The sun., 1909-01-31
GIRL WHO UPSET ENGLAND
VIOLET GORDON CHARLES
WORTH IS DAYS A SENSATION.

WORTH IS DAYS 4 SENSATION.
Hunt for the Young Woman Whs
Faxed . Motor Accident TO Escsp,
Her Creditors-Press and Public
Obsessed-Lyed Wen on Credit
LONDON, Jan. 20.-If the myth OF
British phlegm had not been exploded
long ago the history Of the last eighteen
days would 60 far toward doing it. During
that time the British press and people
have devoted themselves with an en-
thusiasm bordering on the hysterical
to the affairs OF a young woman who
ran away on January 2 to escape from
her creditors and managed more or less
TO hide herself till January TO-
On the former date she ran her motor
car throu gh gap in a wall running along
the cliffs on the coast Of North Wales.
She then threw her cap and an empty
notebook over the cliff. walked to a
neighboring station and took train TO
Scotland. Her sister and the chauffeur
were left on the road TO be discovered
by the first passerby and tell the story
OF the fatal accident. This they did with
a wealth Of unconvincing detail.
Miss Violet Gordon Charlesworth, the
owner Of the car. was driving. the chauffeur
was sitting beside her and her sister was
behind. they said. The car turned sud-
denly. crashed through the wall. and
Miss Charlesworth was thrown from
behind the steering wheel clear through
the glass wind screen and over the cliff
The chauffeur and the sister jumped out
and lay stunned for some time. This
happened at e:20 on a moonlight night.
A search OF the cliff and beach below
revealed no signs OF the i'll fated lady
beyond the cap and notebook. The
chauffeur and the sister we're taken to a
hospital in the neighboring town, where
they remained a few hours, going home
at 4 A. NJ. The car. which showed prac-
tically no signs Of damage. was taken of
under its own power and the next day
the death OF a woman motorist was re-
ported and the question OF women driv-
ing high power cars was raised once
more.
Before the day was out doubts were
cast on the genuineness Of the accident
By evening Violet Gordon Chsrlesworth
had caught on. In forty-eight hours
she had completely obsessed the mind Of
Great Britain.
Fleet street had mobilized its oleverest
reporters. One army was moved to the
scene Of the accident. others were di-
rected to every town and village in which
Violet Gordon CharleswUrth had ever
been seeM or beard Of in the course Of her
twenty-five Years OF life. They could
not find Violet herseK, but they found
out all about her.
They found her sisters husband. who
told them that she was 0 feet high. They
found other relations who described her
as a little over feet Columns upon
columns were filed with descriptions Of
her personal appearance. She was dark
and sallow. she was fair aud freckled.
she was brilliant and cultivated. she was
half educated and spoke like a servant
girl.
The histories OF the father, mother.
sister chauffeur. maid servant and page
boy were all given at full length. Then
her photographs were found and for the
last twelve days Violet Gordon Charles
worth has turned the musical comedy
beauty. not 70 mention the tragic pio-
lures from Messina, out Of the illustrated
press. Her motor cars, her dogs, her
homes, the hotels in which she stopped
and those in which she was supposed to
have stopped were also photographed and
re produced to satisfy the clamoring Of a
much Charlesworth.
Meanwhile she had been identified and
spoken to in London. on the night boat
crossing from Holyhead to Dublin. in
three places in Ireland in several parts
OF Scotland and was at the same time
positively located in a house close to her
own ONE in North Wales. BY this time
no self-respeoting mus hall comedian
omitted the mention Of her name at least
once in the evening, and the delighted roar
with which it was received by the audience
showed how firmly its owner was now
established as a national heroine.
When her sister came to London for a
day to call upon Violet's solicitor in Fleet
street that busy thoroughfare was blocked
by surging crowd for four and half
hour, during which the police had great
difficulty in keeping a way open for the
TRAFFIC. A glimpse of Miss Lillian Charles
worth's hat was all that rewarded the
photographers, but II was printed in
triumph and gazed upon by millions of
enthusiasts the next morning. Better
cups Of tea taken into the lawyers Office.
and they together with pictures OF the
messenger who carried them and oblig-
ingly posed for the artists gave enor-
nous satisfaction.
In about ten days the history Of the
vanished girl was fairly well put together.
OF course her birth certificate had been
hun tad I'M and renrpd,icad in facaiypila
In this there is a slight point which helps
to explain the last two years OF Violet
Gordon CharIesworth's life. She was
christened simply May. The Violet Cor
don was her own invention. and suggests
the megalomania with which the girl is
afflicted.
Her father was a respectable mechanic,
and the family had lived as such family
might naturally be expected to live. A
that remains mystery. seems to have
got hold Of little money. which she in
vested In jewelry. clothes and a motor car.
With this equipment she was able to ap-
peal to the snobbishness of man and by
mea ms OF a persuasive manner, mysteri-
Gus talk Of large fortune she was TO come
into on her twenty-ffth birthday. Janu-
dence Of wealth afforded by the motor car,
which is not paid for. she motored all
over the country. getting credit on every
side.
She took a house in Scotland and an other
in Wiltshire. in addition to the good sized
house in North Wales in which the family
lived. She kept and showed pedigree st.
a arS ran psp an a0oOupt with h an
there is a deficit Of e10. 900 against her,
the result Of bearing American stocks
while they were booming. She mana Red |