The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-10-25
NICK LONGNORIH'S
FORMER FIANGE
THE STRANGE STORY OF GIN
CINNATI YOUNG WOMAN HE DID
NOT WED.

NEW YORK, October ia story
almost beyond credence, of a mystery,
apparently beyond solution, whose
central figure is a former fiancee of
President Roosevelt's son-in-law, Con-
gresham Nicholas Longworth, has
come to light through these two wide
ly separated happenings:
In this city private detective agen-
cy, after six months of tireless inves-
tigation, gave up "a certain case" as
hopeless.
In Cincinnati, Miss Miriam Frances
Bloomer, predecessor to Alice Roose-
welt in Mr.. Longworth's affections, ar
rived at her home after six months lin
the country"
Briefly, the story back of those two
events is this Miss Bloomer has been
convalescing from a horrible burning
of her face and body by some unknown
powerful acid; the detectives have
been striving to learn just how, when,
why and where the burning occure ed.
The girl has recovered, and only her
closest relatives knew why she was
away all summer. A few slight scars
are the sole traces of her frightful
experience. Therefore the mystery
probably never will be solved. But if
ever an enigma deserved the study OF
Holmes or a Lecoq this is it.
Various members of the Bloomer
family have denied the whole story.
Miss Miriam was never burned, they
have declared, and there was no Madi-
son avenue mystery at all. They didn't
know where the story came from, they
vowed
But here is the complete narrative of
circumstances, as told by one who was
intimately associated with the Bloom
er family at the time:
Miss Marian Frances Bloomer is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Bloom
er, of Cincinnati, who are wealthy and
prominent socially. Miss Marian is
about thirty years old, talented and a
favorite in social and club circles. Sew
eral years ago she was engaged to
Congressman Nicholas Longworth. At
| the Longworth-Ro wedding she
was brought into prominence by a dis
cussion as to whether or not she would
attend. She did attend, and wished
the young couple well.
Her brother, Ralph Bloomer, is the
| former star halfbacl1 of several Yale
football teams. He has maintained,
for more than a year, an elaborate
suite of apartments at No. 35 Madison
! Square, house which holds several
families socially prominent in the
city. Mr. Bloomer is connected with
one of the best known brokerage hous-
es in Wall street.
One night in April last between 1890
and II O'Clock Ralph returned home
from an evening call and, according to
his custom, knocked upon the door OF
his sisters apartment to bid her good
night.
There was no answer to his signal.
He opened the door, looked in and saw
Miss Miriam lying peacefully asleep.
Then he returned to his own room and
sat down to read for awhile Before
! turning in.
But early in the morning a commo-
tion awakened him before his usual
! hour. Miss Bloomer's maid knocked at
his door Breathlessly she told him
something terrible had happened to
her mistress. She had been burned.
She was in agony. She could not speak,
though she seemed conscious.
The young athlete hurried to tele-
phone and called up one of the most
prominent surgeons in the city When
this physician arrived and made an ex-
animation he found great white
splotches on Miss Boomers right
hand, right side and right knee.
The marks were altogether different
from usual acid marks. Yet the flesh
'was burnt, and the burning was not
caused by fire. The surgeons applied
the customary bandages and lotions,
but did not learn the nature Of the
fluid that had caused the injuries.
Equal mystery lay in the girls con-
dition. She was apparently in state
of coma; yet it was not the usual type
of coma. 1t was more like a hypnotic
state, said several experts who saw
her-later. One went to the extent OF
declaring, positively that Miss Bloom
er had been hypnotized whether by
herself or another he could not say
Anyway, she can remember nothing OF
the night of the tragedy, even now.