The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-07
SOCIETY WOMAN
LED DUAL LIFE
Widow of One of Philadelphia's
Z Foremost Citizens Is Found Dead
in Tenderloin of Pneumonia.

PHILADELPHIA, April AL
Philadelphia knew Iona Mae NowlaI
Murray. All Philadelphia respected
envied and admired her.
This was Iona Murray. ideal OF wo
mankind:
Brilliant professor ut Girard college
Talented amateur actress.
Famed beauty.
Social favorite.
Refined, gentle. home-loving widow
OF a citizen whose memory Philadel
pLia reversd as II loved her.
Deyout, pious woman-devout and
pious In church and out.
Daughter Of one OF Philadelphia
foremost families.
The city grieved with ner two years
ago when her husband. Jas. K. Murray
wealthy Wholesale grocer. sue
cumbed to tuberculosis In Rome. He
was one OF Philadelphia's leading men
The city applauded when she match
ed her woman's wit with italian blue
law, and by bribing under-officiais
bringing influence TO bear higher, sue
cceded In bringing Murray's body
lack to Philadelphia for burial. In de-
nance OF the Italian law which says
that consumptiyes must be buried
within "a hours after their death on
Italian soil.
The usual period OF mourning pass
ed. Then friends noticed that MRS
Murray was not at home sometimes
for weeks.
Her old sorrow has returned" they
concluded. She wants TO be alone
With her grief"
Recently she announced that she
would be willing TO assist In society
amateur performances ior charity.
James would want me TO II ne
were here. | am sure" she explained
1T Is for a good cause"
So Philadelphia was pleased 10 near
that Mrs. Murray would take the lead
ING role In the benefit playlet, sec
ond I'm Command" to be given In the
bellevue Stratford hotel holy week. ..
she's q fine woman" they all
agreed.
Known In Tenderioin.
All the tenderloin knew a certain
woman-beautiful, well dressed-who
appeared within its precincts period
tcally. stayed days. and then sudden
ly dropped out Of sight
She came on no errand OF philan-
thropy, TO save no souls. SOCIOLOGY
was not her bent.
This woman lived the life OF the
lenderloin.
She drank In the lowest resorts
drank to excess. drank to low. SOD
den depths.
She consorted with the men or the
tenderoin she consorted with the wo-
men OF the tenderloin; she lived their
lives. told their stories, cursed their
curses, apparently enjoyed their at
mosphere,
She lived here and there, one day
in disreputable rooming houses. where
a mockery OF a register satishes the
letter OF the law; the next day IN
houses OF the underworld.
She was Mrs. This in one place.
Mrs. That In another. The tenderloin
the calloused tenderloin-knew bet
ter. but tenderlons never ask queS'
tions.
More often she was known as mrs
John Clarkson." That was the name
sometimes used by the man she ap-
peared with most frequently. Others
lnew him as William Clements. once
a policeman on the Philadelphia
force.
Although there were thousands OF
such nomadic denizens OF the ten
derloin. the tenderloin was. most In
terested in her. To them she was
woman OF mystery.
Despite the zest with which she
lived their life. 1t was writ on her
face that she was not one OF them
Refinement always showed In her
speech and her actions, low as they
might descend.
Maybe a swell once" the tender
ioin concluded.
Dual Life Revealed.
The body OF a woman was found
IN a room In a lodging house on North
Ninth-st the other morning. She
had evidently died OF pneumonia,
FASTENED by alcoholism. The land
lord remembered that she had come
there several days before. II don't
know what her name Is. the pro-
prieto. said she and the man with
l.er registered as Mr.. and Mrs. Clark
SON."
Philadelphia was shocked when
some one identified the body at the
morgue as that OF Iona Mae Nowlan
Murray. Her friends could not be-
lieve It. Her relatives would not
They believed that she had been en-
ii, ed to q low resirt. drugged and
killed.
But the police detectives confirm
ed the worst They traced her move
me nts for many months. There could
not be any doubt about 1t. II was Mrs
Murray who appeared In tenderloin
resorts and took part in carousals as
Mrs. Clarkson. Those appearances
we're identical with the disappear
ances from the upper-world. A score
OF people identified her.
Mrs. Murray was a feminine DR..
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" said Coroner
Ford I'm charging his Jury. "She lie 4