The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-18
TAINT IN HER VEINS
DRIVES GIRL TO Die
Beautiful, Cultured, and Ac-
complished, She Posed
as White.

CHICAGO. July 1s-The suicide OF
Lillian Beatrice Watkins yesterday re-
vealed the -act that the handsome
young woman. who for the last eight
years. has lived at the country's most
fashionable hotels and a few years ago
was popular with the bes--known CO.
eds at the University Of Chicago. was
a colOred girl
Stranger than the strangest vaearies
OF writer's OF fiction is the life led by
the negress, brought into the world IN
the likeness Of a white child. and who
pleaded and prayed that she might 1--we
her life among those 20 whose race she
seemed TO belong.
Born in negro shack in the Iowliest
quarters OF Hamil.rn, Ohio, Lillian
Beatrice Watkins studied and was
schooied as the child OF coIored par
ents, grew up In the Methodist faith.
and AFTER she was eighteen years old:
Declared herself a white woman
Travelled about the country. stopping
at fashionable hotels.
Was betrOthed 10 a white man. who.
when the woman confessed she was
colored. married another, but in four
weeks killed himself
Became respondent and decided that
life was not worth living.
Committed suicide by shooting herself
in the right temple in an apartment
house at S16 Dearborn avenue, where
she was living
Claimed to Be East Indian.
For eight years ths woman lived he,
| life apart from her kind, urging uuor
/ her relatives that they help her b,
I keeping secret her story and t.lIinf
/ those who inquired too closely r7lto In,
/ fact that her skin was dark, though bsl
/ hair was blonde, that she was an Ess
/ Indian by birth.
And 10 more thoroughly envelope bar
; sell with the character OF the East IN
: dlan, she studied the strange cults O.
I t-lat corner Of the world. wrapped aboU
! herself an air Of mysticism and .iecIarar
! herself q theOsophist.
Only few months ago, In a lionel,
/ road IN Jackson Park. Thomas Ken
\ nedy, 10 whom the young woman ha,
I been betrOthed, shot himself to death.
! For nve years Kennedy and III
| Watkins girl had been friends Read
4 ing the same books. attending the sam,
] church, visiting the same friends. tn,
! man who had been q student al ~,
4 University Of Chicago finally asked tn,
I girls hand in marriage.
Refuses to Wed White Man.
They became engaged and. as III,
ante-nuptial days passed, she becam,
| despOndent- A few days before the
were 10 be married she told her stor1
and refused TO marry Kennedy.
! The young man married Gwendolv1
Reese, Of Wheaton, and killed himsel
a month later. IN the North Side apart
menI house the handsome young col
ored girl mourned his death. failed i,
health, and yesterday also comnitte,
suicide.
Mss Watkins for some time was en-
ployed in the bond department OF tn
First Trust and Savings Bank and wa.
living with the family Of Samuel c
! Phinney, S76 Dearborn avenue.
A viii made by Kennedy before h
killed himself revealed the fact that b.
had boueathed $4,000 10 that younl
| woman In addition 10 this she ha,
saved a large sum She found creates
pleasure in purchasing for herself sir
| gowns and lingerie.
| In the silks and satins she loved (
/ wear the woman would attend meeting
of various theOsophical societies an
call inprOmptu meetings OF friends I
a club she had formed at her home
The same silks and satins were dOffeC
4 however, and severely plain clothe
we're substituted when sIe you'll pa
her vlst : 10 37i Fcrcst avenue. wIeI
Continued on Second PaGe9