The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-09-02
IS F|TCH'S NIECE.
Mysterious Girl Would Be
Suicide Identified,
HAD WEARIED OF S0RDlD CITY
Beautiful Actress, Who Tried to End
Her Life at the Hotel Astor, Says
She Was Denied Success
With Honor.

New York, Aug. 31.-Despite the ef-
forts made to conceal the identity OF
the beautiful girl who attempted to
commit suicide in the Hotel Astor, 1t
has been learned that she is Miss Vera
Fitch, niece of the late Clyde Fitch.
noted playwright.
She is a daughter of the late Henry
Fitch of Oakland Her sister, Miss
Grace Fitch, married a nephew of Ed
win II. Conger, former United States
minister to China, but left him to go
ON the stage, taking her maiden name.
Failure to win success on the stage,
and not disappointed literary ambition,
is given as the cause of the girls at
tempt at self destruction.
Miss Grace Fitch a sister of the
young woman, is the leading woman
for DR.. Perrin, palmist, who is about
to open at Hammerstein's Victoria.
The would be suicide is also said to be
a member Of the Perrin company.
Some hours before the police began
to suspect that the would be suicide
was Miss Fitch she yielded to the i'm
portunities of the doctors and nurses
far enough to say that her name was
Alice Cole. she gave the name with a
smile, and her demeanor satisfied the
doctors that she was not telling the
truth. An operation was performed
upon the girl late this afternoon for
the removal of the bullet
There is nothing hysterical about this
remarkable girl, who, processing a
wish to attain oblivion, selected the
crowded Hotel Astor, in the heart Of
the theatrical district, as the scene Of
her attempt on her life. Even in pain
and suffering from the effects of drugs,
she is calm and determined.
The small pearl handled revolver she
used In her attempt on her life was
well aimed. But for a corset steel, the
bullet would have entered her heart.
The steel DETECTED the missile, which
passed through her left lung and
lodged in her back.
At first the wound did not present q
serious aspect, but symptoms of blood
poisoning have developed. Then the
surgeons decided to remove the bullet.
The girl, before attempting to shoot
herself, wrote three remarkable letters.
These were found after the uncon-
scious girl, clad in rich evening attire,
had been removed to the hospital
In one, addressed ''To Mother" she
said:
Never reproach yourself for what l am
4 Va, hna nf
love to me, and l regret that l cause you
this trouble. The force of fate has proved
too strong for me to cope with, and II
has driven me against the wall, and, be-
ing defenseless, I resort to this cowardly
act.
Then, too, hate the insincerity, sordid-
ness and disillusionment of life. That is
all 1 have met with face to face in the
last two years. And now l seek the un-
known.
1 can hear you say, dear, "It is very
wrong for one to take ones own life
whatever the motive be-"
1t is really deplorable that a girl can
not get along honorably in New York.
In some things l might have succeeded
had l conceded to the wishes of men
cultured, yes; usually moneyed, yes, but
never moral. l could never submit to
such thil&s. Death is preferable. Ill for
tune has pursued me through.
In letter to Sister she said:
Waiting the last two years. 1 have sew
eral times been tempted to do this, and
now / will be successful for the first
time In my life in something that
would not undo If 1 could. 1t is hard to
do this, but still harder not to do it, Dc
not grieve for me. Though l have never
Intentionally said or done an unkind thing
in my life, l recognize that my life hai
been a mistake-a hopeless mistake. OBJ
livion Is what 1 want.
In the third letter. to Blanche" she
wrote:
AS with King Midas, everything turns tC
gold; in my case everything turns to fail
ure. Think kindly of me. Remember Il
might not have been so. Mine has beer
an unhappy life. Think kindly of me
ask you again.