Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
REMARKABLE WOMAN
Career of the Once Famous
Countess de Battancourt.
A FRIEND OF NOTABLES
Run Gamut From Dishwasher to
Social Queen.
MYSTERY SURROUNDED DEATH
Her Son Relieved Of the Charge Of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the
Coroner's Inquiry.

| Although John McMurrow was committed
| to jail in Philadelphia on Tuesday by Mag
| istrate O'Brien ION suspicion Of murder
| in connection with the death Of his mother,
Mrs. Anita Deb. McMurrow, once famous
| as the Countess de Battancourt," the po-
| lice Of that city no longer believe that he
was responsible for the death.
The coroner's ury yesterday rendered a
verdict to the effect that Mrs. McMurrow
| died of heart disease. John McMurrow,
| her son, was then released from custody.
Such was the interest in the remarkable
career of the old countess friend Of pres
| idents, emperors companion of the nobility
| Of Europe, heiress to mythical fortune Of
$s2.000.O00 in Spain and one of the sirewd-
| est swindlers that ever lived, that the hear
| ing room was crowded when McMurrow,
diSheveled and swolen-eyed after his night
| in a cell, was arraigned in Philadelphia.
Street Sergeant Austin and Policeman
Hankinson related briefly the circum-
| stances of the countess - death at her
| boarding house, No. 62S North Marshall
| street. and said that her physician, DR..
| Hinkie, had refused to sign the death GER
| tifieate. Sergt. Austin said that Acting De-
tective klopp who arrested McMurrow,
| had requested, in the coroner's name, that
| he be held for the inquest.
When the prisoner heard this he ex-
claimed wildly: "Oh, my God! I never
killed my mother! What makes you think 1
| did? Take me to see her! loved her too
much to hurt herl"
| Miss Kittie Denzler, young woman who
frequently acted as secretary to the count
ess, has told a story to DR.. Hinkle and
also to Deputy Coroner Gray, which may
| be of Importance in the investigation /
Faith in Fortune to the Last.
| She says that about three hours before
| the countess died, when Miss DenzIer
| was with her for the purpose Of taking die
| tation-the old woman never ceased to keep
| UP tremendous correspondence with re-
| gard to her mythical fortune-John McMur-
| row entered the room and demanded a dol
| lar. When Mrs McMurrow refused It he
| sprang at her. Miss Denzler stepped be-
| tween them. and McMuTow, reaching over
her shoulder, caught his mother by the
i IaL She cried out with PAIN whereupon
John released his hold and left the room
After Miss Denzler went away Mira Nc
AurroW went to bed. Jennie Heron a
maid was sleeping with her. Jennie says
there came a loud knocking at the door
and John again demanded money. His
mother said she would not give it to him
| Whereuponfe threw himself against the door
as though to break it down. The ''Coun-
tess, jumped out of bed and ran to the
WINDOW shouting for help. At that the
returned to her bed and died.
Pawn Tickets for $4,000 in Jewelry.
Inc coroner found in the woman's room
| pawn tickets for over $4,000 worth
| OF jewelry which had been pledged with
| New York pawnbrokers In an old trunk
was found $1,000 in cash and a narnber of
| letters from noted men in this country
| and also from a former King Of Spain
| and men prominent In the Spanish court.
Since her arrival In Philadelphia nearly
| hfty years ago, the Countess de Ranten
| court has established a record as an ad
| ventures as inexplicable as it is unsuuaIed.
| She has run the gamut from a dishya sher
IN cheap boarding house to the friend
| or emperors and Presidents, and back
again to grinding poverty; but there are
| several mysterious steps In the transfor-
nation which will probably never be
brought to light.
First Known as Mrs. Folsom of Bar
| ceIona.
| She was known as Mrs. Folsom of
| Barcelona when she first landed in the
| Quaker City with her two children-a beau
| tlfuI black-eyed woman, who seemed oddly
out of place in the kitchen Of the Rose
street boarding house, where she COM
| menced her conquest Of social PHILADELPHIA.
Here she met John McMurrow, prosperous
| sailmaker, who married her and took her
| away from clearinghouse life
| one OF the missing steps which never
came to light follows here, for the next
| appeared, several years later, in an ole
giant mansion down in the aristocratic
| quarter surrounding Rittenhouse SQUARE
| with servants, jewels. carriages and In
| fuential friends. There are rumors of a
| career in New Orleans at this time, but
only the dead woman herself could tell
| by what process she climbed from Rose
| street to the social prominence of her
| palmy days.
| She now styled herself the Countess de
Battencourt, heiress of the great Spanish
| family which early in the century had
emigrated to Cuba. The estates had been
Tod loyrr Gyoat
she had little bill against King Alfonso
for something like s36OOOO0O On the
| strength of this claim she is said to have
| secured hundreds of thousands of dollars
| from Philadelphia and New York capital
| lists.
| Spanish Ambassador a Victim.
Finally, in 1888. the Spanish ambassador
at Washington, Senior Barca, discovered
| that he had entangled himself and certain
government funds with an adventures and
committed suicide in a New York hotel
Generals Grant and Sherman President
Cleveland and other high officials of the
time were frequently seen In Mrs Nc
! Murrow's elegant drawing rooms in the
late seventies, and when Emperor Dom
! Pedro of Brazil visited the country for the
| centennial celebration in 1876 he was her
guest for several weeks.
| Just when or how the decline In her for
| tunes commenced is almost as much of a
mystery as the process of their sudden
rise. She gradually became involved In
financial difficulties. her story of distin-
| guished lineage was secuted, and her pala-
tial home was sold to satisfy creditors,
and the career which began In poverty
ended in degradation.
Countess I" Diary Found.
Much light was shed upon the strange ca
reer OF Mrs. McMurrow by the contents of a
strong box found in her bed room which
| was opened Thursday by Coroner Jermon In
the presence of her son, William Folsom
McMurrow of New York. and his counsel
As had been anticipated, the remarkable
diary kept for half century by Mrs. Nc
1 Murrow was discovered in the box among
| heaps of documents, letters, pawn tickets
and newspaper clippings. There was also
$1,000 in cash. Because they contain refer
ences to prominent men and women still
living who lost great sums through the
| countess all the stuff was irnpounded by
the coroner. Coroner Jermon held pre-
liminary inquest, which resulted in her son.
| John McMurrow, being again committed to
prison without bail. Miss Kathryn Denzler
L -