The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-19
A TRAGIC ROMANCE.
Helen SOuthgate and Her Lover
Decided to Die Together.
She Is Adopted Daughter OF u Well
Known Native OfPOrtIand.

/
Known Native OfPOrtIand.
Bishop Horatio Southgate, of the Prot
estant Episcopal church, was well-known
in Portland, where he was born; and
many Portland people VIII be interested
in an adventure which has befallen his
adopted daughter in New York city. The
Sun says that Bishop Southgate was
recognized authority on Oriental subjects
and wrote a number of books on the
Orient. He was for ten years in charge
of the Protestant Episcopal work In Tur-
key and other parts of the East. He IL
nally resigned and went TO his place at
Astoria to live. He had several children,
among them two sons who caused him
great deal Of tronble during his life. His
youngest son, William, was sued for
heavy damages by cigarmRker. who said
that the boy had alienated his Wtfe's
affections and another son, Harry, after
marrying a Long Island girl, went to
England, where he and his wife were in
volVed in a scandal which resulted in
counter-suits for divorce. 1t was during
these troubles with two OF his sons that
the Bishop took Helen Forbes into his
family. She was legally adopted and her
name was changed to that of the family
who had given her home.
The mother was an opera singer and
she married clergyman, who had
small church in the West. When he died
he left her penniless with a daughter to
support. Helen was then only 3 years
old. Bishop Southgate had known the
child's father, and was aware of the i'm
poverished condition of his widow. The
child was pretty and bright and the Bish-
op adopted her because he was fond of
her and in order to relieve her mother of
the burden of her support She was edu-
Gated in the Bishops home by private
tutors ana later was sent 30 the Con-
vent of the Visitation Sisterhood at
Washington, D. G. Particular atten-
tion was paid to her musical education,
and she learned to play well on the pi-
ano. organ and violin. She also speaks
several languages. After she was adopt
ed by Bishop Southgate her mother mar
ried again and went to Nebraska to live.
Helen Southgate developed into beau
tiful woman, and only few years ago,
when she was knocked down and injured
by a heavy truck she was described as
being very beautiful
The dispatches have related the cir
cumstances of the remarkable suicide Of
young man in a New York hotel
Henry Grosvenor Barbour, son or Rev
Henry M. Barbour, pastor OF the Church
OF the Beloved Disciple in New York city.
Miss Southgate has since been found
wounded in New York hospital, and
has made this strangs confession:
at Is true that am Helen Southgate
and that 1 am the woman who was with
Mr.. Barbour In the st. Charles Hotel
the night he killed himself. lie was to
have killed me, too, and would have but
for an accident. 1t was an agreement
/ between us. 1 have known Mr.. barbour
all my life, but l never knew him real
| well until about two weeks ago. We
were at Good Ground together. and there
we saw good deal of one another. We
walked together, sailed and rode togeth-
er, ana grew 10 be fond OF one another.
/ HIS influence over me was great. de
had not been very successful in bust
ness, and he was constantly talking sui
eide. He wanted me 10 die with him.
and, i don know why, but / was
quite willing to do SO. lie said that we
had better go to town some time and talk
1t over, and 1 agreed to come. u was last
Monday or Tuesday that / left Good
Ground and came straight to my aunt s
house in Second place. / spent my time
there until Wednesday, when Mr.. Bar
! bOur came uD from Good Ground and
Joined me. de talked of suicide all the
time. We were in love, yet we could not
marry, for he could not give me home,
and 6here was no prospect of his inn
proving his condition. Our relation
| hadaIways been honorable, and always
would be. We decided that life. was not
worth living unless we could have one
another and SO when he said that we
ould go to a hotel and quietly kill our
ce Ives, / agreed to do it.
"On Wednesday afternoon we went to
the ST. Charles Hotel. do not know
where it is, for I had never been there
sat in the Darlor and talked the thing
over for a long time. Then we went out
and came back again, only to talk the
InHtter or death over more. Ne were sat
isfied that we wanted to die togeth r, but
for some reason we put it off until the
next day.
1--WE met again on Thursday and went
TO drug store where we bought some
carbOlic acid. MIR. Barbour had pistol
which he had brought up from Good
GOund. 1T was broken when he came up,
but he had it fixed during the day while
we walked around. lie said it belonged
to his aunt. We meant to make the
thing sure by taking the acid and then
using the pistol. Mr.. Barbour was to
shoot me first, and then himself. We
went to the st. Charles Hotel and there
we took room, We had but little mon
ey and so had to take a cheap ROOM We
had a final talk while we sat there and
Mr. Barbour ordered several drinks for
himself. had one milk punch and
nothing else. He took so many drinks
that l thought his courage was falling
him and that he was trying to make
himself drunk.
Finally he turned TO me and asked IL
was ready. I said that l was, and
Asknd him where he WantAd me to gtnnd