aud Orders
Ills wife TO be Kept Away from
tho CorIIsc..Mysterious Black
maflLettCr from a Woman.

NEw YoRx, March l9.-Henry Abel
iuv, an actor, committed suicide at the
stprteyant House last night. Abeling
plsyed in the Paul Kavar company, and
also in jim the Penman.
On opening the door the chamber.
maid and clerk saw the actor lying on the
had dead, while beside him was small
yiaI Of cyanide Of potassium, in which he
had evidently paTtaken. 1t told the
Two letters were left by Aveling. One
was addressed to Godfrey Stein, No.
467 il street, Washington D. O., and
read as follows:
"7o he Carcass ,oAO may find my EAttl. GfeettHg:
"First-I wish William Sheldon, Of
the "Jim the Penman" company, TO do
aE he likes with my remains, and there.
Ly constitute him sole owner Of every
cent may die possessed OF, no matter
in what shape my property may be, and
/ ask William to be good enough to pre-.
vent Miss Milten Willett from appearing
in auy Of my obsequies.
"AvELENo."
The other was addressed to a Miss
Clara Thompson. 1t read as follows:
"DEAR CLARA:-we could not live as
we wished and now go into the great
futurity. Find me there, my darling; II
you can" hGSRY'
The following letter was found among
the dead mans effects. It was written
at the Brunswick houss restaurant, New
Orleans, and is dated January IA:
M. AreliHg:
81 wish you to understand l am aware
Of everything. Believe me, mean bust:
ness. and am quite prepared to so to law
and find out the relationship between us,
but will readily waive all claim 10 your
valuable self for small consideration.
~ think as you have good engages
ment, twenty-five per cent. OF what you
earn, is fair. II you prefer 1t, l will
write on to New York, and Howe &
Hummel will decide for me. But with
out wishing TO condone crime, ! can
promise land you have some knowledge
OF my character) that will observe the
strictest quiet il you will make some pro.
vision by which ] can live.
~ would not even make that request
but ior the slanders you have circulated
about my eating opium and such things
that have kept me out OF respectable
theatres. So you see l am not afraid OF
anything you can do or say, as you have
done mo all the injury that could be
done. A postofIice order TO Marguerite /
Benson, general postoflice, or through
(name blotted out) will be o. K.
(Signed) "MARGURRlrE BENSON"
The writer OF this letter is an actress
with whom Aveling came to this country
from England in 1870 with Daniel Band.
mann. They passed among their &C.
QuaintanCes for man and wife. In 1887
Aveling married Miss Milten Willett and
they have lived together until within
year.
Mrs. Ayeling had begun proceedings
TO obtain adivorce on the grounds Of In
sufficient support and incompatability;
The mother has kept her tour.year.old
boy with her all the time OF separation
from her husband.
The Clara Thompson, to whom one Of
the dead mans letters was addressed, is
an actress, living at 1853 West Twenty
second street. She said abe had no
knowledge that Aveling intended to
commit suicide, and that they were not
specially intimate in any way.