Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-28
DISHEARTENED
ACTRESS FIRES
BULLET IN HEAD
MRS. C0WPER FOUND DYING,
BURIED UNDER PILLOW
PLANS SUICIDE LIKE FORMER
ASSOCIATE wALLIcK
Investigation Shows Death Premedi-
tated-vietim Asks Her Body
Be cremated and Writes
Autobiography
NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-Using a pill

nj EW YORK, NOV. Zf--OSAlS d pii
M low to muffie the report of a re-
An volver. Mrs. Eleanor Merrior
? Cowper. a talented playwright ailo
actress, shot herself in the rlshl tsIilp p,i
today in an apartment in the St. Regis
hotel The explosion of the cartridge
was not heard, but Mrs. Cowper was
rendered unconscious and was Slowly
diving early this morning.
Before making the attempt at seiL'
obstruction Mrs. Cowper had written d
number of letters, one to her lawyer
another to the coroner, a thlrd 10 al
undertaken and a fourth 10 Johh hood
friend. In the letters she appriseo
fine four persons of her intention to
commit. suicide. A.
At about the moment when MIS-
Cowper pressed her finger to the trls,
ger the letter addressed TO John Hooo
was delivered. ,,.,o.
Mr.. Hood read the first lew lIIies,
grabbed his coat and hat ana ran 70
The 81 Regis hotel The clerk secured
a pass KEY and hurried to the room OF
Mrs. Cowper, accompanied by MI
Hood and a maid. -,
They found Mrs. Cowper lying IN ped
with the pillow still over her head anu
the revolver clutched in her hand Tue
bed clothing was stained crI,lsoH, -,
Investigation showed that Mrs Cow
ner had made careful preparations 70
end her life In addition to writing a
letter notifying her lawyer, county
Judge II. 8. Royce of Middletown, y;
v to take charge of her body, she mao
ordered an undertaken to prepare u IoI
burial and had written painstak1ngiy q
brief autobiography.
Gives Sketch of Life
The sketch stated she was born IN
England and at the age OF ) monLns
came to this country. Her maloen
name was Eleanor Merton. Her stage
career began in Boston III production
called youth" -.
Gus productions she had appeared IN
She wrote four plays, which were pro
duced on Broadway. They were the
4Teir-v Farm. I'm Love-" "A Broadway
Favorite" and "A Last Rehearsal
Mrs. Cowper did not give the date OF
her marriage, referring briefly 70 the
fact that her husband, Archibald Cow
per, was an actor and Jh ina ne uI oIS
three years ago. Virtually her eHS
home life was when she lived on |
farm of James H. Wallick at Midete-
town, N. Y. -,
Mr. Wallick. who was &C years old
collaborated with her In a number OF
the plays she wrote. Mr.. WaIl1ck coAi'
mitted suicide last April, and ms tragic
death seemed 10 nave AleAhO q SS~P
pression upon Mrs. CoWper he sho'
himself in the right temple. Mrs. Cow
per tried to kill herself in identleanN
the same manner today.
The police endeavored to get int
telephone communication with Judg'
Royce of Middletown, and learned NJ
was on his way to New YORK, haVins
received a letter from Mrs. CoWpeT say
ing she intended to kill herself. He ar
rived at the hotel to find the police II
charge of the dying woman.
In the letter that Mrs. CoWper Wrote
to Judge Royce she asked him to notifS
her parents in New Hampshire OF hei
death and take charge of her BODY. she
asked that her body be cremated,
The police said Mrs. Cowper was 3
prisoner, but she was not removed from
her apartments at the hotel, as the doe
tors said she had small chance to
live. and to take her to a hospital PROB
ably would hasten the end
A typewriter manuscript, purportins
to be a history of her life, was found
in her room. She said she was born in
England, of American parents, and was
brought to this country when three
months old.
She made her first appearance on the
stage in Boston theater in play called
Youth" in which the present Mrs
Katherine Clement Gould appeared
Afterward she appeared in several o.
Charles Frohman's productions.
According to her history, Mrs Cow
per was with Fannie Davenport two
seasons and had this to say of tina
cement:
"She took an interest in me and pro
NOTED me from a small part to that o.
leading woman"
Mrs. Cowper is the author of foui
plays, all of which had Broadway pro
auctions, according to her story.