Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-21
A DUAL LIFE
AND A SUICIDE.
Romance Of Mrs. Charlotte NichOl
And Or. 0rvlIIe Burnett
AGREED 70 DIE TOGETHER.
She Killed Herself, but His Astemp'
Failed Erring wife WASH
southern Belle.

Chicago, Oct. 2O.-While grieVing
over the dual life she was leading with
DIR. oryille Burnett, prominent chi
capo dentist, Mrs. Charlotte Nlchol,
wife of w. l.. Nichol Jr., commercial
agent of the Nashville, Chattanooga
& ST. Louis railway, committed cui-
eide in the Marlborough hotel. Bur
nett also tried to end his life at the
same time. but was unsuccessful
The two were found in their rooms
both stretched across the bed the
woman dead and Burnett with his
neck pierced with hat pin, bottle
of morphine clutched In his hand and
the gas turned on from every one Of
the six Jets In the suite, Dr. Burnett
is still alive, and has been arrested.
In one Of the rooms was found a
note written by the woman, which tod
of her reason for the act She said:
ITO Whom II May Concern Il did II
because | loved him better than any
thing on earth. and he loved me, and
we could not be separated Goodbye
Charlotte"
The note was supplemented by a
statement by DR.. Burnett, which tells
Of the tragedy enacted by the two
lovers.
According TO the dentists story, he
met Mrs Nlchol while yet young
girl, In Nashville, Tenn, and fell In
love with her. Burnett moved TO Chi
cago and married several years after
ward,
"Our love was still strong for each
other" said Burnett" ''and she moved
10 Chicago TO be near me- We were
together nearly every day, There
seemed, however, to be a constant re-
morse on her part on account of the
dual life she was leading. Saturday
we went down town together and
after having several drinks she pro-
posed suicide TO me, and we went to
the Marlborough hotel and she pro-
duced bottle Of morphine she had
hidden In her dress.
"She again asked me TO die with
her and consented. Then she swal-
lowed nearly all the contents of
the bottle. and handed 1t TO me.
drank what was left, but believing
that ! had not taken enough to prove
fatal, | tried TO end my life by stick
ing the hat pin into my neck. ] saw
this was also going to be a failure so
] turned on all the gas and lay down
TO die"
Burnett stated that his wife knew
nothing of his attachment for Mrs.
Nichol
A policeman who was sent TO the
Nichol home, at 657S Minerva avenue
tonight, to notify Mr., Nlchol OF the
tragedy found no one there but the
two little children of the dead woman,
one a boy OF s and the other a little
girl OF years. They told the police
man that their father was out looking
for their mother. who had been miss
ing all last night ana today.
DR., Oryille $. Burnett was born at
Har' ings. Neb., about twenty-eight
years ago. He was married seven
years ago to Grace Anderson. also Of
Hastings, who had been his playmate
and schoolmate from childhood. I'm
medIately afteTward the family moved
TO Denver, Orfille, the son, also going.
His father was wealthy stockman,
and the young man lived In ease for
years. FINALLY his wife urged him TO
take up some profession, and he de-
cided to become a dentist About
three years ago he came to Chicago to
study
WAS A SOUTHERN BELLE.
Nashville, Tenn, oct. 20,-Nothing is
known here of Or. Burnett, connected
with the suicide of Mrs. w l.. Nichol,
Jr.. at Chicago. Mrs. Nchol was a
daughter of Mr.. w. A. shoup, con-
nected with the University of the
South at Suwanee, Tenn, and before
her marriage was popular socially
both there and in Nashville, where she
spent part Of her time.
w. l.. Nichol. Jr.. is the son Of the
late DR.. w. L. Nichol OF Nashville, one
OF the Souths prominent physicians.
He is al present commercial agent at
Chicago for the Nashville, Chattanoo-
ga & st. Paul railway. and was to have
returned to Nashville at an early date
20 assume the duties of commercial
agent at the company's headquarters
here.