The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-04-01
i SOCIETY LEADER
TAKES N LIFE
Mrs. Pierre Lorillard, Wife q
Tobacco Magnate. Commits
Suicide.

aEf414HNaSfE AEgNI
washington. March 29.-Wcary OF the
gay whirl of society ana face to faoe,
she believed, with years Of physical
suffering. Mrs. Pierre Lorillard. 1r,,
suicide by asphyxiatton at
her home near the fashionable dupont
circle In this city yesterday. Her trag-
10 death has shocked the first social
circles OF capital Al nothing else
In years. The members OF the Lortllard
family. famous because of its wealth,
are gathering here to mourn over the
unexpected blow.
In spite OF h coroners certificate or
death by suicide, members OF the fam
lily declare that Mrs. Lorillard died of
heart failure.
Details Of Occurrences.
The death was made more dramatic by
occurring only q few hours after Mr.. and
Mrs. Lorillard had been the guests OF
Mrs. Townsend, on Massachusetts avenue,
at q dinner given In honor of Lady Paget.
In fact, 1t Is believed that as soon as
Mrs. Lorillard arrived at her home at
M3o Hillyer place. shortly after midnight,
she began to prepare for her death.
About $3.50 in the morning the butler in
the Lorillard residence detected an odor OF
gas permeating the rooms. With little diff
fculty the origin OF the fumes was traced
TO Mrs. Lorillard's apartments. Opening
the door OF the bathroom just off her
suite, the butler was Mortified to ehold
the body OF the mistress of the house
stretched out lifeless on the floor. Her
face was turned to the mat on the floor.
The alarm given by the butler brought
Mr.. Lorillard from his apartments across
the hall. Together they carried the limp
body to Mrs. Lorillard's room. Panic
stricken, the servant was sent for q doc
tor, while Mr.. Lorillard attempted to re-
vive his wife by means Of artificial res
piration.
Doctor Called.
DR.. M. il. Cuthbert, the family physi-
clan, was summoned and arrived about
the same time that DR.. III. B. Deale was
admitted to the residence. Both resorted
to every scientific method within their
power to restore life, but after an hours
efforts gave up in despair.
Shortly a%fterward DR.. J. Ramsey hewitt.
the coroner. was notified. He visited the
Lorillard home and after an investigation
ordered Deputy Coroner Glazebrook to
perform the autopsy, on the completion of
which DR.. hewitt issued a certificate of
suicide by gas poisoning. He said later
that gas was escaping from one or more
Jets in the bathroom when the body was
found, and the lungs indicated death by
gas poisoning.
When Coroner hewitt notified the police
OF Mrs. Lorillard's death an officer was
sent to the residence to investigate. but
he was denied admission. being referred
to the coroner for such information as the
police department might desire.
Husband Saw Her Last.
The last person to see Mrs. Lorillard
alive was Mr.. L%orilIard. He babe her
goodnight as they separated to go to their
apartments after returning home about
midnight from the Townsend residence
Mrs. Lorillard was seemingly in the best
of spirits. She had joined freely In the SO.
cial festivities of the evening at the
Townsend home, where had gathered the
Brazilian ambassador and Nine. Nabuco
the Danish minister and Countess Moltke
the secretary of the nav and Mrs. Mey.
er, Senator Mrs. Lodge, Senator and Mrs
Aldrich, Senator Root, Mr.. and Mrs. Robt
Bacon, Mr.. and Mrs. w. c. E1ndicott, Of
Boston; Lady Clifford. of England; Col
and Mrs. Campbell. Col. and Mrs. Nc
Cawley. Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Moore
Hon. Maude Pauncefote, Commodore Rod
gers. Rear Admiral Cowles and Captain
Archibald Butt. military aid OF the presi
dent.
Mrs. Lorillard's bed had the appearance,
Of not having been occupied during thu
night. Mrs. Lorillard had disrobed afte,
arriving home, and when found her bod.
was clothed in a dressing gown. The dos
collar of diamonds she wore at the Dime
had been removed before she went to tn
bath room, but the costly circle OF dia
monds that adorned her hair had not beel
displaced. The note was found In Mrs
Lorillard's room.
In Fashionable Set.
The Lorillards have lived at HilIye
place, which is only a stones throw from
Dupont circle and IN the heart of tn
fashionable community between Dupon
and Sheridan circles, since January. I'm
mediately preceding that time Mrs. Lor
illard was in Europe, and while In Franc
consulted an eminent physician In regar
to her ailment. The family has bee
prominent each summer for several year
past at Tuxedo park, and they nave spen
their winters In Washington. About
year ago they leased a fashionable resi-
dence In Connecticut avenue for the sea
son, and the winter before entertained 1
a house in Massachusetts avenue.
Mrs. Lorillard before her marriage t
Mr.. Lorillard in 1881 was Miss Caroline /,
Hamilton. She is survived by two son.
one of them Is now travelling in the orler
and the other is in college in New York.
Since tho Lorillards began spending tn
winter social season in Washington the
have entertained largely. This season the
came here early In the present year.
Sunday evening last Mr.. and Mrs. Lol
illard entertained at one of the usual Sur
day night dinners. They were prominer
in the social and diplomatic life Of til
capital, numbering among their particuls
friends in the latter class of society tn
Italian ambassador and Baroness Mayo
: des Planches and the Belgian minister an
l Baroness Moncheure. the latter being q
especially intimate friend of Mrs. Lori