Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-25
SOCIETY LEADER
IS ASPHYX|ATED.
MRs. w. p. BURDEN OF NEW YORK
FOUND DEAD.
SENSATION is CREATED
Woman Was Daughter of o. H. p.
Acknowledgement Decides That
Death Was Accidental
Household in Confusion.

New York, Feb. 22.-Mrs. William
Proufit Burden, who was Natlca
Rives, daughter Of o. H. P. Belmont,
and society favorite in New York,
Newport and Washington, was found
dead In bed at her Fifth avenue home
Friday. Death, the coroner decided,
was accidental and due to gas poison
ing.
A disconnected gas tube, which had
led from chandelier to drop light,
80 placed that Mrs. Burden read while
propped up in bed, had permitted
fow of gas that filled the room and
escaping into the hall, finally attracted
the attention of the servants
Household in Confusion.
Mrs. Burden was % years of age and
since her marriage on April IL, 1907,
she and her husband had occupied the
home Of the latter's father, the late
James A. Burden, at 90S Fifth avenue.
The discovery of her death threw the
household into confusion and when
the facts became generally known
created sensation in the social set
to which the Burdens belong. Mr..
Burden had spent the night in an
other part of the house and learned OF
his wifes death from the servants.
Mr.. Burden noticed that light was
burning late at night in his wife's
room and passing the door called out:
Good night" Mrs. Burden respond
ed: Good night" in tone that indi-
Gated that she was in her usual health
and spirits
Daughter of Oliver Belmont.
Mrs. Burden was the daughter OF
the first Mrs. Oliver H. P. Belmont,
who was Miss Sally Whiting, and who
secured divorce some time after her
daughter was born. She retained Gus
itody of the child and afterward mar
ried George l.. Rives, at one time cor
poration counsel of New York. Fol
lowing the divorce of her mother and
the adoption by Mr.. Rives, the daugh
ter took the name of her mothers
second husband and has always been
known as Natica Rives. William P.
Burden is nephew of ]. Townsend
Burden and has large interest in the
Burden Iron works at Troy. Mrs. Bur-
den, as Natica Rives, was one of the
most popular of the younger women
in society.
Health Breaks Down.
Her health broke down in the sum
mer of 1906 and she spent some time
in sanitarium at Lakewood. In the
fall she reentered society, but the
strain broke her down again and SHE
was compelled to return to Lakewood
Although she improved under the care
of the doctors and nurses she did moi
entirely recover her health. During
her stay in Lakewood her engagement
to Mr.. Burden was announced. A bril-
liant church wedding was planned, but
the health of the bride-to-be remained
precarious. Finally quiet marriage
ceremony was decided upon. 1t was
said at the house that young Mrs
Burden had been suffering for some
time from slight attack of the grip.
Rob in wild West" style.
Charlotte, N. c.. Feb. 1S.-While one
masked robber held up the cashier in
true wild western style his two COM
panions looted the vault of the bank
at Granite Falls, N. c., secured all the
cash in the institution ($2,700), forced
the cashier to enter the vault and aft
er locking him in made good their es
cape.