Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-15
death ENDS ROMANCE
Of WOMAN RECLUSE.
A o AND A BIRD THE ONLY CON-
PANIONS OF WEALTHY MISS
GRIFFIN.
WAS A SOCIETY BELLE
BLIGHTED BY A LOVE AFFAIR AT
THE ELIMINATION
of Her Popularity and Beauty-A
story of Real Life in New York
Well Worth Reading, and Inter-
preting and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Plenty of Money, But-Nothins
Else.


real life ended in the plainly furnished
little room at 81 East Eleventh street
yesterday morning just as the day was
dawning. 1t ended with the death of
Ellen Anne Griffin. who had lived there
for many years entirely alone, except
for the little ~black-and-tan dog who. at
the very last, sat patiently beside the
bed n licked the hands OF its mistress
until they grew cold.
The woman in her childhood was the
playmate of the members of the elder
generation of the Vanderbilt, the Duer
and the Livingston families of this city.
Although worth $150,000, she had for
years been a recluse and a miser. Her
costliest gown was of calico. and her
usual apparel when she appeared on
the street was a dress of this material,
with a shabby hat and a very much
frayed shawl. She was a familiar fig
ure in the vicinity of Union Square, and
every policeman knew and spoke kind
ly to the queer little old m as she
made her way among the stores in the
| neighborhood. Not one Of them ever
suspected that she was a member of
n of the patrician families of the
| city.
Miss Griffin was born fifty-eight years
ago at 20 Beach street. Her father was
Charles Alexander Griffin. a prominent
New York barrister fifty years ago. and
her grandfather was George Griffin. who
in his time was the leading lawyer in
criminal cases Of New York, and a
writer of ability.
Her most intimate friend during her
| childhood and early youth was Ellie
Vanderbilt. daughter of Jacob Wander
bilt, and granddaughter of Commodore
Vanderbilt. The girls grew up together.
They attended Miss Bigelow's school
for young ladies at IS Union Square.
The most expensive country residence
on Staten Island in those days was Van
derbilt House, erected by the old Com
modore. Next to it was Bay View, in
which George Griffin resided, and adj
of Ellen Grifin's parents. Among their
%neighbors was Beverly Robinson, Peter
6tuyvesant, Theodore Parkman. Will
liam Duer and Carroll Livingston.
Ellen Griffin became one of the bellies
| of the fashionable set, and entered into
all the gayeties and frivolities of the
twenty-one years old when she met her
fate, and from that hour the whole cur
rent of her life was changed. She at
tended a party at the home of the Park
mans n night, and among the guests
was Erastus Lyman De Forest. George
w. Parkman, who had met the young
man in Paris a short time before, had
invited him to visit him whenever he
| should come t. America. The Park
man party was the first social function
he attended after his arrival in this
country. On that fateful night he was
led through the circle of admirers that
| fitted about Ellen Griffin and introduc-
ed to her. The young woman straight
way lost her heart and De Forest was
from that time on her devoted admi-cf.
They became engaged. Then it came
out that the swee'hearts were cousins
and their parents would not permit
] their marriage.
The bride-to-be was the last 10 learn
this fact. 1t was told to her gently
one night by her father. and she fell
to the floor unconscious under the
blow. For several days her mental
condition was alarming. skillful ply
sicians were summoned, and at last she
began to rally, but slowly. It was
months before her physical strength
was restored to her. Her father and
her grandfather did everything In their
power to make her forget, but they
failed. Her grief was i~nconsolable.
1t was at this time that Ellie Wander
bilt, her devoted friend, wrote in her
autograph album these lines:
Angels attend thee. may their wings
Fan every shadow from thy brow,
For only bright and lovely things
/ Should wait on one 80 good as thou.
AS the months went on suLtors again
began to press their claims One OF
these was Adolph Graf Zu DONNA
( Schlodien. a handsome fellow. a musi-
clan of extraordinary attachments, and
/ considered an excellent match. but the
girl was deaf to his p~leadings, as TO
those Of many others. A trip abroad
was suggested. and with her mother
she spent many months wandering
| about the show places or Europe. While
they we're away young De Forest died.
Soon after this her grandfather died,
and then her father. Charles, her
brother. died in 1864 while a student at
Yale, and the mother and daughter
were left alone. They spent some