The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-26
CORONER DECIDES THAT
 SHE TAXES HER OWN LIFE
Family and Servants Say That Heart Failure Is Cause of Death, But Facts In Case Refute
 the Statement.

Washington. March 95-Weary of the gay whirl of society, and face to face. as she believed, with years of phy-'-r suffering, Mrs Pierre Lorillard Jr. AZ, wife of the tobacco magnate, COT f- ted suicide by asphyxiation at her .na near the fashionable Dupont Circle f, l,. el'y, today. Her tragic death has sh e., the first social circles of the capi nothing else has in years. Tonight he members of the Lorillard family, famc because of it's wealth are gathering he 10 mourn over the unexpected blow. spite of the coroner's certificate of de. py suicide, members of the family declare that Mrs Lorillard died of heart fail- ure
 The death was made more dramatic hv occurring only a few hours after MT and Mrs. Lorillard had been the guests of Mrs Townsend on Massachusetts avenue at Q dinner given in honor of Lady Paret In iae1' It Is believed that as soon as Mrs. Lorillard arrived at her home at No. 2sO Hillyer Place shortly after midnight this morning, she began to prepare for her death.
 Odor of Gas.
 About S:9O o'clock this morning the hut Ter in the Lorillard residence detected an odor of gas permeating the rooms With h1lie difficulty the origin of the fumes was traced to Mrs. Lorilard's apartments Opening the door of the bathroom inst off of her suite, the butler was mortified to behold the body of the mistress of tba house stretched out lifeless on the floor
  floor
 The alarm given by the butler brought MT. Lorillard from his apartments across l the hall. Together they carried the linn nody of Mrs. Lorlllard to her room. Phv sieians resorted to every method within l their power to restore life, but after an l hours effort gave up l Deputy Coroner Glazebrook performed | an autopsy, upon the completion of which a certificate of suicide by gas poisoning was issued. Extreme reticence is being maintained by the Lorillard family and all others who possess information con corning the sudden death Only few of the most intimate friends have been ad- mitted to the home since the news spread of Mrs Lorillards death
 "Heart Failure"
 Inquiry at the residence met with the declaration that Mrs. Lorillard had not committed suicide. She died of heart failure" retorted the servants. An officer was sent to the residence to investigate. but he was denied adms- sion. being referred to the coroner for such information as the police department might desire.
 Mrs Lorlllard left a note which the cor oner has seen, but which NJ. Lorillard has declined to make public, While addressed to no one, it is said 1t Is personal in it's nature. It is understood that it contains no declaration of an intention on the part of Mrs Lorilard to take her life.
 Mrs. Lorllard was subject to frequent attacks of despondency, 1t is said. To- night MT. Lorillard stated that in his opinion the death of his wife was not due to suicidal intent, but was the result of an attack. He is said to have denied that his wife had left a note.
 Parted at Midnight.
 The last person to see Mrs. I.3ri 4rE alive was MT. Lorllard He ba her good night as they separated to 10 70 their apartments after returning about midnight from the Townser dence. Mrs. Lorillard was seemr the best of spirits.
 Mrs. Lorillards bed had the {, anee of not having been occupied the night Mrs Lorillard had d 1 after arriving home, and when fou body was clothed in a dressing lr The collar of diamonds she wore fA dinner had been removed before she to the bathroom, but the costly circie ot diamonds that adorned her hair had not been displaced. The note was found in Mrs. Lorillards room.
 Mrs. Lorliard. before her marriage to MT. Lorillard in 1881, was Miss Caroline J. Hamilton. She is survived by two sons, one of whom is travelling in the Orient and the other is in college in New York.