The Washington herald., 1909-01-31
GIRLUPSETOENGLAND
Pretends Suicide, and Affair
Is Nine-day Wonder.
TRIES TO ESCAPE CREDITORS
Hunt for Missing Woman Extends
Through All Great Britain-Press
and Public Are Obsessed for EfEh-
teen Dzys-Fake Motor Accident
Is Beginning of the Incident.

From the Chief European Correspondent Of he
LafAn News Bureau.
London, Jan. 30.-If the myth OF Brit
lsh phlegm had not been exploded long
ago the history Of the last eighteen days
would go far toward doing IL During
that time the British press and people
have devoted themselves with an en-
thusiasm bordering on the hysterical 70
the Affairs OF a young woman who ran
away on January to escape from her
creditors, and managed more OF less to
hide herself TIL January is.
On the former date she ran her motor
car through a gap in a wall running
along the cliffs on the coast Of North
Wales She then threw her cap and an
empty notebook over the cliff. walked
to a neighboring station and took train
to Scotland. Her sister and the chauffeur
were left on the road 10 be discovered
by the first passer by and tell the story
Of the fatal accident This they did with
a wealth OF unconvincing detail
Miss Violet Gordon Charlesworth, the
owner Of the car, was driving, the chauf-
feur was sitting beside her, and her sister
was behind. they said. A search OF the
clin and beach below revealed no signs
OF the Inflated lady beyond the cap and
notebook.
Fills the British Mind.
Before the day was out doubts were
cast on the genuineness Of the accident
BY evening Violet Gor6on Charlesworth
had caught on. IN forty-eight hours she
had completely obsessed the mind Of
Great Britain
Fleet street had modified its eleverest
reporters one army was moved 70 the
scene Of the accident. others were direct
ed TO every town and village In which
Violet Gordon CharleswOrth had ever
been seen or heard OF in the course Of her
twenty-five years Of life. They could not
ind Violet herself. but they found out
all about her.
They found her sisters husband. who
told them that she was SIX feet hign.
They found other relations who described
her as little over FIVE feet Columns
upon columns were flled with descrip-
tons OF her personal appearance. She
was dark and sallow. she was fair and
freekled. she was brilliant and cultivated,
she was half educated and spoke Ike q
servant girl
OF Good Family.
Her father was a respectable mechanic.
and the family had lived as such fam
ily might naturally be expected TO live A
couple Of years ago Violet, from a
source that remains a mystery, seems 20
have got hold OF q little money which
she invested in jewelry. clothes. ard a
motor car.
She took q house in Scotland and an
other IN Wiltshire, IN addition 20 the
good sized house In North Wales IN
which the family lived. She kept and
showed pedigree St. Bernards and ran
an account with an outside stock broker
on whose books there IS q deficit OF
$1,000 against her. the result OF bearing
American stocks while they were boom
ing. She managed 20 play On the credu-
lily Of her creditors for nearly two years
Then the first writ was served on her,
and the game was up. Her. way out
was the motor accident.
She Finally CORfeSses.
She had either forgotten or id rot
know that the spot On the elf which
she selected for her death was obliged
10 give the whole affair away The water
below at the highest tides Is never more
than eighteen inches deep. and she chose
an hour when the tide was ebbIng. while
experiments soon proved that il was i'm
possible for q body 10 fall clear 10 the
beach owing to the conformation OF the
cliff.
On leaving the scene OF the accident.
the girl, as before said. went 10 Scotland.
reaching Tobermory on January 5 On
January Is she arrived at Oban. and re-
NAMED hidden IN a temperance hotel TIL
January 2. Then a London reporter
Identified her.
She declared that she was Miss Nc
Cleoe, and her sister and man friend
were sent for BY the police and arrived
on January 10. hacked her UP, ard de-
clsred that she was not the missing mo-
torist. The next day, however. the three I
Travelled together TO Glasgow. and then TO /
where the persistency Of the /
army Of reporters at last broke down the /
girls defense, and she confessed: 4 am 1
Violet Gordon ChaTlesvorth'