Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-04
LITTLE QUEEN OF KERRY PATCH
RecOllectiOns OF Nine. Ruis, the Lon
don Suicide, when n Girl In
st. Louis.

Kerry Patch" a section OF st. Louis
stretching along Cass avenue and O'Fallon
street. in former years famous for its
abundance OF kids and goats, is dragged
from its obscurity by reason OF being the
birthplace OF Mrs, Mary Agnes Ruiz,
whose suicide in London recently excited
the gossips on both sides OF the Atlantic
AS Mary Agnes O'Brien, daughter of a
boiler maker, Mrs. Ruiz spent her girl
hood years in the Patch, and was the
petted belle Of the region. st. Louis papers
relate that little Mary Agnes attended the
Everett school, on Eighth street, between
Cass avenue and O'Fallon street Her es-
capades while a girl, coupled with her ex-
traordinary beauty, made her famous in
st. Louis. When she was 10 years old
she ran away from home, was gone for
some time and returned from New Orleans
in a box car.
She left st. Louis some ten or twelve
years ago. Not long after that she mar
ried a New Yorker named Hilton, from
whom she received a large fortune at his
death, shortly after the marriage. Her
money n her beauty combined to make
a place for her in the exclusive society
OF New York.
Rumors floated back now and then to
the Patch, telling Of the social conquests
of the little queen" Little heed was
paid to these, however. Word came,
finally, that she had married Senior Ruiz,
an attache OF the Cuban legation at Wash
ington, a man of great wealth. 1t was
not until the summer of 1904, during the
Louisiana Purchase exposition, that the
Patch saw her again, and was able to
believe how their favorite had risen in the
world.
DR.. willard B. shelp, a dentist in the
Carleton building, was able to recall her
reappearance in st. Louis at that time
and to contrast 1t with her former posi-
ton.
About fifteen or sixteen years ago.
said DR.. Shelp, zone of the most beautiful
brunettes that I have ever seen came to
me. She told me her name was Agnes
O'Brien and that she was poor, but wanted
some work done. She asked me to make
the fee nominal II 1 could, and do the
work for her. She had we'll nigh perfect
teeth, and 1 consented. The fee l charged
was small.
one day during the summer Of the
worlds fair a stunning woman, tall, slen.
der and dressed in the quiet richness Of
detail that characterizes women of wealth
and taste, appeared in my reception room
and asked IL I remembered her. 1 wal
obliged to confess that 1 did not. I an
Nine. Ruiz she said. That meant moth
ing to me.
I'D you remember a little girl cominI
in here some ten years ago-Mary Agnes
o~'Brisn-for whom you did some work 70
nothing almost2' And then 1 remembers,
her. She told me hat she was stopping
with her husband at the Buckingham clul
and that she had her brother, Frank, witt
them.
"1 want you to fix my teeth and m.
brothers, and you can make the pric
what you like. / don't forget what 20
did for me before she said.
"WeIl, / did the work for her and he
brother, she coming dow each day 1
, her automobile. On the day her brother
teeth were finished 1 heard some CONVEX
sation between them In the room abou
the tickets When they left, Nine. Rui
assured me that ! should send out m
bill the next day and 1t would be paid
4 I did 80, and was informed at the Buck
r ingham that Nine. Ruiz, Senior Ruiz an
Mr.. O'Brien had departed suddenly tn
E night before. II was the neatest double
e cross I ever encountered"