Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-17
BORIS SEES TRAGIC
DEATH IN GOBLET VILLA.
He Hears Screams, Rushes Upstairs,
and Finds House-Keeper Crush
ed to Death by Elevator.

NEWPORT, Sept 1e.-Grand Duke
Boris, of Russia, was the Mortified wit
ness Of a womans tragic death to-day
at Ochre court, the summer residence Of
Mrs. Ogden Goelt.
Goelt as the caretaker of her beautiful
villa, had her life crushed out by an ele-
vator.
Just as the: duke was preparing to leave
the house to go to Beaulieu, the home
of the Cornelius Vanderbilts, for lunch-
con. the guests were startled by d wo-
shrieks on the second floor.
The royal visitor bounded UP the stairs
and came suddenly upon the body of Mrs.
Blake caught between the elevator and
the floor. He gasped and turned pale
as the life spark left the unfortunate wo-
man. He was the first to appear on the
tragic scene and the shock unnerved
him.
DR.. Austin Flint. Jr., waas summoned
in haste, but the woman was beyond aid.
He sent for Medical Examiner Stewart
and the latter gave permission for the
removal of the body, deciding that no in
quest was necessary. At Mrs. Goelets
instance the body was taken to tllerooms
of Undertaken Cottrell, to be prepared for
burial
The eleva tor was at one of the upper
floors when Mrs. Blake pulled the rope to
bring it down. From the position from
which the body was found, it is thought
that she did not pull the rope when it
reached the second floor, but tried to
step into it as it was descending slow
~. 1t seems that she lost her footing and
fell and that before she could recover
herself she was caught between the floor
Of the room and the roof of the elevator,
and her l:fe was crushed out.
Mrs. Blake had been at Ochre court for
only a month. Mrs. Goelet knew little
about here, except that she was reliable,
that She was English and that she came
to her from New York.
Mrs. Goelet is trying to find out the
name of Mrs. Blake's last employer. in
the hope of getting into communication
with her relatives in England
May Be American Grand Duchess
NEWPORT, Sept. 16.-The Grand Duke
Boris has been most attentive to Miss
Goeet during his Newport visit, and it
is openly said that the daughter Of the
American was the attraction which kept
the Russian nobleman in Newport so
long.
He has received numerous invitations
to go elsewhere, but has declined them
and his visit to the President was made
only when a messenger had been sent
to conduct him to Oyster Bay, where his
stay was very brief and he returned to
Newport as soon as the official courte-
cieS were at an end
The pair are much in each others COM
pany and are seen daily on the avenue
and country roads, either in Miss Goeiets
automobile or on horseback. and chape-
rones are dispensed with. An American
Grand Duchess appears to be a proba-
bility.
Cornelius Vanderbilt recently bought
the steam yacht Cherokee and the yes
sci arrived in the harbor this afternoon.
She has been placed at the disposal of
the Grand Duke for his trip to New York
on Wednesday,. whence he will sail on
Thursday for Russia.
The party which will accompany him
to New York will consist of Mrs. Goelet,
Miss Goelet and Mr.. and Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt Jr.
Like Message from the Dead.
NEW YORK Sept. 1e.-tspecial.)-7A
message received in. Washington, N. j.,
left with the Peary Arctic exploration
party in 1898, seemed like message from
the dead. It was to his wife, and told
her that her husband whom she believed
to be victim of Arctic winter or to be
wandering demented on the shores Of
Northern Greenland was alive and well.
A year ago the startling story was
brought from the North that DR.. Died
rick had been marooned in desolate Arc
sage, which is dated Chateau Bay, Lab
rador. that he is in good health, and
that the insanity story is a libel he
gives meagre details of his wanderings
in the. North. On Jan. 6, he says, he
crossed Cape Sabine on the ice with the
Esquimaux and offered his services to
Peary. They were declined, and he de-
clares Peary refused to allow him in his
camp. He returned to Ettah and wintered
there.
The story that. after strange quarrels
with Peary, DR.. Diedrick had been aband-
oned in the frozen -.orth, came from the
engineer of the Eric, when that vessel ar
rived In Boston in September last. Her
bert Bridgeman denies that Diedrick was
marooned. He says he left Peary against
the wishes of every member of the party,
and against the express orders Of Peary.
He took guns, ammunition and all he
wanted. Bridgeman says Diedrick will be