Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-20
ACTORS SUICIDE.
No WONDER BE WANTED THE CURTAIN TC
Be RU..a DOWN
On His Miserable Life-He Leaves Some Very Com
promising Letters Behind Him-Had Two Wives
Living, and His Farewell Note Was TO
Another WOman-Rather Sensational.

New YORK, March 10. Henry Ave
! ling, an actor, committed suicide at the
Sturtevant House some time last night.
The suicide left two letters. In one he
asked that the funeral arrangements be
looked after by Mr.. Shelton, mem
Der of John l.. Sullivan's combination.
In the other letter the dead man says
he does not want certain woman 10
look at his remains. Aveling played in
the paul Kauvar Company, and also
in "Jim the Penman.
On opening the door the chambermaid
and clerk saw the actor lying on the
bed dead. while beside him was a small
vial OF cyanide of potassium, OF which
he had evidently partaken. 1t tod the
story.
Two letters were left by Aveling.
One was addressed TO GeOtfrey Stein,
No. 467 II. street, Washington. ID. C.,
and read as follows:
''To the Carcass irho mdD md mB shell, Grc,t-
ing:
First wish VIM. Sheldon, of the Jim
the Penman, 10 do as he likes with my re
mains, and | hereby constitute him sole
owner of every cent may die possessed oil,
no matter in what shape my property may
be, and / ask William (aforesaid) TO De
good enough to prevent Miss Mittens VIII
let's from appearing at any OF my oo'
se0uies. "AVELING."
The other was addressed TO Miss
Clara Thompson. IL read as follows:
"CLARA. DEAR:-We could not live as
i I n
futurity. Find me there, my darling. II
you can. HENRI
The following letter was found among
the dead mans effects. II was written
at the Brunswick House restaurant.
New Orleans, and IS dated January IA:
ssMR AvEIING:-I wish you to under
stand am aware of everything. Believe
me: | mean business and am quite pre-
pared to 20 TO law and find out the rela-
tionship between US, out viii readily
waive all claim TO Your valuable sell for
small consideration
u think as you have good engagement,
p per cent of what YOU earn is fair. II
YOU prefer il | VIII write on my way TO
New York and Howe X Hummel Will de
eide for me But without wishing to con
done a crime. ! can promise (and you have
some knowledge of my character that l
will observe the strictest quiet if you Will
make some provision by which | can live.
| would not even make that request but for
the ISLANDERS you have circulated about my
eating opium and such things that have
kept me out Of respectable theatres. so,
YOU see, | am not afraid OF anything you
can do or say, as you have done me all the
injury that could be done. n Il. o. q. TO
Marguerite Benson, general pOstoilice, or
through name blotted OUT Canal street,
will be o. X.
Signed. "MNsGUERITE BENSON
The writer Of this letter is an actress
with whom Aveling came to this conn
try from England in 1879 with Daniel
Bandmann. They passed among their
acquaintances for man and wife. In
1857 Aveling married Miss Nit
tens Willett, and they have
lived together until within a year.
Mrs. Aveling had begun proceed
ings to obtain a divorce on grounds OF
insufficient support and incompatibility.
The mother has kept her four-year-old
boy with her during all the time OF sep
aration from her husband. The Clara
Thompson, 10 whom one OF the dead
mans letters was addressed, Is an
actress. living at s53 West Twenty
second street. She said she had no
knowledge that Avelng intended to
commit suicide, and that they were not
specially intimate in any way.