Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-03-31
SUICIDE in HIGH LIFE
Mrs. Pierre LOfiIIard, Jr.,
Goes That Route.
8edecked With Jewels and Just Re-
turned From Gay Social func-
ti0D She Seeks SurceaSe
In Death.

/ Washington, D. G., March 25.-
Weary of the gay whlrl of society and
face to face, as she believed, with
years of physical suffering, Mrs. Pierre
Lorillard, Jr, aged 40, wife of the to-
bacco magnate, committed suicide by
asphyxiation at her home near the
fashionable Du Pont circle, in this
city, today. Her tragic death has
shocked the first social circles of the
capital as has nothing else in years.
In spite of the coroner's certificate
of death by suicide, members of the
family declare Mrs I4orillard died of
heart failure.
The death was made more dramatic
by the fact of it's occurrence only a
few hours after Mr.. and Mrs. Loril-
lard had been guests of MRS. Richard
Townsend at a dinner given in honor
of Lady Paget. In fact, it is believed
that as soon as Mrs. LorfIlard arrived
at her home, shortly after midnight
this morning, she began to prepare
for her death.
About $50 o'clock this morning the
butler in the Lorillard residence de-
tected an odor of gas. The origin of
the fumes was traced to Mrs. Loril-
lard's apartments. Opening the door
to the bath room, just off her suite,
the butler was Mortified to behold the
body of the mistress of the house
stretched 1ifeless. Her facerwas turn
ed to the mat on the floor.
The alarm brought Mr.. Lofillard
from his apartments, across the hall.
He and the butler carried the body to
Mrs. Lorillard's room. Mr.. Lorillard
attempted to revive his wife by means
of artificial respiration. Two doctors
summoned resorted to every scientific
method to restore Ifs. bat after an
hours efforts gave up in despair.
Shortly afterwards DR.. Ramsey New
lit, the coroner, visited the Lorillard
home and ordered Deputy Coroner
Glazebrook to perform an autopsy
upon the completion of which DR.. New
lit issued a certificate of death by sui
eide by gas poisoning.
Extreme reticence is being main
tanned by the Lorillard family and all
others who possess information :"or-
cerning the sudden death.
Mrs. Lori1lard left a note which the
coroner has seen, but which Mr.. Lori
lard has declined to have MADE public
Mrs. Lorillard was subject to fire.
quent attacks of dependency. it is
said
n re Low l.
lard alive was MIR. Lorillard He ba0e
her good night as they separated to
go to their apartments, after return
ing home about midnight from the
Townsend residence Mrs. Lorillard
was seemingly in the best of spirits,
and had Joined freely in the social fes-
tivities of the evening at the Town
send home.
Mrs. Lorillard had disrobed, and
when found her body was clothed in a
dressing gown. The dog collar of dia-
monds she wore at the dinner had
been removed before she went to the
bath room, but the costly circle of dia-
monds that adorned her hair had not
been displaced.
The Lorillards lave lived at Hil1yer
Place since January. Immediately pre-
ceding that time Mrs. Lorillard was in
Europe.
Mrs. LorilIard before her marriage
in 1881 vas Miss Caroline j. HamiI-
ton. She is survived by two sons, one
of whom is now travelling in the ORR
ent, and the other is in college in New
York.
DR.. M. T. Cuthbert, the family ply
sician, when seen tonight, held aloof
from any discussion that might shed
light upon the tragic affair.
II had not been called to see Mrs
Lorillard within the last two months
and I was startled when the message
came to my Office this morning," he
said. s'I do know that Mrs. LorilIar6
was much alarmed over the condition
| of her heart. She had suffered con-
siderably. When she visited Paris last
summer she sought an eminent spe
cialist, whom she consulted as to he1
condition. but when she returned te
America she had been ill frequently
must decline to discuss any other
phases of the case
OFFICER SUSPENDED. -.