The Washington herald., 1907-09-22

THAT truth is stranger than fiction,
and that real life surpasses often the
widest riots Of imagination. are truisms
that those who know life find abund-
antly true" So spoke a professional man
of Washington, whose calling brings him
into close touch with life. An instance
came 10 my notice last year which is
absolutely true. and which shows what
tragedies are living in our very midst
and We unconscious of it," Hereupon
he produced the following newspaper
cuttings, the names and dates being
char ged lest those interested should be
disturbed by any unsought attention be
Ing drawn 10 them again:
London. April An unknown woman sui
cided this morning in the Hotel Cecil. guest
in an adjoining room heard the report Of a shot.
and. on the door being broken open. the woman
found shot through the heart She had eyi-
IDENTIFY destroyed her papTs, but some Of her
linen was marked H c." which may give
some clew 70 the Identification Of the body. The
coTUners jury returned a verdict Of death by
suicide" The body awaits identification at the
morgue.
London. April 9-The body Of the woman who
suicided at the Hotel Cecil has been identified
by her sister as that Of Mrs. Hally Cuslman OF
New York. She had been separated from her
husband and residing IN the south Of France
for the last two years. No cause can be assigned
for her rash deed. Arrangements have been made
for trausshipping the body TO New York.
London. April 1-Mrs. HaIly Cushman. who
was supposed 20 be the woman who sIicidcd in
the Hotel Cecil on the 2I inst TIE identifsa-
tion having been made by her sister, has wired
the authorities from Lausanne, Switzerland, that
she Is alive and has been there for the last f5u
months
L5ndon, April B.-The suicide at the Hotel
Cecil has been identified by her brother as Miss
Helen Campon. who was supposed 20 be IL
Paris studying art. The body was first thought
10 be that OF Mrs. Hally CushEan. Of New
York. who proved 10 be alive and living in Swift
zerlaud.
London, April l5-The mystery Of the suicide
ct the Hotel Cecil grows IN interest. Miss Helen
Campion has wired from Paris saving She Is
alive and mas not been in Lcudou Tor two years.
This IS the second time identification Of the body
by relatives has proved wrong. and indignant
denials have come from the ladies named.
Gould anything be more strange? Al
unknown woman, evidently a lady, OF
prepossessing appearance, with appar
emily abundance Of money commits sui
eide in a London hotel. The body 3.
claimed by one woman as that Of hel
sister and forthwith an indignant mes
sage IS received from the sister sayin2
she IS very much alive, and justly angry
at the publicity given TO her affairs
And then a man comes forward TO claim
and bury the dead woman as his sister
Another mistake IS made. and another
Indignant woman is heard from, with q,
uncertain voice. There was evidently Z
most extraordinary likeness existing il
the three women, that the body of tn,
suicide should be positively and assured
ly identified in two cases as that of 81
near 4 relation as sister. The double
case Of wrongful identification Of tht
dead woman had interested me very
strongly indeed. and I had pasted the
newspaper cuttings in my scrapboOk as