Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-26
Mysterious Notes to Be Buried
With Mrs. LoriIlard'S Body.
CORONER'S LIPS SEALED
Funeral Services Held at Home This
Afternoon.
FACT DENIED BY SERVANTS
Two Letters and Trinkets, Found or
Body, and Seen by DR.. Nevitt,
Probably Explain Suicide.

If the contents of two mysterious notes
Mrs Pierre Lorillards undergarments
would be divulged by the coroner it il
probable tnat great deal Of light could
be thrown upon the motives which in
duced her suicide yesterday morning.
The two notes and some trinkets COLI
tained in the original envelope now re-
pose in the casket in which is the body Of
the suicide. Funeral services for Mrs.
Lorillard were held today at 1880 o'clock
at the house on Hillyer place.
The body probably will be taken to
New York later in the day and buried to-
morrow at Irvington. the old home of the
Lortnards on the beautiful east shore of
the Hudson.
Notes Found on Clothing.
Bury this with my body-unopened
This was written across the sealed en-
velope which was fastened to her under>
garments
The envelope contained two notes One
was in Mrs. Lorillard's handwriting. The
other was not The notes were initialed:
different initials were subscribed to each
note and they did not appear to have been
written recently.
So much the coroner reveals. What
more light he could throw upon their
tenor he keeps hidden.
The envelope was not found until yes
terday afternoon. When the coroner
reached the house he made a hurried ex-
animation Of the clothing of the dead
woman. with the idea that a note might
be found, as 1T is not uncommon for sui
cides to conceal about their persons
something written. in the nature of a
goodbye or ascrbing reasons for the act
The envelope was found after the under
taher reached the house. 1t was next to
the womans skin, over one hip.
The notes are entirely different from the
ordinary notes found in similar cases
The undertaken handed the envelope to
the coroner. The coroner broke the seal.
He found within the two notes and sew
eral inexpensive trinkets.
He read the notes and examined the
trinkets. Then he showed them to Mr..
Lorillard.
After reading the notes, Mr.. Lorillard
should ever know. The notes and trim
kets were sealed up again, and retained
in the possession of the coroner. Today
the envelope, with its contents, was
placed in the hermetically sealed casket.
in compliance with the last wish of the
suicide.
Coroner Is Obstructed.
While every effort has been made by
the members of the Lorilard family TO
discredit the idea OF self murder, Cor
oner Neviti is convinced that Mrs. Loril-
lard died by her own hand and was fully
cognizant of what she was doing.
Had Mir Lorillard refused to accept
the theory of suic--e 1t would have
necessitated the holding of an inquest.
Then the notes found in the envelope
would probably have become public prop-
erty.
The holding of an inquest would also
have resulted in the hearing of testimony
of witnesses. Such an investigation
might have resulted iE bringing about
the reason why the woman took her
life.
There was much delay and trouble aris-
ing from unwillingness to have an au-
topsy performed, with the consequens
filing of "A report at police headquarters.
DR.. hewitt Insists on Autopsy.
DIR. hewitt was asked to give a certifi<
cate of death from heart failure. After
long discussion he prevailed. His as
sistant, DR.. Glazebrook, performed the au<
topsy.
Coroner hewitt made the positive states
ment last night that Mrs. Lorillard did
not die from heart trouble, and that
her death caused by gas poisoning.
The circumstances which have come TO
light 50 far are as follows:
Mrs Iorillard and her husband re-
turned from the dinner party at Mrs.
Townsend's home about midnight. Mr..
Loriliard wer1 TO his apartment and Mrs.
Lorillard went TO hers.
The bathroom in which she died is a
private room opening from her bedroom.
Mr. LoriIard, questioned closely about
the gas jets said the gas is always left
burning in the bathroom.
This is OF the circumstances that
led the coroner to decide that there was
suicidal intent. 1t Is evident that Mrs.
LOrilldrd turned out the burning gas
Jet and then turned il on again, together
with all the others.
She had partially disrohed. When found
the next morning she wore one silk stock
ing and Il silk pettiCOat and Was lying
huddled on bath rug. with her head On
one arm.
Butler Makes Discovery.
butler. who was taking breakfast TO Mir.
Lorillard's apartment. sfnelled gas. He
put down his breakfast tray and called
maid.
The maid entered Mrs. Lorllard's room.
She ran back into the hall, eXclaimng:
shes not there.
The butler tried the bathroom door.
1t was not locked. Opening it, the man
reeled backward almost overcome with
the odor Of gas.
Then he rushed to Mr.. Lorillard. To-
gether they lifted the body o. Mrs. Loril-
la rd and placed il upon her bed.
Mr.. Lorillard declares he supposed there
was still life. He tried every method he
knew of to resuscitate his wife, he stated.
DR.. NJ f. Cuthbert was sent for. He
in turn telephoned to DR.. Deale. asking
him to go Immediately TO the Lorllard
house. Dr. Cuthbert was the first to
arrive. After they had made an exami-
nation they could no nothing but tele.
phone for DR.. hewitt the coroner.
The coroner met with difficulty from
the start. The household was much per-
turbed Mr. Lorllard WAS so profoundlv