The Washington herald., 1908-02-22

New York, Feb. 2l.-SOciety was
startled this afternoon by the news of the
death Of Mrs. Natica Rives Burden. the
daughter Of Mr.. o. II. P. Belmont Her
lifeless form was found this morning in
her bed at her residence. on Fifth
avenue. but the matter was carefully
withheld until late this afternoon.
There are conflicting reports as to the
cause Of Mrs. Burdens death. The coroner
insists that death was due to gas as
phyxiation, but the brother-in-law OF the
dead woman is equally as insistent that
the woman's death was due 10 heart
failure
Mrs. Natica Rives Burden. the dead
woman. was an intimate friend OF Mrs
Alice Roosevelt-Longworth and a society
favorite in New York and Newport. Her
husband is William p. Burden. and the
couple resided at COS Fifth avenue. Mrs.
Burden had been married less than a
year.
II is said that Mrs, Burden has been
in delicate health and under the care OF
physicians FOR several months. Last night
at o'clock Mrs. Burden dismissed her
maid after settling herself 10 read at a
table lamp. That was the last seen Of her
alive
Finds Her Mistress Dead.
The maid. Emma Hofer at s:45 this
morning. becoming uneasy when she re-
ceived no summons, although Mrs. Bur
den usually slept late, went TO the room
and smelling gas. entered to find the
young woman dead.
Gas was escaping from the connections
Of the drcplight. which stood al the head
Of Mrs. Burdens bed one window OF
the large third-hoor room opening on
East Seventy-second street was raised.
While the police attributed the escape
of the gas TO defective tubing between
the bracket chandelier and the stand
lamp. Coroner Shrady. in debating 10 his
secretary. said he believed that Mrs.
Burden. on preparing 10 sleep. turned
out the valve on the lamp Itself while
the fiow al the chandelier continued until
II forced the tube of and flooded the
room with the poisonous fumes.
Police Commissioner Bingham denounced
the coroner's Office for suppressing the
report so long, and said that he had di-
rected an investigation OF the case
At the Burden house it was announced
that Mrs. Burden had been III with the
grip for four days. and that she had
been attended By Dr. Kinnicutt. OF 90
West Thirty-ffth street. and DR.. Lyle.
OF es East Forty-eighth street.
Wanted to Be Left Alone.
She was not suffering from the illness
any more than usual last night, accord
ing TO the occupants Of the Burden resi-
dence. and after she had expressed a de-
sire 20 be Left alone, 20 read and sleep.
the maid withdrew
While the eoroneT and police reported
the case as one OF gas poisoning. A. s.
Burden, brother Of the young woman-s
husband. declared TO the reporters that
his sister-in-law had dice OF heart fail
ure. the result OF an attack Of grip. from
which she had suffered for four or five
days.
Mr.. Burden said also that no physician
was present at the time Mrs. Burden
died He said the family physician had
been attending her for several DAYS. but
arrived al the house some little time after
her death.
Mrs Burden, before her marriage. was
one Of the leading spirits in the younger
SCI ol new 1OFk society. Her wedding
last April. one OF the events OF the spring
season, is hardly forgotten by those who
were favored with invitations. and no So
cial affair was considered complete with
out her, In Newport, in the society sum-
nler colonies of long Island. and during
the season ct Washington she was one OF
the foremost
Famed I'm Hunting Set.
She was accomplished as a social dipIo-
mat and was also an outdoor woman
whose fame was known to the riding and
hunting set In fact. she had all the ac-
complishments OF the prominent young
society women OF to-day.
Mrs Burden was twenty-five years old.
and the daughter of the first Mrs. Oliver
II. p. Belmont. who was Miss Sally Whit
ing. and who secured a divorce some time
after her daughter was born. She re-
tained CUSTODY Of the child. and after
ward married George L. Rives. AT one
time corporation counsel of New York
Following the divorce OF her mother
and the adoption by Mr.. Rives. the
daughter took the name Of her mother
second husband and had always been
known as Natica RiveS
William P. Burden is a nephew OF I.
Townsend Burden. and has a large in
terest in the famous Burden Iron works
at Troy.
Married in Grace Church.