The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-12-05
CARRIED OUT THE CONTRACT
There was Yet Much in Life for
Eleanor Merron cowper, but She
Kept Her Word to James Wallick.

Middletown, y. Y, Dec. "details
Of a suicide agreement that existed
between Mrs. Eleanor Merron Ccwper.
the playwright and actress who shot
herself at the Hotel St. Regis in New
York on Friday and died Monday in
the Presbyterian hospital, and James
H. Wallick, the actor manager. who
shot and killed himself at the Com
mercial hotel in Middleton on May l,
became known today through the pub
LEGATION of letters which Mrs. Cow
per wrote just before her death.
From Mrs. Cowper's statements in
various letters which are in the hands
OF her attorney. Special County Judge
H. B. Royce of Middletown. it is evil
dent that Mrs. COwper and Mr.. Wal
lick as long az year ago cOntem-
plated suicide and that both decided
TO die in the same manner. In one
letter Mrs. Cowper says that she and
James H. Wallick had often talked
over the matter Of taking their lives
and had agreed that each would dO>so.
While no definite time was set it was
agreed that should they come to feel
that the world had no further attrtc-
tons for them they would leave il at
the same time and in the same man.
ner.
In April last. while Mrs. Cowper
and Mr.. Walick We're staying at the
King Edward hotel in New York Mr.
Wallick preached the subject of sui
eide again. His fortune gone and
suffering from illness. he made up his
mind that life had nothing for him.
Mrs Cowpers financial affairs were
also in bad shape, and while she had
enough to live on she felt that with
the death of Mr.. Wallick, her closest
friend, she could find no pleasure in
life.
The suicide agreement was made
and they We're to take their lives on
May /, 1908. In order 20 avoid un-
pleasant notOr1ety it was decided that
Mr.. Wallick should come TO Middle
town TO do the deed and that Mrs.
Cowper should remove from the King
Edward hotel TO the St. Regis and
there take her life
In the last week of April Mr.. Wal
| lick bade Mrs. COwper farewell at the
King Edward hotel and came to Mid
dletown. He shot himself in the right
All q the
cial hotel in this city on the morning
| OF May /. Instead of taking her life
at the same time as agreed Mrs. Cow
per remained at the King Edward
and awaited the news Of Mr.. Wal
ticks suicide. deciding that she should
personally attend to all the details of
his burial and later take her own life.
| She was deeply affected when she re-
ceived the expected work that Mr..
| Wallick had carried out his part of
! the compact.
| Then Mrs. Cowper proceeded 10 put
| her affairs in shape for her death.
! She postponed carrying out her part
| Of the agreement from time to time,
| however, not from a reluctance or fear
! but because she could not arrange
| time for the act that would not inter-
fere in some way with some ones
plans. In particular she did not wish
| to interfere with any plans her at
torney, Judge H. B. Royce. had made
as she wished him to look after her
affairs and burial.
She continued to postpone the event
but made up her mind fully to do the
| deed on the day after election. Then
| she learned that Judge Royce was
contemplating pleasuse trip at that
time and again she postponed taking
her life.
In one of the letters she left she
said that she had not had any big
time since July but that she 'cele-
brated the day after election as every
good patriot ought | have no grudge
against the world and l intend 70 &c
in good health and spirits
In the letter in which Mrs. Cow