The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-22
YOUNG wow eN ASPHYX,ATED
 -S Prominent LcietY Ma tron fs4nd Dead. MRS. NATIcA RIvEs BURDEN The Coroner Decides That Death
 Was Accidental. She Was tn. Daughter of Q. H. P. Bel- ssont. aad Was . Favorlte in New York. Newport and
 washinston.
aRS. NATIcA RIvES BURDEN

New York. Feb. 2f-Mrs. wiuiau, Proudnt Burden, who was Natfca Rfves. daughter of O. Fl. P. Belmont, and a so- ciety favorite in New York, Newport and Washington, was found dead in ped at her Fifth Avenue home todag.
 Death. the coroner decided. was acct dentaI and due to gas poisoning. A disconnected gas tube which had led from Q chandelier to a drop light. 90 placed last night that Mrs. Burden might read while propped up in bed, had permitted a How of gas that fllled the room and escaping into the hall. f. naliy attracted the attention of the ser- wants.
 Mrs. Burden was sa years old. and since her marriage on April 1T. 1907, she and her husband had occupied the beautiful home of the latter's father, the late James A. Burden, at 909 Fifth Avenue. The discovery of her death threw the household into confusion and when the facts became generally known. created a sensation in the so- cial set to which the Burdens belong. Mir. Burden had spent the night in an- other part of the house. and learned of his wife's death from the servants, who had entered his room at 10 o'clock this morning. Entering the house at II o'clock last night. MT. Burden had mo- NtCC0 tilAt 1t&ut Wda 6tiA4 UUEA- ing in his wife's room and passing kha door. called out. "God night. Mrs. Burden responded Good night" in a tone that indicated that she was in her usual health and spirits.
 Mrs. Burden had been in the habit of reading after retiring and this pracv tice recently led her to have gas reading lamp placed in her room. This stood on a stand conveniently near the head Of the bed. At 10 o'clock last night Mrs. Burden. leaving directions that she be called at 10 o'clock in the morning. dismissed her maid and set tied herself in bed with q book. The greeting to her hush2u9 an hour later w&s the last heard from the room.
 Passing thppukh the Aail on her way to Mrs. BurdeAa room ol the second floor this zaofping. the maid detected fhe edor of Eas ana hostflg entering the chamber found her mistress dead. Theroouiswa fliled with gas. though q the bottom. The fumes were pouring from the rubber tubing directly into the dead woTan's face. Mrs. Burdens physicians, Dr.. E P, Kinnicutt and Dr.. H. H. M. Lyle, were summoned and they, in turn notified the coroner. The iatterss investigation shows that the gas tube had been disconnected from the lamp. Apparently having be- come drowsy, Mrs. Burden had reached from her bed and turned of the lamp cock instead of taking the trouble to get up and shut off the gas at the chandelier Jet. In some manner unde- termined. the tube became loosened at the lower end and slipping off the feed pipe of the lamp, laid in such po- sition that the flow of poisonous gas was directed into the sleeper's face The dead woman lay as in sleep with. out sign of physical or mental dis turbance.
 Near the open window to which he had cTaw1ed and almost dead from gas was found Mrs. Burdens little pet, white Pomeranian terrier. which had been permitted. to sleep in the room
 Mrs. Burden was the daughter of the first Mrs. Oliver Fl. P. Belmont, who was Miss Sally Whiting and who se- cured divorce some time after her daughter was born. She retained cuss tody of the child and afterward mar ried George L. Rives, at one time cors poration counsel of New York.
 Following the divorce of her and the adoption by MT, Rives, the daughter took the name of her mothers second husband and had always been known as Natica Rives.
 It was said at the house tonight, that young Mrs. Burden had been suffering for some time from slight attack or the grippe.
 The funeral arrangements had not been decided on tonight.