The San Francisco call., 1899-12-24
CHICAGO'S SOCIAL
STRUCTURE SHAKEN
Deprovity Of Portion Of the
Smart Set Revealed by Mabel
PoWelPS Suicide.

CHICAGO. Dec. 23-The sensational sui
eide. IL suicide IL really was. of Miss Ma
bel Powell, daughter of Mrs. Susan NJ
Powell, and heiress of the late S. Nj. Pow
ell. a millionaire lumberman. i'm motor
ious house kept by Carrie Watson, early
yesterday morning, has given sociologists'
psychologists and scandal mongers one
of the most fruitful themes furnished by
this city in many day.
Miss Powell arrived at the resort at
about o'clock in company with a young
woman who has been a guest at the
Great Northern Hotel since December 10,
registering as Mrs. c. II. Wells. Cincin-
natl The latter womans Identity seems
10 be shrouded In mystery. The two
women, so far as known, met for the
first time week ago last Monday at a
downtown dramatic school. Since that
time they had been fast friends. and Miss
Powell, after quarreling with her mother,
who did not approve of her new acquaint-
ance, mad left her home, ostensibly 10 be-
come guest Of Mrs. Wells at the hotel.
On Thursday evening Mrs. Wells and
Miss Powell left the Great Northern and
went TO the Auditorium Annex. AT $50
Louis Wachsmuth, a wholesale clothing
dealer at 22l Market street, entered
the hotel with a friend, a young man
known in Chicago social and business cir
cles. Both young men knew Miss Powell,
Wachsmuth's friend having been a fire.
quent guest at the young wOman's home.
MISS Powell introduced them to Mrs.
Wells.
The ladies asked us to come and sit
with them while they dined.' said Mr..
dining-room No. 7. There supper was
served. A number OF drinks were served
during the meal. The ladies told US that
they had an engagement with Ferdinand
Peck Nelson ffpr q
had been with them short time Mr.. Peck
and ] left"
The meeting with Peck. who is a son Of
the American director OF the Paris Ex-
position, and Barnes, whose father Is a
director Of the American Book Company,
took place at lO:O o'clock. From that
hour until after midnight the party re-
mained at the Auditorium Annex. and
during that time drinks were served fire.
quently. The best evidence OF this lies in
the fact that the bill was $42 80. Of which
SO was for wine.
Whether or not the young would-be
bloods were too tired TO accompany the
girls or wantOnly turned the two unduly
ieXhilarated females loose in Chicago :
streets at 1870 o'clock in the morning Is
not known. AT any rate. a few minutes
after that hour the women appeared with
out an escort at a resort on Wabash ave
nue. kept by Al Austin and INDUCED in
a rarebit and ale. Later they drove TO the
Social, one of the most notorious Of low
leVee saloons. and after few rounds OF
leVee booze walked, so they say. to the
Watson woman's place, four blocks away,
on Clark street.
They were admitted by a colored SER
want who recognized them as visitors 10
the place a week ago last Monday night
in company with two men. Inside the
resort Mrs. Wells and her companion
walked into the large ballroom" and
purchased drinks. Both young women
danced and sang. Miss Powell ordered
drinks, and when they were served she
/ r-Qf uad crfa md mr.
There's no place like home" she cried
''and a mothers love is best Of all
She then left the others and stepped
| into a bathroom. After about fifteen min
utes a colored servant noting Miss Pow
ellis continued absence, entered the bath
room and found her kneeling on the floor
| attempted to raise the young woman to
/ her feet and found she was unconscious.
Assistance was summoned and the limp
form was carried into the brightly lighted
ballroom" IL was at first thought Miss
Powell had tainted, but when the dis
colored lips were seen the fear that she
had taken poison came over the inmates
of the place. Her clothing was loosened,
and while a servant hurried for a physi-
clan everything was done to revive her.
Her heart beat family. The women In
the place set about rubbing her limbs, and
ice was placed under her head. She lived
COMMUNICATIONS
accepted an invitation to ride In the par
ade with his staff and a military escort.
The parade passes through the center OF
the town, and is then reviewed from the
judges stand, and prizes are awarded the
best displays in every class. The events
in the short programme to be held In
the afternoon on the Patton grounds In
clude ranchman's race, one-half mile, 70
saddle (horses must have done regular
ranch work within one month OF the
race: steeplechase dash, course OF about
two miles. over six hurdles; fiat race,
hTOnCnO
10 harness; Gymkhana races. These last
races are imported from India. where
they are very popular. They are trick
races, in which the contestants must put
on coat and vest while in full, career
carry an egg in spoon 20 the end OF
the course and perform similar feats OF
| III L.. Ill u