Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-21
SHEDS LIGHT ON
GIRL WHO DIED
IN N. Y. HOTEL
British Chocolate King"
and Wife Befriended
Miss Lucille Clerk
FAVORITE IN SOCIETY
Fry Declares Woman Was
Member of Prominent
Family in England
Especial to The Herald. ]

SANTA BARBARA, Feb. 20-That
Miss Lucille Clerk, whose mysterious
death in New York Friday puzzled the
authorities and gave rise to the belief
that she had been poisoned, had never
been in America before; that she had
given up the idea of coming to. Santa
Barbara, and that she was a chance
acquaintance of Mrs. Fry's in London,
were the statements today of Francis
Fry. the English Chocolate king" at
his palatial residence here.
Mr.. Fry has been in Santa Barbara
over five weeks, but until this after
noon had not been located.
Mr.. Fry who, with his wife, has
been in California since September,
did not hesitate to tell all that he
knew of the life of Lucille Clerk.
The Frys met Miss Clerk in London
last June, and the two women be-
came attached to one another with
the result that Mr.. Fry in a benevo-
lent mood, offered to pay Miss Clerks
way to America, where she had never
been before, but where she had al
ways longed to visit.
In New York Mrs. Fry introduced
Miss Clerk to Mrs. Hawks and all of
her American friends, with two of
whom she Is reported to have dined
the night before she became sick.
Only a week was spent in New York
by the F'rys before leaving for Cali
fornia. This was at the Hudson
Fulton celebration.
They reached California in the early
part of September and the Frys spent
some time at the Portolo festival in
San Francisco. Mrs. Fry is a Cali
fornia girl and has a wide acquaintance
in the bay city.
Leaving San Francisco in the latter
part of January, they came to Santa
Barbara, where for time they had
apartments at the Potter hotel. On
account of Mrs. Frys health they took
house in the fashionable section of
the city, and Mrs. Fry stated yester-
day that they expected to stay until
July or later.
Met Her in London
In connection with the Frys' rela-
ton with Miss Clerk, Mr.. Fry said:
I'VE met Miss Clerk in England last
June, shortly after the return from
Australia. She was d poor girl but
had wealthy relatives. Her father was
| an English army surgeon in England
On account of this she had been
thrown a great part with the nobility
of Europe, and especially with Lady
Hastings, of whom she was a par
ticular friend. She was an excellent
| linguiSt and had always had desire,
so she told us, to see America and
determine for herself just what the
American men and women were like
She had no relatives in America. She
had a small income. but not sufficient
for her to travel as extensively as she
would like. On account of this L
offered to pay her steamer passage to
America.
"When we reached New York Mrs.
Fry introduced her into the best So
ciety of the city and she became popu-
lar at once, probably because she was
of a different nationality and very
brilliant girl. Anyway, the matrons
of the metropolis took to her imme-
diately, and in few days she was
favorite and much sought after.
Expected Her to Come
"When we left New York for the west
| it was with the understanding that
Miss Clerk would visit us in Santa
/ Barbara. This was entertained until
only a few days ago, when Mrs. Fry
received letter from her stating that
she did not feel like spending the fifty
| or sixty pounds that would be neces-
sary to come here for a six weeks
stay, which she had decided upon. In
| the letter she also stated that she
would in a short time go to India,
where she had brothers in the English
| civil service.
"The next news that was received
| from her was a telegram from New
York telling of her death and asking
where her relatives were, which in
formation we gave. Her mother, she
stated in her last letter. was with her
| cousins at Prestonpans, Scotland.
miss Clerk was model of the
English woman athlete. She rode eX-
ceptionally we'll and was brilliant
golf player 1 doubt if l ever saw her
with the blues, and it is preposterous
to think that she would commit sui
eide. When we left she had had no
! American love affair that would cause
such a thought to enter her head.
my wife was greatly saddened over
| her death, as the two had become
great friends in the short space OF
three months that they were to-
gether
However, we could not say that we
were intimate or lifelong friends of
Miss Clerk. My wife, greatly inter-
| ested in her, and /, traveller, we
asked her to accompany us to Amerl-
ca. and later extended an invitation to
her to visit us here"
Mr.. Fry is now the controller OF the
Fry chocolate industry, which his an
cestors established in 1920. In England
he is on intimate terms with number
of the nobility and all of tho heads
of the great industries. He has been
| to America thirty-two times, either
| for pleasure or in the interest of his
, business.