The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-28
Mrs. Eleanor MerrOn Cowper,
Playwright and Actress, Fires
Bullet Into Her Brain.
VIRTUALLY NO HOPE FOR
RECOVERY FROM WOUND
Letters Left Indicate That She
Had Carefully Planned Self
Destruction; Her Career.

NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-Csing q pill
low to muzzle the report OF revolver,
Mrs. Eleanor Merron Cowper, a tai.
ented playwright and actress, shot
herself in the right temple today IN an
apartment at the st. Regis hotel. The
explosion of the cartridge was not
heard, but Mrs. Cowper was rendered
UNCONSCIOUS and is slowly dying.
Before making the attempt at self
destruction Mrs. Cowper had written q
number OF letters, one to her lawyer,
another TO the coroner, a third to an
undertaken, and fourth to John Hood,
D friend. In the letters she apprised
the four persons of her intention to
commit suicide.
Strange Coincidence.
At about the moment Mrs. Cowper
pressed her finger to the trigger the let
ter addressed TO John Hood was be-
ing delivered, Nj. Hood read the FIRST
few lines, grabbed his coat and hat
and ran to the ST. Regis hotel.
The clerk secured q pass KEY and
hurried To the room of Mrs. Cowper
accompanied by Nh Hood aud a maid.
They found Mrs. Cowper lying in bed
and the revolver clutched in her hand
The bedclothing was stained crimson.
Investigation showed that Mrs.
Cowper had made careful preparations
to end her life. In addition to writing
q letter to her lawyer, County Judge
ii. b, Royce of Middletown, n. Y, to
take charge of her body, she had
ordered an undertaken to prepare it for
burial, and she had painstakingly writ
ten brief autobiography.
The sketch stated that she was born
IN England, and that she came TO this
country at the age Of three months.
Her maiden name was Eleanor Mer-
ron. Her stage career began in Bos-
ton In 4 production called "Youth." F."
Had Written Four Plays.
Mrs. Cowper gave list of the
various productions she appeared in.
She wrote four plays, which were pro-
duced on Broadway. They were "Tbe
Dairy Farm . II Love; y "a Broad
way Fayorite" and IA Last Re-
hearsal.2'
Mrs, Cowper did not give the date
Of her marriage, referring briefly TO the
fact that her husband, Archibald
Cowper, was an actor, and that he died
three years ago. Practically her only
home life, she wrote, was when she
lived on the farm of James H. Wallick
at Middletown, y. Y. Mr.. Wallick.
who was. Go years old, collaborated
"iVu "ct Ill HuhoeI VI lue plays Sle
wrote.
Last April Mr.. Wallick committed
suicide, and his tragic death seemed
to have made q deep impression on
Mrs. Cowper. He shot himself in the
right temple. Mrs. Cowper tried to
kill herself in identically the same
manner today.
The police endeavored 70 get into
telephone communication with Judge
Of
that. he was on his way 10 New York,
having received letter from Mrs.
Cowper saying she intended TO kill her
self, He arrived at the hotel TO find
tho police in charge of the dying
woman. In the letter Mrs. Cowper
wrote 10 Judge Royce she asked him
TO notify her parents in New Hamp.
shire OF her death and TO take charge
of her body. She asked that her
body be cremated.
The police said Mrs. Cowper was a
prisoner but she was not removed from
her apartments az the hotel, as tho
doctors said that she had small chance
TO live, and to take her to 2 hospital
would probably hasten the end
Late tonight Mrs, Cowper was re-
moved 10 the Presbyterian hospital,
where an operation was performed.
This was done as a last resort to save
head and extracted. Her condition is
critical
MIDDLETOWN, n. Y, Nov. 27.-
Mrs, Eleanor VI, Cowper was a business
partner OF James H. Wallack. the the
atrical manager, who committed sui
eide here last May. Mrs. Cowper's s
husband, Theodore Archibald Cowper,
died in the stntc hospital here eighteen
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