The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-16
WAS A LIVING ALIBl.
New Story Regarding Nine. Ruiz's
Relations to Alfred Vanderbilt.

Paris, June 16.--"Mme. Ruiz was
the second woman to kill herself. |
witl1ina year or SO, for love of Al |
| fred Vanderbilt. She, after all, was
] only blind behind which he conduct
ed his real love affair-with the first
woman who killed herself, a young
matron of splendid New York fam
| ily."
! This assertion. part of startling
story, is made here by an American
woman known in New York social
| circles, who was commenting on the
suicide in London of the pretty divor-
| Gee, who shot herself after the young
millionaire allowed his attentions to
| her to grow lax. The American wo-
man., whose home is in New York,
and who is close personal friend of
! the former Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt,
| says that what she told is no secret
! to the members of the Vanderbilt set
in New York, although outsiders have
not been aware of it.
IF woman loves Alfred Wander
| bilt, she said, she might as well
! make up her mind to take poison or
| shoot herselfi Why. there isn't a wo-
| man in the younger set in New York
| who doesn't believe that he has the
| evil eye Two women have killed
themselves for him already and we
are all asking each other who will be
the next.
/ She then explained her declaration
that Mr.. Vanderbi1ts affair with Nine.
Ruiz was only blind.
4 Poor little Ruiz she said. She
i was merely a pawn in the game of
love. All the women of the Wander
bilt set knew that and nicknamed
| Ruiz accordingly. They called her
the alibi.' The only woman with
whom he ever was really in love was
a young matron who, though not SO
| Familiarity known, perhaps. was at
least as we'll connected in society as
he was. But he was married and SO
was this woman, and their meetings
i might have caused unpleasant COM
| ment.
therefore this girl who killed her
self in London was induced to pose
his sweetheart. That was even before
riage-she didn't want to wed-was
due to the insstence of Alfred
Vanderbilt. Then he allowed his as
ISOLATION with her to become known.
She was to accept his visits to ride
and drive his horses and to accom-
pany him to midnight suppers all in
order that whatever scandal and
obloquy might arise would be placed
woman. She was literally the living
alibi.
Nearly everyone in society was de-
ceived by this ruse. They. laughed at
: was not fooled for moment. That
was his wife, Elsie French Wander
bilt. She knew of his devotion to the
, other woman-the woman in his own
class-and with her characteristic
courage she went to the other woman
and told her she knew. Within a
: very few days the other woman
| killed herself. She died by gas
"Her death was followed-not too
closely to arouse any suspicion-by
Mrs. Vanderbilt's successful suit for
!, divorce. Alfred Vanderbilt, with the
!, woman he loved dead by her own
hand and his wife separated from
him, for a short time maintained his
: association with Nine. Ruiz. But
since he had no further use for an
alibi. this association soon palled.
Then, In London, came his final
neglect.
: ''I believe the narrator said in
/ conclusion. ''that Mime Ruiz killed
herself partly because of this. neglect
Z and partly because she realized the
; fact that her gay midnight career in
; the cosmopolitan smart set in Lon
don had destroyed all her chances of
ever winning an honest love-"