The San Francisco call., 1908-09-14
FEARS FOR Life
DRIVE WIFE AWAY
Mrs. Richardson Declares She
Was Afraid of Being Killed
by Husband

Il had feared that Mr.. Richardson
would commit suicide. He had been
g very moody man for some time before
his death and his moods had been ap-
parently growing on him. He had
talked Of death and how little it meant
to him. was afrad that he might
carry out his implied threat and that
! possibly he might take me with him.
1 It was physical fear which drove me to
go 10 my mother. And 1 wrote her that
letter which was found in fragments
because of these reasons. But 1 did not
mail the letter. I made up my mind to
( leave and the letter would not have pre-
ceded me-"
/ Mrs. Gladys Richardson, wife OF
/ Erslxine Richardson, whose self-infiicted
death was discovered Saturday evening,
made this statement yesterday. She
arrived in San Francisco from Santa
Barbara on the noon train and she went
at once to the st. Xavier where she re-
mained until evening in the apartments
where the tragedy had taken place. She
was in the care of Miss Rainey, her
nurse, who had been her constant COM
panion for months and had gone with
her TO Santa Barbara.
! Only once did Mrs. Richardson leave
/ the st. Xavier yesterday That was in
the early evening. when, accompanied
/ by Miss Rainey and n J. Ralston. she
I N-o4lCO the uHQeItdhlnR rooms in
Geary street, where the body of her
husband had been taken. richardson
remains will be shipped to his mother
in Chicago for burial At ThesDafrodfls
| Riverside. ILL.,, she was notified by wire
of her sons death
The story of the unhappy married
life. whose end brought the end of
Richardson's life, reads like an Ibsen
! play. 1t is full of repressed tragedy.
Through it alias told by the friends
of the wife-is ansunder current of the
husbands feeling toward this young
woman. younger than himself. These
friends say that Richardson exacted
much; that he wanted to know eyery
step of her movements And they say
that he was grudging in her allowances.
As consequence her amusements were
! few That was the undernote. The
story as told by friends is this:
Erskfne Richardson came with his
mother~to Santa Barbara She owns a
winter home there and she Is friendly
with Mrs. Postley mother of the young
woman whom he left widow He met
TINS woman, then girl fond of pretty
ornaments, light hearted, who got much
genuine Joy from societys functions
And he married her
Yesterday came a whisper-it had
originated in Santa Barbara-which
said that the marriage interrupted .
young romance. The truth of that Is
not known
Married. these two came to San Fran
cisco Richardson went head and soul
into his business. His friends saw he
/ was a somber man. He believed saw
friends, that his wife was to belong ia
him. to smile for him and to live for
him, and he wanted the strict account
ing which gals woman
Then there was a sickness last win
ter. 1t was hard sickness and 1t left
the young woman desolated
She was living in Santa Barbara
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royalties from the Fires of st. John.
The subject of the copyright on the
play has been matter of controversy
since the beginning of the season and
/ the present action is the first step In
the legal fight being conducted by the
| principals. McGregor is connected with
4 the case in no other way than as ar
agent for the company on this coast
and his arrest was made asa techni.
-cality in the case.